As someone who loves to entertain, the holidays are simply the most wonderful time of year. I especially love that the holidays provide an extra excuse to gather together with family and friends, so I thought it would be fun to share the Favorite Things Holiday Party I hosted for a group of my closest girlfriends last year, as seen in Cleveland Magazine.
A favorite things party is essentially a modern take on a white elephant gift exchange. Each guest brings three must-have items under a certain dollar amount to share with others. The gifts are placed on a table and everyone take turns picking out three items to keep. It is a great way to introduce your friends to some of your own favorite things since you are not tailoring the gift to someone else, but rather bringing items that you already love.
Once the party theme was set, I worked with Minor Details CLE to develop a modern, sophisticated invitation which helped to set the tone for the party and gave instructions to guests on how to participate in the gift exchange. For the party decor, I wanted to create a classic holiday look with a twist. I selected a neutral and mixed metallic color palette that I accented with a navy and green tartan plaid pattern. I love that the plaid pattern evoked feeling of the holidays without using traditional holiday colors.
The party was hosted in a beautiful private home, so I was careful to select decorations to complement the space, rather than contrast with it. The focal point of the decor was an 8 ft Christmas tree that I styled in a winter wonderland snowflake theme with the help of my friends at Petitti Garden Centers. Other decorations included mini Christmas trees, fresh greenery wreaths, a textured Christmas banner, holiday pillows and a seasonal greenery garland along the fireplace mantle.
The tablescape design played off of the sophisticated home holiday decor as well. Each place setting included classic white china set on a gold beaded charger, a DIY tartan napkin, vintage green and blue glassware, gold flatware and a hand-lettered placecard. To add texture to the table, I layered a navy velvet runner under a fresh seasonal greenery garland down the center of the table with white roses and navy ornaments scattered throughout. As a finishing touch, I incorporated some votive candles and taper candles to add some warmth and ambiance to the dining table.
To help tie in the party theme, I hung a laser cut “favorite things” sign by Seaworthi above the gift table. I also included mini Christmas trees on either side of the gift table and used a coat rack to display custom party tote bags, which doubled as the party favor and a way for guests to take home their gifts from the exchange.
I love to kick off my parties by serving a signature cocktail as guests walk in the door. A classic cocktail seemed like the perfect fit for this party theme, so I served a French 75 in a gold rimmed coupe glass with a rosemary garnish.
In lieu of a sit down meal, I worked with food stylist Casey Nickels of Teaspoon of Sparkle, who developed a seasonal holiday appetizer menu for the party. The appetizers included roasted sweet potato rounds, mini chicken and waffles, cranberry pecan brie bites and a holiday cheese wreath. The food was displayed on a coffee table, which made it easy to graze while participating in the favorite things gift exchange. For the recipe and instructions on how to make these festive holiday dishes, visit Cleveland Magazine!
Of course no holiday party is complete with cake, so I decided to style a dessert display with the help of Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes. The desserts included a frosted macaron tree, a winter wonderland vanilla bean cake, mini snowball cupcakes, vanilla sprinkle donuts and pecan pie shooters. The table was styled with an emerald green velvet table runner, a wintery floral arrangement from Ashley’s Floral and a tassel garland backdrop.
This was the first time I had ever hosted a favorite things gift exchange party, but it certainly will not be my last. It was such a fun gathering filled with laughter, gift giving, delicious food and great company – which in my opinion is the recipe for a perfect holiday party. Visit my article in Cleveland Magazine for helpful tips on hosting your own Favorite Things Party, including budget information, a timeline for planning, and more!
Vendor Credits
Photography: Brittany Gidley Photography, Styling: One Stylish Party, Holiday Décor: Petitti Garden Centers, Florals: Ashley’s Floral, Desserts: Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes, Stationary: Minor Details CLE, Calligraphy: Seaworthi, Tote Bags: Bash Bags Co, Food Styling: Teaspoon of Sparkle, Hair | Hair by Mackenzie, Makeup: Hair and Makeup by Alyssa, Signature Cocktail: Cocktails and Spanx.
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