The One-Stop Guide To A Delightful Spring Backyard Wedding
November 6, 2026
Spring is the perfect time for a backyard wedding. The world is turning green, the weather isn’t too hot, and all the flowers are just
Are you ramping up for Christmas, Hannukah, Yule, or Kwanzaa or New Year’s Eve Party for your friends and family? Whether this is your first time hosting such a large holiday party, or you’re looking to elevate a yearly tradition, there are plenty of methods to turn a run-of-the-mill holiday party into a special night full of memories.
This is our one stop guide to turning your holiday party into a unique experience your guests will talk about for years to come, whether it’s a Christmas party, a Hannukah party, or any reason you have to celebrate the season. From finding your inspiration to popping the cork on the champagne, we’re with you every step of the way.
Before you launch into holiday party planning, you need to decide what sort of party you will enjoy the most. Maybe you prefer a relaxed house party of pizza and cocktails with close friends. Or you could be inviting the whole family, including second cousins, and all your friends from your book club and your run club… and everyone has to bring a guitar. You might be choosing to spend time with a smaller group of loved ones or planning a sit down formal dinner for twenty.
Whatever it is, make your decision early. The theme of your holiday party will depend on what kind of party you’re hosting, and making these decisions early is the best way to create an immersive atmosphere.
Now you want to start thinking about the theme of your holiday party. Do you want to theme your Christmas party around a beloved holiday movie? Is there a fun, family activity you could plan to kick off Kwanzaa party celebrations? Are there any family Hanukkah party traditions you want to include, or are you building new traditions with friends?
Before you move forward with your plans, it’s a great idea to have a family meeting and get the agreement of all. Whether it’s your roommates or your family, if you want to host a party at home, they’ll be hosting too.
This is a time to be flexible, you might have to scale back your plans, accommodate other guests, or make room for the household’s ideas. If your vision isn’t so flexible, now is the time to start thinking about hosting elsewhere.
By now, you should have the type of party you’re hosting, and a basic idea of your theme decided. Does it sound like a party you would want to attend if your friend was hosting? Is everyone enthusiastic and on board? Does the idea make you excited? Then let’s get started.
Your next step is to decide how many people you want to host. From that number, you can set a budget. Remember to consider how many your home can comfortably hold and whether you want to set up more than one staging area, like setting up the kids in the basement with the adults in the living room. If you’re renting a room for your party, check in with the venue for their occupation limit.
If this is a larger party, including friends as well as family, remember that people will decline their invitations, and some could even cancel at the last minute. There’s wiggle room on your guest list.
Once you have a head count, you can set a budget. Generally we think about budgeting as an amount per guest. This amount determines how much you can spend on food, snacks, games, drinks, and gift bags. It also includes rates for event planners and vendors.
For a casual holiday party, you can budget between $15 and $50 depending on whether you rent a venue or not. A standard formal holiday party will cost you between $125 and $200 a person.
If you keep the budget sacrosanct, this restriction will help you make all the other decisions you need to make.
Besides your budget, this decision is the most important for the development of your party. Choose a concept either fun or formal. Perhaps it’s an Ugly Sweater Party, or a Cocktail Party, or perhaps a dance party or night of board gaming. Pick something you know folks will enjoy!
Now is the time to choose a central idea to build your holiday party around. It could be as simple as an activity or a colour scheme, but what matters is choosing a holiday party theme and sticking to it. It will help you create an immersive and unique experience to be remembered.
Use a group text, paperless post, or social media event page to claim a spot on calendars. The Holidays are a busy time. You’d be surprised at how many people have already committed to dates.
Send formal invites. We recommend that you send physical invites. A physical invite creates an invisible tether from your guest to you, and makes your holiday party more real in their minds. They put the invite on their fridge where they see it every day! It will reduce no shows.
On the invite, make sure basic party information is clear. Whether or not plus-ones are welcome, the dress code, anything your guests are expected to bring. For example, if your holiday party is BYOB or should they bring a dish.
Decide whether you are cooking, ordering takeout platters, or hiring a caterer. Remember that flipping burgers for 40 people is no picnic. Hiring a chef, or servers could make a big difference on the day.
Planning a big New Years party? You might want to think about hiring a bartender, who will cater a bar for your party. Planning a more family oriented, or daytime holiday party? You could cater desserts, coffee, or a special meal such as a charcuterie board in addition to a meal you cook.
Once you know your menu, tailor the menu to your theme, and have fun with it! A themed name for dishes or drinks can be a memorable party quirk that will bring your vision to your guests. You could name a dish after a similar meal in a movie, or a drink after a group in-joke. Get creative!
When hosting a large holiday party, you’ll probably have to purchase or rent extra glassware, plates, festive napkins, or any other party favours.
If you choose disposable dishware, we recommend doing some research into recyclable, or environmentally friendly disposable dishware options. There’s a lot to think about with a large holiday party, and nothing wrong with convenience. If you have hired a caterer, check in with them about what you will have to provide. They could have plates sorted out, but you might still be on deck for cups and utensils.
For a holiday party, themed or otherwise, the decorations are the best part. Guests of a holiday party are going to expect lights, shiny decorations, and certain colour schemes. Whether you want a traditional look to your holiday party, or you’ve chosen a unique theme, how you choose to decorate the space will define the evening, and experience.
Can you create mood lighting with string lights or smaller lamps? Does the space call out for tinsel, tapestries, or temporary curtains? Can you light your small dinner party by candlelight? Think about how small printed items like custom napkins or table cards can curate an atmosphere for your party.
Decoration vendors can bring unique, exciting pieces into your space, or the venue you’ve chosen to host at. Whether that means an eye-catching balloon arch, flower arrangements, or some other professional decorations, these special decorations can elevate a familiar space, and act as a memorable conversation piece.
By now many of your holiday party guests will have followed up and RSVP’s. Reach out to those who haven’t responded. Let them know that you need to finalize your grocery or catering orders. Make sure they know they’re not obliged to come but that you’d love to see them there.
The music is another opportunity to set your holiday party theme. Pull your favourite holiday hits and upbeat tracks to keep the energy consistent for hours of pleasant music all evening. You might choose memorable family favourites, or classic hits that will get people dancing. Prep your party games, print out trivia sheets, or buy wrapping paper for a gift exchange.
Focus heavily on the entryway, bathroom, and kitchen/bar areas. You’re going to clean again on the day, but your future self will be so grateful that you took this time. If you live in an area where the weather is warmer, remember to spruce up the patio or deck area.
Buy alcohol, mixers, ice, non-alcoholic options, and garnishes that will keep. Prep or purchase your non-perishable food. Bake ahead, freeze what you can, or chop ingredients that keep well.
Are you giving out gift bags at your holiday party? Do you want to lay out Christmas crackers or other small, festive gifts when your guests sit down to dinner? Make sure that you aren’t assembling anything on the day. You’ll be busy enough!
You’ll probably be up early cleaning, but remember that it only needs a tidy and a sweep. You did a big clean a week ago. Try and get your decorations up and your tables and furniture prepped a couple of hours before the holiday party begins to give yourself time to shower and decorate yourself!
About a half an hour before your guests arrive, set the mood! Light candles, start the music, and turn down harsh overhead lights. Put out snacks and fresh food. Shoot to get this done early about fifteen or twenty minutes before everyone arrives, even if you suspect people will be fashionably late. Why? You want to greet your guests with a drink in your hand, a relaxed attitude, and a smile on your face.
A large holiday party can quickly turn into a huge task. Whether you are hosting at home or at a venue, you may want vendors such as a caterer or a DJ. You may have a decorations vendor setting up balloons, or an open bar to get set up. Try not to let the holiday party planning overwhelm your holidays.
A local event planner will know what your area has to offer, and help you bring your vision to life. From the planning stages to the dinner table, you’ll have someone handling all the complicated moving parts that go into planning a successful, unique event.
Maroon Goose is an event planning group based in Hamilton and Burlington Ontario. Our event planners are dedicated to creating immersive, joyful celebrations of the things that make you unique. Not sure if your event is large enough to need an event planner? Book a no-strings consultation, and find out how we can meet your unique needs.
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