Reducing stress of party-planning

The holiday season means holiday parties fun gatherings of friends, family and coworkers, exchanging gifts, eating, drinking and generally being merry.

But it can also mean stress if you're in charge of throwing your office party,. We have a few suggestions to give you a few helpful tips to minimize the stress and maximize the fun.

First off, you should think about your space. Do you want to throw your party in the office, or should you rent a space so you can spread out more? Rental tents are a good option if you need more room. Bringing in furniture, decorations, audio equipment and even a dance floor or a stage can help transform your office for an evening.

Here's a helpful list of things to consider renting: a stage, bar setup, dance floor, high-top cocktail tables, linens, glassware, tables and chairs.

* Think about what you want, and if your office has what you need to support it - electrical outlets, restrooms, etc.

* Decide on colors, and if the party (and therefore decor) should be formal or informal. Carry it through your decorations and table linens to create a complete transformation everyone will enjoy.

* Building off that, you can choose to have a theme. These days there are a lot of fun, funky ideas that'll put your party guests at ease, from the popular ugly sweater party to creative themes such as dressing as your favorite bow or present. These are great ways to get your employees or coworkers, who may be used to a more formal environment during working hours, to come out of their shells a little.

* That goes for activities too; we've come a long way from classic ornament exchanges. Some of our favorites are games that can be done at a leisurely pace while people mingle, rather than a game that requires everybody t0 stop what they're doing and pay attention. One example: a secret wine tasting game. Cover wine bottles in gift wrapping paper and see who can guess what it is merlot, cabernet, etc by placing tickets in a bowl with a guess and a name. The winner goes home with a bottle of wine!

* Speaking of wine, you should also think about a menu and drinks available at your party. Consider small pairings rather than full meals to allow people to move around and mingle, like a great variety of appetizers, wine or cocktails.

* If you prefer a more formal sit-down event with a full meal, remember to include both a meat and a vegetarian option for the main course.

* A third option is a buffet and bar or cocktail tables, which are another great way to get coworkers to mingle. If you've got a theme for the evening, consider an appetizer or cocktail that goes with that theme.

Remember, your goal is to have fun. So don't stress out to much over throwing a holiday office party do what works best for your business or family gathering and enjoy it.

Deisi Gonzalez is an event specialist with Camelot Party Rentals of Sparks. Contact her at 775-355-9004 or through www.camelotpartyrentals.biz.