Now Selling by Appointment Only. Please visit our community pages to schedule!
Hosting a holiday celebration doesn’t have to be a stressful event if you’ve prepped with a holiday hosting guide. The ease of throwing a party all comes down to evaluating your space and knowing how you can best utilize it.
Features like island tables, wrap-around windows and large decks can offer ample space for entertaining and mingling. Take a look at our ultimate holiday hosting guide for throwing any festive event in your luxurious Koch home.
First, determine the type of spread you’ll be setting. This will depend on the holiday and guests, but it’s ultimately up to you. If you want guests to socialize and walk around from the kitchen and the great room to the deck, then you’ll want to offer finger foods. But if you plan to serve a fancy dinner that you’ll be preparing, you’ll want to break down the recipes and put together a condensed shopping list.
Prepare the snacks and finger foods ahead of time, so even if you’re still working in the kitchen when guests arrive, they’ll have something to eat before the main meal is ready. An open concept floor plan is great for socializing with early arrivals as you pop dessert in the oven.
Next, decide where guests will eat. The dining room might seem like the obvious place, but be creative and have food out on the deck with an outdoor fireplace. Add some holiday lights to elevate the ambiance.
If you want to encourage people to mingle around, you can arrange food stations on every floor of your home, or in separate rooms. This is especially nice if you have bay windows or an open second floor.
You may not want every inch of your home open for guests to roam about. And there may be areas of the home that are more appropriate for dancing, playing games or conversing.
Consider the layout of your home and areas that will favor festive gatherings, such as the kitchen (especially if it has an island), the dining room, great room, front porch and back deck
Fill those areas with lights, music and lots of seating to encourage movement and mingling.
Especially if the party is social and will last several hours, it’s a good idea to offer a place where guests can relax and rest if they need to. This will be appreciated by guests who are more introverted or prefer quiet conversation over music and loud chatter. Consider putting on a theme-appropriate movie in your finished basement, where guests could drop in to watch a few scenes if they wanted a break.
Whether it’s Halloween, Thanksgiving or New Year’s, you can create an impressive holiday display with a centerpiece for the dining table, kitchen island, and even buffet tables in and around the home.
Stick to a color palette for things like napkins and other serving items for a subtle nod, or go all out with decorations in each room, like spiderwebs and gourds or ornaments and twinkle lights.
This will heighten the festivities and keep everyone in good spirits. The decor will also remind people of the designated areas where the party is taking place.
Our holiday hosting guide wouldn’t be complete without considering overnight guests. If you’ll be putting up out of towners, make the most of your guest bedroom and bath by including pampering toiletries and other elements, such as a coffee bar, plush slippers and soft robes. Make sure to have fresh bedding too.
Ultimately, where you host your party affects how your guests experience it. Koch Homes has been a leader in luxury home building since 1951. We offer quality single-family homes and estate homes in Maryland’s Anne Arundel County. What sets us apart is our superior craftsmanship, established reputation, and the sense of arrival at our community entrance monuments.
Contact us to learn more about hosting a holiday celebration in your dream home!
