6 Ways to Make Your Holiday Parties More Memorable

First-hand tips on hosting an event your guests will never forget.

One of my favourite ways to catch up with friends and family is by hosting a lunch or dinner party at home. Sure, brunch at cafés, and dinners at restaurants have their place, but personally, I can’t get enough of hanging with friends in the comfort of a home, sharing a meal together, or even just snacking on a cheeseboard.

Because of this, I’m always keen for a holiday-themed home event – for both hosting and attending. If I’m hosting, I enjoy treating my friends and family to a home-cooked meal, reflecting on the year we’ve all had, and getting to show them my creativity with festive décor and dishes. On the flip side, if I’m attending a holiday gathering at someone else's home, I love meeting new people, seeing the spread put on by the host, and gathering inspiration for my own holiday parties.

Below, I’ve put together some of the things I’ve done at holiday parties I’ve hosted, or have seen at others which them more memorable. If you’re looking to elevate your next holiday soirée, hopefully, you’ll at least find one way to do so here.

1. Create a cute invite

Creating an invite – even if it’s digital – helps to build anticipation and makes the event feel more official. It’s also an efficient way to share all the event’s important information, including location, timing, and anything they might need to bring.

It can also help set the tone of the event. If you’re going for an elegant holiday party, you might send a minimalist invite, or if you want your party to be colourful, you can opt for a loud invite.

Hot tip: Canva has loads of free invite templates you can use.

2. Set a dress code

Another way to help build anticipation for your event is to set a dress code. This will have guests thinking in advance about what they might wear, maybe even comparing notes with each other, or buying something special for the day. If the dress code is dress-up, such as green-and-red, or ugly jumper theme, guests will likely remember their outfit – and the event – for years to come. If the dress code matches the event’s theme, it can also help to make it all feel more cohesive.

3. Write out name cards and a menu

Name cards in front of individual table settings and a menu laid out on tableware can make guests at your holiday gathering feel like they’re part of something special. They’ll realise how much thought and effort went into the event and might feel grateful they made the guest list. Setting down name cards also means you’ll get to create the table dynamic you want, separating people or placing them together. If you’re having a holiday event where everyone’s standing, you might want to create a few menus and have them placed around the room – they can help people who have dietary requirements and those who might feel more comfortable knowing all the options that will be served.

4. Set a beautiful tablescape

Along with name cards and menus, a beautiful tablescape can make a holiday event more special. Not only does a beautiful tablescape mean guests are more likely to take photos of your event, but it can also help to build your excitement for the event as you prepare it, and allow you to flex your creativity. I asked my friend who always has stunning tablescapes how she knows what embellishments to add and what to put where, and she said she gets all her inspiration from Pinterest. Personally, I get my own ideas from TikTok – the hashtag #holidaypartyideas has over 40 million videos at the time of writing this so there’s loads of inspo on there.

5. Set up a photo wall or photo station

That same friend who creates stunning tablescapes once had a media wall at her birthday party in her apartment. The event theme was Parisian, so she painted on crepe paper the phrase ‘C’est la vie’ between an illustration of two meals with wine glasses and bottles of wine. The paper was pasted to the wall and guests posed against it throughout the night. There are so many ways you can create photo moments – and therefore hardcopy memories – at your event, even if it’s simply having some instant cameras lying around guests can use themselves.

6. Add an original touch

My final tip for creating a memorable holiday event is to try to incorporate something you’ve rarely seen done. You’ll get some feel-good chemicals from coming up with the original idea and then have fun executing it. In doing so, your guests are also much more likely to remember the event and, if they’re writers like me, might even be mentioned in an article on how to make holiday parties more memorable like I just did.