Plan your Christmas cocktail party
We’re talking about hosting a festive yet frugal holiday cocktail party. We’ll give you seven easy tips for throwing a fabulous Christmas cocktail party so you can throw the biggest party of the season on the smallest budget.
Host your festive but frugal Christmas cocktail party:
7 Tips for Your Christmas Cocktail Party on a Budget
1. Too much variety will ruin your Christmas cocktail party
Variety is good for a healthy diet and a good sex life. For a Christmas cocktail party on a budget, it’s expensive. Vodka, gin, whiskey, beer, wine and sparkling wine offer a nice selection, but you want to share a more memorable experience than your gay corner bar.
The solution: enjoy a signature cocktail. Try a retro rum punch, rosemary collins, cranberry margs or my favorite whiskey slush. If you want to complement your signature cocktail with a case of beer or a reasonably priced wine, head to Wallz.
2. The queens don’t eat at Christmas
What’s rarer than a unicorn hopping on frankincense and myrrh? A recovering disco queen who delivers two punches at the buffet table. Treat yourself to an early Christmas present and save yourself the effort, time and money for a lavish buffet.
Feed the grazing animals so no one gets too sociable, but keeping them is easy. A simple cheese, sausage and bread spread with extra virgin olive oil will do. Throw in some nuts, crumbled chocolate, and crudités, and no one will be dissatisfied.
3. The most unusual Christmas cocktail party decorations are cheaper than (insert favorite destination)
Unless you’re one of the “wise men” who buys Christmas decorations and cards on December 26th, decorations for a frugal holiday cocktail party are prohibitively expensive. Candles and inexpensive Christmas lights not only create a warm and intimate atmosphere, they also make all your guests look younger and thinner.
4. White Christmas and Rat Pack Christmas on Pandora are free and stylish
It’s unthinkable to have a gay party without Madonna playing in the background, but it’s unthinkable to play Madonna’s version of Santa Baby over Eartha Kitts at a Christmas cocktail party.
Check out “White Christmas” or “Rat Pack Christmas” for free on Pandora or Spotify and you’ll have the best Christmas songs you and your festive guests need.
5. Host after dinner, pre-dinner cocktails
The holidays are so focused on food that everyone wants a gastronomic vacation at the end of the holiday season. So, make yours pre-planned holiday cocktail party a break in the middle of the holidays. Invite your guests at 7 or 8 p.m. and sell your party as the “place to be” before everyone heads out to the clubs.
6. BYOB in front of the CCP (Christmas Cocktail Party)
Hack your Christmas cocktail party. Host a BYOB pre-party before your formal holiday cocktail party. BOYB partygoers tend to leave behind a large stash of alcohol. With this secret stash and your signature cocktail, you’ll have more than enough for your guests and your wallet.
7. Say your holiday cocktail party is private, then lie
If you don’t want to ruin your Christmas cocktail party, you can always lie. Tell your friends about the party and hand out food and lodging. Then surprise all your guests with your signature Christmas cocktail.
These are our seven easy tips for throwing a fantastic Christmas cocktail party. Don’t forget to download our free Christmas cocktail party shopping list worth $99.