We are thrilled to hang out with Inspired By This the entire month of December as our Guest Editor. We have already found ourselves learning some amazing tips and can’t wait to be inspired the whole month!  They'll be guiding us through holiday planning and sharing lifestyle tips... be prepared to be inspired!

It is that time of year again..The holidays! With the holiday's come the parties, and I am so excited to share my party planning advice with you! Whether you are going to a party or throwing it, it is so good to know party planning basics! I am going to show you the basic anatomy of a party with all of its major components, as well as how to achieve high end decor on a budget! After this you will be ready to tackle any party that comes your way!

Any party, whether it be a bridal or baby shower, a birthday party, dinner party, or even a holiday party, all have the same basic elements! The major components to any party include:

Create the Setting  

This is your time to create the overall ambiance of your party, and where decor and details are very important. The mood of your event can be altered by changing the lighting of the room and having candles mixed within the decor. This is also a great time to consider making your guests feel special by adding little personalized details to your party such as a name card above their place setting, a personalized menu, or even a favor that the guests get to take home with them (look out for our favor DIY next week!) It is important to choose decor that not only corresponds with the theme of your event, but is also esthetically pleasing to your guests! 

Food and Drink

This is another great time to personalize your event for your guests! it is important to be mindful of your guests likes and dislikes or any aversions they may have to different foods when planning your menu! Make sure to not only choose items that will appeal to the majority of the group, but also try to plan the menu to fist the theme or time of year your event takes place! For our Christmas party, we chose to plan a menu full of winter salads, comfort food, and an array of winter themed desserts to correspond with the time of year and occasion!

The Tablescape

The table is a very important element because that is where the guest will be entertained! Don't be afraid to pull from items you already have from home, or even collect some decor from places such as Target, Home Goods, or T.J. Max! It is important to step out of the box when setting your decor and tablescape so your items can be reused for any future events you may host! For our event we went with a more modern Christmas theme in order to include unexpected elements such as the wood to tie in our soft florals and more desert-like plants.

We wanted to keep our arrangements low so our guests could see one another and converse over dinner, but also create some depth to our table. For floral centerpieces, we find it is best to start with a neutral base and add pops of color! As you can see from our Christmas party we had neutral white florals in combination with pops of bright red flowers and a hint of mint from the succulents. For our table settings we placed a menu on top of our plate and napkin and tied it down with braided fabric (We are sharing this DIY next week)! We then added name cards above each individual place setting - adding a personal touch! Lastly, food presentation is very important. It is such a great touch to have pretty platters and risers to serve the food, drinks, and desserts to keep the look of the party appealing!

I hope this inspired you to throw a party of your own! With the party basics I gave you, you now have some ideas on how to have a great party with amazing decor, but on a smaller budget!

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