Do you feel like you’re chasing after Rudolf, dashing through the snow…er, uh, traffic?

Are the bills piling up like Santa’s wish list?

Is decking the halls becoming simply exhausting, trying to put on a good show for everyone?

We hear you!

Planning the holidays can be overwhelming and we are in the midst of it right now!

There are office parties, friend parties, white elephant, ugly sweater parties, seasonal gatherings, and the actual holiday dinners themselves – just to name a few! And on top of all the driving, shopping, cleaning, and preparing, our checkbook seems to be decreasing by the minute.

So this year, we wanted to share some secrets we’ve learned from planning Orlando weddings for over the past 15 years. Because planning the holidays is much like planning a big event – well, because it is a big event!

Here are 5 secrets to how we, as event planners, plan our holidays!

1. We decide on 1-2 major holiday events to put our efforts into.

We can’t do it all. And when we’ve tried to, we’ve burned ourselves out.

Just like when planning a wedding, there are endless events to plan around the big day. But rather than exhaust ourselves with trying to fit every possible minute with something, we choose 1-2 major events and keep the rest low key.

So, if you’re hosting a dinner or throwing an office party, solely focus on that with your planning. If you feel like you have the time and energy, then add one more. Any additional events that we add to our calendars are typically outings where we don’t have to clean, cook, organize, and coordinate with too many people.

2. When we do plan an event, we go creative.

If we’re only hosting one or two events for the holidays, we love to bring in the creativity. And, we are able to when we don’t have a calendar filled with other “must-dos”.

Some of our favorites include:

– hosting a holiday afternoon tea at our house with a hired musician (and when Santa stops by, it’s a hit with the kids and adults alike!)

-coordinating a team for a holiday 5k run to raise money for a charity (with a homemade warm hot chocolate bar afterwards as you tailgate)

– planning a holiday alpine friends/family dinner with fondue pots (cheese and chocolate) and a sommelier or mixologist for tastings

– hosting a children’s cookie decorating party (yes, invite the entire class and be prepared for a big cleanup)

– coordinating an office gingerbread house building and decorating contest complete with carolers as they work and prizes afterwards

If you’re going to plan something and need more ideas, don’t hesitate to contact us at michele@michelebutlerevents.com – we have plenty more ideas!

3. We go half and half.

Oh, do we love a good Pinterest board or Instagram post of beautiful homemade holiday food and handmade decorations. It gets our inspiration in overdrive!

However, we also know that one food picture could have taken 3-4 hours to make and take. So, we are mindful on what we can do ourselves and what we may need a little help with.

If you decide to go all homemade, we recommend doing more with less. Pick a few dishes that are stand outs and leave it at that.

If you prefer a variety of options for your guests, we love a few homemade things paired with restaurant-ordered or store-bought items.

This is totally okay! It doesn’t make your party less magical because your dessert is from the grocery store bakery. And you’ll thank yourself when you can actually relax and enjoy rather than watch the oven all night.

Just remember…if it comes from the store, it doesn’t have to be presented as though it came from the store :).

4. We make a budget.

Just like events, we like to ideally have a budget. But we know this doesn’t mean we stick to it number by number, we just try to have an idea of what we can afford for the seasonal events.

It always seems as the holidays get closer and closer there’s just one more thing to buy and it doesn’t stop until the holiday is over.

We like to recommend budgeting for both gifts and for events. Again, it doesn’t have to be exact, but it’s good to know that after you’ve bought the amazing seafood from the local market, you may have to stop in the dollar store for a few decorations.

5. We take time for ourselves.

This is where we’ve learned, after many years in the industry, that we can either choose to enjoy the holidays or dread them.

To enjoy them more fully, we make sure to take time for ourselves. This is important for our mental state as well as trying to keep our immune systems in check and our bodies rested.

We love to:

– take an afternoon to ourselves and read at a local coffee shop

– sneak out to a movie by ourselves

– spend a weekend morning doing yoga and meditating

– take warm epsom salt baths to unwind at night

– walk or run outdoors for fresh air

– write out what we are grateful for

Whether it’s a few minutes a day or a few times total over the holiday season, we have found this to be the most important in planning successful holidays.

Planning the holidays can be a full time job – we know! So, if you don’t have the time, remember that it’s okay to not have the perfectly decorated house or most eye-catching outfit at the party. Just take a step back and enjoy what you do have.

If you’re planning an upcoming holiday event, wedding, mitzvah, or party in Central Florida and are in need of ideas and assistance, we’re here to help!

Please call me at (407) 365-4729 or at michele@michelebutlerevents.com.

Now that Santa’s coming to town, let’s get planning!