The Holiday Party Playbook: Everything I Use to Host Our Annual Cocktail Soirée
Every year, Josh and I fill our home with friends for our annual holiday cocktail soirée. What started as a gathering of about 15 people has grown into a house filled with 70 to 75 guests, plenty of food, festive cocktails, music, laughter, and one very memorable game of Surprise White Elephant.
After sharing glimpses of the party online, I received hundreds of questions. What exactly do we serve? How early do I send invitations? Where do I shop? What games do we play? What cocktails can be made in advance? How do we keep the party flowing without spending the entire evening working as hosts?
I realized the answers deserved more than a few social media captions, so I put every detail into The Holiday Party Playbook.
A Complete Plan for Hosting Your Own Holiday Party
The Holiday Party Playbook walks you through my entire process, beginning with the invitation and ending with the little details that help the evening feel effortless.
Inside, you will find:
My complete planning timeline and RSVP schedule
A holiday invitation template with a breakdown of what to include
My exact grazing menu and comprehensive shopping list
Four signature cocktail recipes with individual and one gallon batch measurements
Mocktail substitutions and tips for creating a self serve holiday bar
My favorite places to shop for food, alcohol, glassware, and serveware
The five hour playlist we use at our party
The flow and cadence of the evening
The complete rules for our expedited Surprise White Elephant game
Specific gift ideas gathered from five years of hosting
My best preparation, setup, and hosting advice
This is not about copying our party perfectly or believing that you need a certain home, guest count, or budget to create something memorable. It is about using the parts that work for you and having a clear plan so you can spend less time worrying about logistics and more time enjoying the people you invited.
My biggest hosting lesson is that preparation creates ease. When the food is ready, the bar is stocked, the music is playing, and guests know where to find what they need, you are free to be part of the party too.
