How to Host the Perfect Holiday Party

It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it also tends to be the busiest. And while coming together to celebrate with friends and loved ones is one of the things that makes this season special, it can also—let’s face it—be a lot of work. To make things easy, we’ve put together a simple but foolproof playbook for hosting. So that you can spend your time actually enjoying the evening.

The brief: easy, elegant. A drapey chiffon top over a pair of statement pants. Slingbacks you can slip off under the table. A matte red lip. And to make it all feel appropriately festive: a healthy dose of diamonds, courtesy of NYC’s most iconic jeweler. You don’t need the coat and bag, per se, but it’s nice to have them at the ready should the firepit—or a round of caroling—beckon.

We love the mix of textures here, and the way the simpler, more streamlined pieces (like the plates and the wine glasses) elevate the intricate ones (like the placemat). The palette feels holiday-appropriate but not too on-the-nose, and the palm-tree-adorned placecards are a playful touch.

Good music, a great cocktail, and caviar—it’s hard to argue with that lineup.

You want to choose dishes that you can, for the most part, prep beforehand so that by the time the first guest rings your doorbell, you are free to mingle with them and don’t have to keep running back to the stove.