We want to be surprised. We want to be entertained. We want to laugh like there’s no tomorrow.
This and more makes me an expert in the Plan B department. Resourcefulness is everything. Here are my five key principles for your holiday event.
1. Never Underestimate the Gift of the Holiday Candle
I read an article once that said the worst holiday gifts are socks and candles. Whoever made this statement has never had their power go out right before a dinner party. At 3:30 p.m., right as my husband and I were about to start cooking for our small, intimate holiday gathering, I remember smugly thinking: Everything is perfect and on time! Never think that. Those next two hours were critical to our success, but even if we grilled in the rain, the house was growing darker. That’s when I remembered: We had received a lot of holiday candles through the years! Soon, our house was one big aromatic experience of iced cranberry, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and leather, and romantically lighted. Guests thought we were cooking something interesting. Sadly, we weren’t, yet!
2. Delegate, Especially at the Last Minute
You know what else doesn’t work when you have no electricity? Just about everything – the garage door, the refrigerator, the freezer, the blow dryer. And when APS alerts your phone to tell you not to worry because you’ll have power restored in two hours, that’s definitely a good time to worry and time to call in support, like neighbors with ice. Also, make sure at least one of your guests loves you a lot and won’t mind when you ask her to put on oven mitts up to her elbows and babysit the oven when the power does come back on, even though she’s wearing a holiday dress meant to dazzle and heels dressed to kill.
3. Invite Guests Who are Event Planners, Performers, Storytellers, Public Speakers
Extroverted strangers in a dimly lit room that smells like a gingerbread horse barn will definitely find something to talk about! As they are maneuvering around other people’s coolers filled with ice, they will make their own entertainment. That’s when you’ll feel the heavily padded hand of your oven-mitted friend land encouragingly on your back assuring you that everyone is having such a good time that no one is even thinking about dinner!
4. Take a Tip from a Server
Every good server knows that if you can get a beverage in a guest’s hand, you have just bought yourself and the utility company some time. In our case, the beverage of choice was the exotic Peruvian-inspired Pisco Sour. No one really knows what that is, so they don’t have an opinion yet and the process is messy but fun to watch. Let curiosity work in your favor while the volunteer bartender of the group – there’s always one among your extroverts – entertains with egg whites, a shaker and salted rims, while you scramble to salvage your meal.
5. Serve a Memorable Dessert
This is really your last chance to impress, so make it count. No matter how the rest of the evening went and the fact that your expensive gelato has slowly become an Italian soft-serve lump, offer it with a shot of decadent chocolate liqueur. When you need a showstopper and a scene stealer, make like Bonnie Raitt and give them something to talk about.
When it comes to events, we are really all just little children inside. We want to be surprised. We want to be entertained. We want to laugh like there’s no tomorrow. And we want to go home with a goodie bag. Give them the gift of the holiday candle. FBN
By Bonnie Stevens, FBN
Bonnie Stevens is the editor of FBN. She is a career journalist and public relations consultant. She can be reached at bonnie.stevens@gmail.com.
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