You may have seen on Instagram that Duncan and I had a holiday party last week. It was such a fun way to kick off the Christmas season with our closest friends. I also love any excuse to host a get-together!

After the party, I started thinking about how it might be helpful to share with y’all the things I must have when throwing a holiday party. There is so much work that goes into having a party and I definitely love seeing what other people do and their tricks for making the whole thing easier! So without further adieu, here is a list of my holiday party must-haves.

Fun Holiday Home Decor

I had so much fun putting together my holiday decor this year. I wrote an entire blog post about my holiday decor and a separate post on my Christmas tablescape but I’ve also linked everything below! This year, I asked the amazing Madeleine of Madeleine Creative to help me decorate and I’m obsessed with how everything turned out. It was such a fun background for our holiday party and added a cozy feel to the festivities.

A Festive Playlist

When it comes to music for a holiday party, I like to put on something that feels fun and festive but isn’t going to distract from the conversation. My go-to playlist for holiday parties is usually something jazzy like this Christmas jazz playlist on Spotify. If you’re more into the classics, this Christmas playlist has all of the traditional favorites and it’s long enough that you won’t have to worry about getting to the end too quickly!

The Perfect Holiday Outfit

No holiday party is complete without the perfect party outfit, let’s be honest. Y’all know my style is usually pretty simple and classic but when it comes to the holidays, I love to go crazy! For this party, I wore a fun gold fringe tinsel jacket (that is sadly sold out everywhere!). In my opinion, the bolder the better when it comes to the holiday. I also think this is a great time to play around with adding a bold red lip or sparkles that you might not wear on a daily basis.

Tasty Treats

Food is always such a priority for me when it comes to throwing a party or get-together. We opted for light bites like a charcuterie board and sandwiches which ended up being perfect because everyone could walk around with their small plates and not feel weighed down. We also obviously had several sweet treats which were a perfect way to end the night. I shared several baked goodies I’m hoping to make this holiday season that would be perfect to serve during a holiday party!

Holiday Cocktails & Mocktails

Even if you’re not a big alcohol drinker, cocktails and mocktails are a must for any party. We ended up hiring a bartender for our party and they created the most adorable cocktails with the cutest festive names. I know this is obviously not a must for your holiday party but it made everything easier for us and was actually surprisingly affordable! You can check out my blog post on cocktails and mocktails you need to make this holiday season if you’re looking for some drink inspiration.

Festive Floral Arrangements

I knew I wanted several beautiful floral arrangements for our party and I also knew I wanted them to be red roses. Not only does the red tie in perfectly with my holiday decor, but I think there’s something so romantic and classic about roses. For my flowers, I used Poppy Flowers and LOVE how easy they made the entire process. They shipped directly to my house, which was so nice, especially since I was running around like crazy trying to get everything else done for the party!

Use BRIGHTON15 for 15% off to get your home into the holiday spirit with their flower arranging kits (starting @ $75)! You can order by December 20 to get your flowers delivered by Christmas Day.