Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Tips for hosting the perfect Tacky Sweater party!

As our 5th annual Tacky Sweater party approaches I've been thinking about all that goes in to planning one. After 4 successful parties I finally feel I have a few useful things to share so today I'm going to be sharing 6 tips that will help you host a successful Tacky Sweater party!

Tip # 1: Instead of sending out a Facebook or email invitation go ahead and send out a personal invitation to help get people excited about your upcoming party! I ordered my holiday party invitations from Tiny Prints and they really did help create a fun feel for our upcoming party!
Tip #2: Think about a party theme and have fun with it! Last year I had a Naughty and Nice theme and used a banner from my Etsy shop. I found adorable napkins to tie in from TJ Maxx.
Tip #3: If you are having a houseful of guests with amazing tacky sweaters it is always fun to have a place to take festive pictures. There are so many easy ways to create a photo booth. I used an old gold frame, left over fabric and some christmas lights to make a cute photo spot.
Tip #4:  Make a specialty drink for your guests to enjoy. My personal favorite comes from my sister in law. We decided to call it A Berry Merry Cocktail and it is perfect for any holiday party.
Ingredients-1 bottle of Green Apple Smirnoff Vodka (750 ml), Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail (64 fl. oz), sliced Granny Smith apples and fresh whole cranberries. Serve cold and with cute striped straws of course.
Tip #5: Throwing a tacky sweater party can be all about the ugly sweaters, but to keep the party happening it is always a great idea to have something else planned to keep people entertained. My husband decided to start a holiday beer tasting last year and we always have an intense Boccer ball tournament.
Tip #6: Use adhesive gift tags as drink labels so everyone's cup is personalized and fun! This also helps make sure you don't accidentally swap drinks with any one at the party.
So there you have it...a few of my personal tips for hosting an amazing Tacky Sweater party! Now start planning and don't forget to find yourself the perfect sweater or vest!

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great tips!! This looks like a really fun tradition.

-Amy

Katie said...

you guys are so fun! i love the frams pictures - so cute!

Shelley said...

love it! i actually saw your picture frame with lights on pinterest and am going to try to get that together before our party on friday!
p.s. totally have that black turtleneck you're wearing in the last picture! haha

lori said...

i love all of your ideas!! hardly anyone sends real invitations anymore and i think they are a MUST! and love a special drink... your parties look like so much fun!

Carrie said...

Oh gosh, love this! I especially love those Naught and Nice napkins!!!

Sarah said...

How fun are you guys?!

Natalie said...

I don't know if Courtney told you, but the last time we were Skyping I mentioned how every time I read your blog I get slightly jealousy of all the fun things you plan ;D I don't know how you do it! (lol)

Suget said...

This is so cool!! I had my Ugly Sweater party on Saturday too. So much fun to plan and prepare.

Brittany said...

I love this! This looks like so much fun! I love the spot you created for pictures.

Katie said...

Love that you do this every year!

Devon said...

These are great tips! The invitation tip is such a good one. There's nothing like getting something fun in the mail for a change. Plus, it's fun to hang on the fridge so you can get excited for the party every time you get milk out. The photo frame is my other favorite.

Care said...

You did such a fabulous amazing job! Great pics, great tips, great party!! <3

Susannah said...

These are super great tips, girlie! Looks like your party was a blast. :-)

Charise said...

We used to do the ugly sweater theme every other year, but the Christmas PJs theme has been so much more popular we stick with that one now. Seeing your pictures makes me wish my friends would get more into the tacky stuff! (And two thumbs up to the 12 Dogs of Christmas!)

Rach said...

Such great tips! I especially love your photobooth frame with the lights! Also, we love bocce ball! We will be playing it on the beach this Christmas. :) When we meet up one of these days we will have to play together!