Theme: Upscale Chic
Date and Time
Friday and Saturday nights were made for upscale holiday parties. Get the party started any time after 6pm. Begin with a cocktail hour, which will give guests time to arrive and mingle, and then enjoy a formal sit-down dinner and champagne toast.
Invite List
Invite a small group of family and friends – just enough to fit comfortably around your formal dining room table. Connect with local graphic artists like Megan Zettlemoyer of Typothecary Letterpress, Kim Woerle of Evoke by Design and Janelle Speicher of Paisley Dog Press, who can help you create custom invites, place cards, menus and thank you notes that are bursting with rich colors, layers and textures.
Location
Your home. Select the rooms where you would like to host the party (think formal dining room, kitchen, living room, family room and foyer, where guests can chat after dinner), and then hire a local cleaning service, such as David’s Cleaning Service or Eco-Friendly Cleaning by Sabrina, to make those spaces sparkle.
Details & Décor
Make guests feel like they’re dining at Princess Kate’s house with special details: create an exclusive wine bar (bartender optional), line large appetizer trays with sheet music for holiday carols, place monogrammed champagne glasses and napkin holders at each seat and drape seating in luxe chair covers from Donna Hitchcock, owner of Fancy Seats, based in Robesonia. If you’re unsure how to incorporate elegant holiday décor, lighting and centerpieces, talk to pros Jodi Bukowski, owner of Events at Simple Soiree, and interior designer Bradley Eastman, owner of E.I. Home. They can help you bring your holiday party dreams to life.
Menu
Jason Hook, chef-owner of H2O Kitchen, suggests preparing melt-in-your-mouth Pastrami-Cured Duck Breast with Kohlrabi Soubise, Roasted Turnips + Radishes, Swiss Chard and Lavender Duck Jus. With the exception of the soubise (a purée with no caramelization or color), the dish is prepared in the same pan with its own duck fat. “It’s elegant, complex, and a win,” he says.
Entertainment
Skip the CDs and surprise guests by booking a live performer, such as Scotti Mann, who can belt out every style of holiday music, from classic Motown to the Osmonds and Harry Connick, Jr.
Take away gift ideas
A personalized box of Godiva chocolate, Reading-based charm from City Charm Company or gift card to your favorite local boutique, spa or restaurant is perfect!
Theme: Thinking Outside of the (Gift) Box
Date and Time
Your guests will be happy to ditch their weekend errands and chores for a fun holiday brunch. Welcome them at 10am with a juice bar (mimosas, anyone?) and breakfast appetizers like homemade pastries, yogurt-granola parfaits and fresh fruit pulled from vendors at the Fairgrounds Farmers Market.
Invite List
Your call, depending on whether you want to plan a small get-together with your besties or a big bash for your friends, family and co-workers. For invitations, handwrite or print party details on large gift tags, which are available at local craft stores.
Location
Take your holiday party on the road and rent a space at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Stokesay Castle, ViVÁ Bistro & Lounge, The Reading Public Museum or Mi Casa Su Casa. Another option? Host it at a local DIY business like Lisa Richter’s LaRe Creations Painting Parties in Sinking Spring, where adult guests can BYOB and complete their own holiday-themed painting.
Details & Décor
Rent a photo booth from Dennis Kintzer of DMKintzer Productions. Or make your own photo booth by downloading shape templates like circles, thought bubbles and arrows, printing them on cardstock and adding clever sayings like “Santa’s Helper” and “Best Gift Ever.” For a sweet touch, glue together three mini candy canes to make assorted stands, which can hold name cards, menu items, photos, holiday wishes or your party’s social media hashtags, suggests Stephanie Milch of Wyomissing.
Menu
Brunch is perfect for preparing finger foods with a twist, Hook says. He recommends making a Key Lime Hummus with Grilled Pita and a Celeriac + Spicy Garbanzo Bean Salad. “It’s a reinterpretation of classic hummus,” he says. “And it’s great to serve at a party because all can be prepped ahead of time.”
Entertainment
Turn the spotlight on guests with game-show themed entertainment. Host your version of The Voice, crank up the karaoke machine and have them perform their favorite holiday songs. Or create a holiday version of Let’s Make a Deal by asking guests to bring wrapped gifts from local businesses only, such as Evelyn & Harriette’s in Oley Township and Russo’s Gourmet Market in Wyomissing. Toss in a few gag gifts of your own for fun. “Contestants” can decide if they want the gift behind “Door” #1, #2 or #3.
Take away gift ideas
Make holiday monoprints using inexpensive card stock, craft paint colors and a shower curtain liner, suggests GoggleWorks artist Elaine Soltis. Give each guest a paper board and pour three paint colors onto it. Guests then press their card stock into the colors and decorate their painting. Let dry. Guests can then write a special message to another partygoer and present it to that person during an end-of-party gift exchange, she says.
Theme: Girls Night
Date and Time
Friday or Saturday night is the perfect time to host a girls’ holiday get-together – or sleepover, if your friends want to stay until sunrise.
Invite List
BFFs only, no Bah-Humbugs (or boys!) allowed. Utilize e-mail for invitations and attach a recipe card template. Ask guests to return their card with a favorite alcoholic or non-alcoholic cocktail recipe when they RSVP.
Location
Your house – the living room and kitchen to be exact. To get the party started, place ingredients from your guests’ recipe cards in a basket at each place setting, along with a glass pre-dipped in chalkboard paint. Place chalk at your entryway and allow guests to write their own message or favorite saying on their glasses when they arrive, suggests Brooke Dower of Spring Township.
Details & Décor
Tell your girls to ditch the heels and get comfortable, suggests BCL blogger Phoebe Canakis, owner of Phoebe’s Pure Food. Ask them to wear their favorite pajamas or, at the very least, their oh-so-comfy fuzzy socks, she says. Pile pillows on the floor, and before the party, find out their favorite holiday flicks so you can load up your DVD player or Netflix queue.
Menu
Canakis recommends forgetting about yoga (just for one night) and splurging on calories. Break out yummy comfort foods, she says, and plan a grilled cheese bar with a side of warm, hearty soup. Ask guests to bring their favorite grilled cheese ingredient, and you provide the bread and two types of soup. Hook suggests wrapping up the night with a mouthwatering delectable dessert, such as Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Meringue, Graham and Whipped Fudge.
Entertainment
Host a fun gift exchange, a la Oprah’s Favorite Things. Ask guests to bring an unwrapped gift that’s among their favorite things and then create a gift-wrapping station at your home with rolls of paper, ribbons, fabric, tissue paper, bows, boxes, bags, tags and tape. Put all of the gifts on a table; the girls can select a gift based on the order they RSVP’d to your party. If you want to unleash your inner Grinch, allow the girls to “steal” already selected gifts.
Take away gift ideas
Scented lip balm and soap by Muddy Creek Soap Company in nearby Ephrata or lush door wreaths, hand-crafted out of burlap, felt, yarn and silk flowers by Mariel Epps, owner of Tutus Galore & More in Spring Township, are fun options. Wreaths can be customized and personalized with your guests’ initials or home décor color scheme, Epps says.
