DIY Party Planning Basics!

Holiday Party Planning Basics - The Do-It-Yourself Approach

(Version en Español sigue)

Happy Holidays!

You may not know this but, another one of my passions is the kitchen.  In addition to being in the workshop & designing, I was at the helm of my own catering company BEFORE my design business & power tool madness.  From small private parties and dinners, to styling food for TV & film projects and catering movie premiere’s – I have been slicing and serving out of my kitchen for years. So, ‘tis the season and so I thought I’d share some party planning basics to help relive some holiday stress.

How many people?  How much food?  How much drink?  I know…Forget about it!  

Having a Holiday gathering shouldn’t be overwhelming.  Not all Holiday parties need to be elaborate "sit-down" dinners – save that special dinner for the more intimate family gatherings.

Consider your holiday party another DIY project and plan!  With this concept in mind, I share my party game plan and how you too can make almost any event DIY with formulas that help calculate the drinks and food quantities.

A few suggestions to make your holiday party successful:

• Serve buffet style and stick to small appetizers, cheese platters, etc.   
• Serve Bite-size Portions - Be conscious of choosing food people can easily pick up and still balance a drink in their hand.  This decision also means you won’t need forks, knives or spoons – small plates and napkins will do the trick.  Also, bite size portions will prevent that awkward moment of food flying out of your guest’s mouth just when their holiday drink is taking effect (lol). 

By serving small appetizers, people enjoy trying all sorts of flavors and can have a bit of everything without overdoing it. With this “Buffet Style” strategy you, as the host, are able to have all the food out and ready before your guests arrive and you too can actually enjoy the party as well. The only true secret to any DIY Project or party is in planning ahead.  To insure success, plan your menu, plan you quantities, plan your shopping list and create a timeline for the actual day of the event. It sounds complicated and may feel overwhelming but, I promise – it’s not!

Here are some basic formulas to help calculate how much to serve and insure you avoid running out of food OR having a ton of food left-over – which means you over spent.

Let the party begin!

People eat and drink more in the first hour of a party and then slow down as the event progresses. During the course of the event, some will eat more, some will eat less – this is an average estimation and guide – you know your guests best.

Formulas for Food & Drink portions for your Holiday Party (or any party)

Drinks per person - per hour:

Guests will consume 1 – 2 Cocktails (with alcohol) per hour. 

Those who don’t drink will consume 2 - 3 non-alcoholic drinks per hour.

Appetizers per person:

Plan on guests eating 4 - 6 appetizers for the first 1 - 2 hours of your party – then 3 appetizers per hour for every hour after. 

Chips: 1 ½ cup per person (so in ounces that would be 1.5 oz. – equal to a small bag of chips)

Salsa & Dips: 2 tablespoons per person

Fruit Vegetables:  4 – 5 pieces per person

Dessert:

Cakes or Pie - 1 serving per person (yes some will eat 2 – some won’t eat any)

Cookies, brownies, mini dessert  - 3 pieces per person 

Just remember, any party can be as complicated or as simple as you choose to make it – and that goes for all projects!  The holidays are about enjoying friends and family - AVOID the stress – stay organized and plan ahead.  Happy Holidays!  Wishing you and your all the best!!