Are great expectations for this holiday season weighing you down already? You’re in good company. Entertaining gurus say they get overwhelmed this time of year, too. Party-planner-to-the-stars Preston Bailey, with clients such as Oprah Winfrey and Catherine Zeta-Jones, says keeping the décor simple can be the solution to holiday time pressures.
If the A-Listers of entertaining rely on proven party-giving shortcuts, why shouldn’t you? We’ve put together a down-and-dirty dozen of our favorite time-saving tips to simplify the job of hosting a party, to help you feel as festive as you look when your guests walk through the door.
This year, be shameless. Take shortcuts. Here’s how.
Pick a color – any color. Choosing a theme can help focus party prep-work, but creative ideas – Rudolph goes Hawaiian? Santa meets Broadway? – can be slow in coming this time of year. Bailey suggests you forget about the trendy high concepts and just pick a color scheme to guide your plans. It’s a simple approach, he explains, “but it will look like you invested thought in it.”
Outsource the turkey. No time to think about thawing and basting? No worries. Delicious store-roasted turkeys are commonplace today. Purchase just a turkey breast (bone in or bone out) or the whole bird fully cooked. For that matter, why not take your whole menu to the market? Many supermarkets and gourmet specialty shops can prepare entire meals. Serve using your best platters and bowls, and your guests will never know they’re eating holiday take-out.
Can the cork, bring on the box. Today, even premium vintners are turning to bag-in-a-box packaging. Higher-end versions come in 3-liter boxes (as opposed to budget-variety 5-liter offerings) holding the equivalent of four, 750 ml bottles. Cheaper packaging means savings for consumers, the wine is easy to purchase and tote, and it will stay fresh up to a month after opening. For more appealing presentation, pour the wine into a decorative carafe before bringing it to the table.
Do more with less. You may have boxes loaded with Santas and snow globes, but you don’t have to use them all every year. Instead, concentrate your decorating on just three or four key areas. You’ll have less to re-wrap and lug to the attic, basement or storage facility once the holidays are over, and less to dust while your treasures are out on display.
Rein in the caterers. A catered party suggests pure class, but the bills can mean pure bankruptcy. Bailey suggests splitting duties with caterers to help keep costs down. For example, you can shop for liquor yourself to avoid paying a premium, but use hired staff for serving, so you can mingle among your guests.
Branch out. One of Bailey’s favorite centerpiece ideas could come right out of your compost bin. He spray paints tree branches – yes, like the ones in your yard – adds some silver or gold glitter and displays them in oversize vases. And wreaths aren’t only for doors when he’s in charge; he also uses them to create nest-like settings for serving dishes.
Buy table runners by the roll. Why stock drawers full of holiday table linens you’ll only use a few weeks a year? Bailey has used colorful wrapping paper, with glued-on ribbon as eye-catching trim, to make holiday table runners.
Set a budget and stick with it. Sure, this is the time of year when we’re supposed to let out all the stops, but keep a level head when it comes to spending, or this year’s shindig may be the last you can afford to host. “Even the over-the-top parties that we do have a budget,” Bailey says, noting that without such guidelines it’s easy to get carried away. “Eventually everybody gets excited and, before you know it, you’re still paying your Christmas debt in May.”
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