Holiday Entertaining: How to Throw the Perfect Holiday Party

Thank you Cameron Hughes for sponsoring this holiday entertaining post. Capture the celebratory spirit of the holidays, and toast to the season with Cameron Hughes wine!

I don’t know what it is, but every single year, I always want to gather my friends together for a little holiday entertaining shindig. Yes, I know that everyone has the most insane schedule ever at the end of the year, but I like to take the time to celebrate with my favorite people before heading off on break.

To be perfectly candid: since I’m still an unmarried twenty-something, I don’t have a crazy budget for holiday entertaining just yet. However, over the years, I’ve learned how to throw on a great party without breaking the bank!
 

Holiday Entertaining #1: White Elephant Works Wonders

The one thing about my group of friends? I’ve never been one to hang out in a clique, so a lot of my friends don’t know each other very well. I steer clear of Secret Santa and opt for a fun game of White Elephant instead. With my group of friends, it always ends up hilarious — someone always ends up bringing a hysterical gag gift. A game of White Elephant will take up a solid 30-60 minutes at a party pending on the number of people you have, and it’s a great way for strangers to become fast friends.

Holiday Entertaining #2: Food? Keep It Simple.

Listen: you don’t have to slave over a stove for hours to prepare the perfect snacks for your guests to munch on. You can always ask your guests to bring a dish, but I love providing simple snacks for holiday parties.

My go-to to wow my friends is a well-curated cheese plate. There’s zero cooking involved, and it’s best if you set out your plate an hour or so before your guests arrive. Always try to include a variety of different cheeses so that you can cater to the palettes of any of your guests. I like to vary my cheeses by the type of milk used: cow, goat, and sheep. I added a few of my favorite meats (salami and prosciutto), and some sweet touches with the grapes and honey. 

Holiday Entertaining #3: You Can Drink Luxury Wine — For Less

Wine is always my go-to for any party — it’s no fuss, tastes great without a mixer (or with one — sangria, anyone?), and as long as I supply a variety of wine types, I’m sure to please everyone on my guest list. 

Since I don’t have a car, and I wanted to scoop up a few cases of wine for my guests, I ordered Cameron Hughes’ wine online. They ship it directly to your door, and I was incredibly impressed with the rich flavor each of the wines had. They have a variety of different “lots,” and you’re able to order wines from various regions around the world. The best part? The price of these wines won’t break the bank! You can get a bottle on average between $10-20, and you get a discount if you order six bottles or more. Great wine shipped directly to your door for an exceptional price? You really can’t beat it!

Photos by Tom McGovern

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.