Love to party? Find it invigorating to plan, prepare & execute an event that has your guests begging for an invite to next year's bash as you air kiss them out the door at 1am? Perhaps there is nothing you would rather do in the busiest month of the year than organise a smooth, delicious & fun event for family, friends & outlaws that caters for all tastes, situations, weather events & dietary needs...
If that sentence/scenarios failed to resonate deeply friends then you're not alone. Whilst this Little Pig will humbly concede it runs a pretty snazzy events ship (big family = LOTS of practice), that has come from years of experience, some downright fails & some pretty wild scenarios that have given us crash courses in event management (sibling weddings in Palm Beach, Italy, on NYE & on Mother's Day weekend all spring to mind). What we have learnt though is that entertaining comes down to planning & learning to outsource where you can afford it, because often, friends, what you pay for is what you get & whilst you CAN technically do everything (encouragement is our jam), we don't think that does mean you SHOULD do everything. So with these little pigs sage advice in mind, here's our top tips for partying like a piggo this festive season so you not only gain a brilliant reputation as the host with the most but you also actually enjoy yourself...because isn't that meant to be the point?
(All photos by the incredible Loren Ioppolo who came with us to Italy for this rather fabulous party we threw)
First the festive prep...(We asked Francesca, aka our Finance Administrator & Party Organiser level EXPERT for her top party organisation tips)
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Food: The key to the organisation and sanity saving is a list of whom is bringing what to ensure no overlapping and that there is heaps of variety.
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What am I making?: Based on the food plan from the delegation, I then choose dishes that can be prepped a day or two in advance to allow time for any final setup.
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Decorations: My favourite part! I start planning decorations up to 3 months ahead, often sourcing items online to allow time for any adjustments. Also, gives a vision of what the room and table decor will look like.
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Shopping List: Christmas prep isn’t complete without a well-organised shopping list. I divide it into items to buy in advance and last-minute essentials. I order drinks online about 2 weeks in advance to avoid heavy lifting, checking this off early in the prep.
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Room/Party Set up: I start this two days before so if I have missed anything there is still time to hit the shops! Also to ensure there is adequate seating for all and enough dinnerware/glasses.
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On the day: I aim to have everything as organised as possible to limit guest questions and make self-service easy. I set out servingware, make drinks help-yourself, and keep the dishwasher empty and ready to go. If guests offer to help, I delegate small tasks to keep things smooth and enjoyable & give people something to do while they ease into the party spirit.
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One last thing (and perhaps rather controversially): I'm an early bird and pop the Christmas tree up on November 1st (Mariah Carey is nearly defrosted!). Yes, I absolutely love all things Christmas and love the atmosphere it gives the room! Then come Boxing Day, I pack everything away so we can head into the New Year feeling fresh as a daisy.
Set the scene...
It's ALL about the atmosphere piggos, we've all been to a party and seen the dreaded circle of plastic chairs, squinted at a fellow partygoer through over bright lighting & pondered why plastic tablecloths are even in existence (or perhaps that's just our creative director - if you throw a plastic tablecloth over her head she'll turn to stone apparently?). Setting the scene can make or break even the best planned party, so take the time to check out the weather forecast, ensure where you're planning for your guests to congregate is comfortable & allows for people to move about easily/access food & drinks & never underestimate the power of flowers for instant glam & festive cheer. We asked Danni, our Team Leader & owner/operator of Flower Motel (if you're not following this flower wizard on Instagram are you even living barry?) for her top flower tips over a hot festive season:
- Use fresh greenery to create a flat lay runner down the middle of your table – greenery in abundance at Christmas are Pine foliage, Eucalyptus, Magnolia, Pittosporum. These are long lasting out of water.
- Nestle candles or baubles between the foliage for extra decoration.
- Add a sprig of greenery on peoples napkins for an extra touch.
- For arrangements in water, add a dash of bleach to your vase, the flowers love it and it will keep your vase clean. Give the flowers a fresh diagonal snip on their ends juuuuust before you pop them in and change the water every couple of days.
- What's in season for Christmas that last well in the heat: Stirlingia dyed red, Banksias, Red carnations, Geraldton wax, Holly, Kangaroo Paw, Foliage & Proteas are all festive & won't drop in the heat.
- Feeling Luxe? Go wild with Hydrangea, Peonies, Dahlias which are a bit more temperamental but are rather stunning & can really elevate an event if you're going for a glam vibe. Just ensure you buy as close to the day as possible and you have a reasonably cool area planned for your party zone.
Our other sensory essentials? Napkins in bright, bold or themed prints can elevate a table, fabric napkins are fabulous & fancy (not to mention less landfill after the party) tied in a simple knot on plates & give all your glassware a good run through the dishwasher the day before for a sparkling table. Ice buckets add a sense of occasion instead of the humble esky (Bunnings has some fab silver numbers FYI) & always use candles or soft lighting if after 6pm. Everyone looks lovelier in candlelight & it really brings a sense of occasion to a Christmas gathering - try utilising old crystal glasses or little dishes with tea lights for a soft sparkling effect.
Finally the food...
Graze for days. Skip the seated entree or need to circulate with plates of food with pre-prepared platters, set out in a central party point that can be easily catered for different dietary needs & labelled for guest ease. Outsource to your fave sushi shop for a selection you can pop on a pretty platter & serve, or head to a good deli like The Re-Store, Herdsman Fresh, Carine Glades, The Boatshed, or Charlies for amazing antipasto, cheeses & charcuterie that comes prepped and just needs a glam board or platter to become the star it truly is. We used the brilliance that is On the Pass with Gwen for our last team Christmas party and the food was exquisite/perfect for our standup event. If you follow Gwen on instagram, he usually does some fabulous Christmas catering boxes in the lead up to the big day. The beauty of platters is they can be prepped in advance and popped in the fridge ready to bring out as guests arrive, allowing you to float free and fabulous with something chilled in your hand (preferably from our lineup of WA wines from The sWine Cellar #shamelessplug).
We've touched on our festive hack for reducing the food overwhelm at Christmas in our previous blog here but if you're a "do it all yourself" kinda piggo & don't trust your guests to bring the perfect mains dish then we may we suggest browsing this year's festive menu for our magic meal kits - think all the perfectly portioned & premium ingredients you need to create some magic. No need for any pantry items, garnish or extra seasonings. We've tested, tasted & tweaked until there is nothing left but absolute deliciousness that you can trust in (this is our 11th year of doing Christmas kits after all).
Hit up our tips blog here on some different menu combinations or reach out to The Ginger Pig for a menu consult (the man loves food). The best part? Not only are you ordering a delivery of delicious food to your door, but you're also getting some seriously good service as part of your order. We include the step-by-step recipes, our cooking & carving guides & our breakdown of each dish you've ordered including some tips to get ahead in the prep, how to serve, when to pop in the oven & exactly what kitchen implements you'll need to create some magic. It's more than a meal kit indeed & we would ADORE you joining the legions of Little Pig Christmas fans from the last 10 years who not only come back for more, but also tell family & friends (the highest Christmas compliment indeed) about our service.
Head to the Christmas order page here for all the delicious details.
PS. Don't forget that every Christmas order goes automatically in the draw to win the rather spectacular KitchenAid Evergreen stand mixer (valued at $1199) - drawn on December 13th after our orders close.
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