Kappa Delta Holiday Party

I was so excited to host our annual Kappa Delta Holiday party at my house this year! In previous years, I’ve done all the party planning and prep, but others have graciously offered their houses to host, and then last year was virtual, so being back together this year was super special and I loved getting to host AND plan!!

I used Paperless Post, my favorite online invitation platform, to send out our holiday invites. Paperless post allows you to seamlessly track your guests, send messages to specific groups based on RSVP type, and they have a ton of great, customizable invites. The theme was Holiday Happy Hour, since it was a mid-afternoon soiree with treats, crafts, and a gift exchange.

The invitation I chose was the inspiration for the entire look for the party – I loved incorporating navy, gold, and, of course, fresh greenry, into the decor. I used CORT Party rentals for the linens and glassware, and it made everything so easy, and I liked having less waste by using actual dishes for the party.

If you read my Home for the Holidays post, you saw the red and white trees tablescape, and I used that for both my staff luncheon and the KD Christmas party. It was a beautiful, classic look and I love how it incorporated seamlessly with the rest of the decor around our house.

I added in a balloon garland over the dining room window, which has quickly become by favorite thing to create for parties, including most recently the Little Pumpkin shower I hosted. I’m sure you’ll see many more balloon garlands in my future! I ordered the mylar balloons from Etsy and got the latex balloons from Party City. I used my favorite balloon garland plastic strip and balloon pump, which makes creating garlands super simple!

Since this was a happy hour party, I didn’t need place settings, so instead I used the main table for a buffet of snack options. I made a charcuterie, had a few yummy dips, meatballs, desserts, and a signature mocktail – Christmas in a Cup.

Every guest took home a personalized christmas light cup. I used my cricut and adhesive vinyl to add the personalized touch. I hope they serve as a festive little reminder of our celebration.

I love adding an interactive element to my parties, and I found a super fun craft on Pinterest that was simple, quick, and festive, so I thought it was perfect! Guests got to make their own holiday diffuser using mini ornaments, holiday scents, and ribbon. On display on the table, I had the instructions written out, so guests could complete the craft on their own without my assistance, just in case I wasn’t available to help. I also love that this craft could be recreated for other seasons with different vessels. I attached the instructions via a link below, so you can print them out and recreate the craft yourself if you want!! It’s so fun!

We also did a favorite things gift exchange. Everyone brought a wrapped “favorite” between $20 and $25 and we used dice to play a gift exchange game. It was a fun alternative to drawing numbers, and lasted a little longer, which made it more exciting. My gift was a collection of my favorite peppermint items: a candycane candle, peppermint lip mask, peppermint chapstick, peppermint face masks, and peppermint bark candy. I packaged it all up in a festive little box I found at Target and I love how it all came together.