It’s that time of the year again!
That’s right, the season of giving, feasting, and lots of parties. But of course, it takes a lot of effort to put together the perfect Christmas party. Plus, there’s so many things you need to get like food, desserts, decorations and so much more.
Planning a party can be very stressful, especially for first-time party planners — there’s just so many things to worry about!
If you’re planning on hosting your own Christmas party this holiday season for the first time and you’re feeling the party planning stress, don’t worry as we’ve got the perfect checklist filled with all the Christmas party essentials that will help you to throw one of the best parties yet and earn yourself the title of best host ever!
1. Ordering food from Orange Clove Catering
The most important component of any party is the food — it determines whether your party is a bop or a flop. And since there is a lot at stake when it comes to food, catering might be your best bet.
You might be familiar with Orange Clove Catering for their buffet spreads for various events. And this festive season, Orange Clove Catering has exciting festive menus that will certainly have your guests coming back for seconds.
They’ve got different menus for bigger office parties or smaller home gatherings. What really caught my attention was the mini buffets with prices starting from just S$26.99 per pax for an eight-course menu and S$32.99 per pax for a 10-course menu.
On the menu are unique dishes like Charcoal Fried Chicken with Dragon Fruit Dip, Enchanting Sautéed Spaghetti with Fresh Prawns and Taro Cream and Baked Fillets of Salmon in Creamy Aged Pu-Erh. With each menu, you’ll also be given the choice between Honey Baked Ham or Festive Duo Sausages — both of which are must-haves at any Christmas party. You can check out the full menu here.
On top of that, the buffet set comes with utensils too so you don’t have to worry about doing the dishes once your guests leave.
They also have an enchanting selection of festive platters that’ll cater to every taste preference. Meat lovers will adore the Lush Grill Medley which features hearty meats like the Holiday Sausage platter, Classic Roast Grain-Fed Beef Tenderloin and more. For those with a more refined palate, you can opt for the Epicurean Cheese and Charcuterie Platter — a perfect choice for cheese enthusiasts.
There’s even one for the seafood lovers. The Gifts of the Sea Cold Platter features an assortment of fresh and succulent seafood like crayfish, prawns, scallops, and more.
The gourmet platters make for an impressive centrepiece that will surely be the talk of your party. You can check out the full selection of festive platters here.
What I love most about ordering from Orange Clove Catering is that their buffet spreads are super indulgent and very convenient. All you gotta do is choose your preferred menu, before locking in your preferred delivery date, time, and address. Once you’ve made your payment, you’re pretty much all set to party!
2. Have festive cocktails delivered to your doorstep
Drinks take one of the top spots on our list of Christmas party essentials. After all, no party is complete without drinks — alcoholic bubbly that is. But of course, why make the trip out to the liquor store when you can have them delivered right to your doorstep? Take the fun to the next level with some specialty boxed cocktails from Nio Cocktails — that’s right, boxed cocktails.
Nio cocktails has a special Christmas Cocktail Box (S$88) which features six signature cocktails including Spiced Negroni and Christmas Margarita. You can also build your own cocktail box (from S$40) with drinks like Singapore Sling, Dry Martini, Strawberry Martini, Espresso Martini and more.
For handcrafted classics, Jigger and Pony has special Pony bottled cocktails offering your classic Negroni (from S$32), Old Fashioned (from S$33), and Martini 2021 (from S$33), to signature cocktails like Sakura Martini (from S$34), Chocolate Boulevardier (from S$34), and Cassis & Rose (from S$34).
The best part about these drinks is, you don’t have to mix them yourself! Even those with no cocktail mixing skills can enjoy these as the drinks come already mixed. All you gotta do is open it and enjoy — how cool is that!
3. Ordering these must-have Christmas desserts
I don’t know about you but no matter how much I eat, I’ll always have space for dessert. Christmas desserts just hits different, like the Christmas log cakes, fruit tarts, dessert pies and more. And yes, desserts are one of those Christmas party essentials that cannot be missed out.
If you’re looking to wow your guests with a fancy Christmas cake, Alice Boulangerie has a Christmas Rum Fruit Cake (S$72) which will definitely be the talk of your party. It features a spice cake topped with rum-soaked dried fruits and citrus zest. But if you’re not a fan of fruit cake, they also have a super cute squirrel log cake (from S$96) that looks too cute to eat.
Other winter-y and festive desserts to make your Christmas a little sweeter include Festive Apple Log Cake by Tarte by Cheryl Koh, Cat and the Fiddle’s Chocolate Mint Log-Cheesecake (which sounds absolutely divine), Chocolate Bon Bons and more from Janice Wong.
4. Sprucing up the home with festive decorations
Now that you’ve got the food and drinks out of the way, you’re gonna need party decorations to add to the festivities. It’s really easy to wow your guests with fancy Christmas wreaths, fairy lights, candy canes and Christmas stockings.
You can find some adorable Christmas decorations from places like Masons Home Decor, Marks and Spencer, Spotlight, and even TANGS. If all else fails, you can be sure that our trusty IKEA has got your back with a selection of artificial Christmas trees, quirky ornaments, decorative lights, and more.
5. Hiding gifts under the Christmas tree
Of course, no Christmas gathering is complete without presents — and what better way to do a gift exchange than to have the classic game of Secret Santa? Generating a Secret Santa list is fairly simple but we all know the real struggle is shopping for a gift.
One place to get a gift delivered to your doorstep just in time for your Christmas party is to shop on GiftGood — in fact, you can get your customised gift box delivered on the same day (perfect for last-minute shoppers).
If you’re shopping for your fellow besties on a budget, jewellery stores like A KIND OOOF, Pandora, and By Invite Only have chic and minimalist jewellery in their handy gifting section that is perfect for those shopping on a budget.
Pro tip: if you’re shopping online for a gift, make sure to cop some great savings with the upcoming Black Friday and 12.12 sales!
6. Freshen up with these scents
Christmas in the air — literally! What better way to get everyone into the ho ho holiday spirit than to have your home smelling just like Christmas. Ring in the holiday festivities with these festive scented candles, aroma diffusers, and room sprays with scents like Ginger cookies, Himalayan Tea and more.
Imagine your house smelling like freshly baked gingerbread cookies — that’s when you know Christmas is here.
Jo Malone has a line-up of scents that will keep you, and your home, smelling fresh and Christmasy all throughout the holiday season. The collection features scents like Pine & Eucalyptus, Orange Bitters, Green Almond & Redcurrant. They even have a Ginger Biscuit cologne that will have you smelling like a real gingerbread man — pretty on theme I guess.
If you’re looking for something less festive, Pristine Aroma has refreshing scents that will have your home smelling like ION Orchard, a sakura garden and more.
If you follow this checklist and make sure you have all these Christmas party essentials prepared for your upcoming Christmas party, you’re all set to have a ball of a time, and a very Merry Christmas!
Are you all set for your upcoming Christmas party?
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