An Event Planner’s Secrets To Holiday Entertaining With Ease

Depending on who you are, the words 'holiday entertaining' can either make your heart soar with excitement or make it sink with dread. Whichever category you happen to fall into, there's no way around the fact that hosting is a lot of work. Particularly during the holiday hustle when you have gifts to buy and flights to book, the thought of planning, shopping, and cooking for a soirée of your own can feel more hairy than merry.

But despite dealing with crowded grocery store aisles and some post-party dirty dishes, there's still nothing better than celebrating the season by bringing the people you love together.

To prove that there is such a thing as a holiday gathering that doesn't drive you up the wall, Bustle teamed up with JCPenney to enlist the party-planning help of Seri Kertzner, founder of event planning company and blog "Little Miss Party Planner".

In advance of this year's holiday season, Kertzner invited us into her Manhattan home to show us her playbook for successful holiday entertaining. It quickly became clear that her expertise knows no limits, from her tips for making everyone feel like they're part of the fun, to her hacks for throwing a holiday fête without all that stress.

Read on to start party planning like a professional.

Prep Like A Champ

This one may seem obvious, but Kertzner stresses the importance of prepping in ways you may not have thought of, like making sure your decorations are all put up (like her pop-of-color pink Christmas tree) and strategically choosing a menu that can be made in advance and reheated day-of.

"I set my table the day before, I make all of my side dishes the day before, I make sure my outfit is planned out, and that my blowout is done early in the morning," she tells Bustle. "Everything that's possible to do in advance, I do. Because then the day of, I'm completely relaxed and just have to add the finishing touches."

Once you're done prepping, pour some champagne and have a toast to yourself and your brilliant hosting abilities.

Don't Be Afraid To Break The Mold

Even though an extravagant dinner party may be what you see in magazine spreads and holiday how-tos, Kertzner recommends pivoting to something less traditional — and way more laid-back.

So if you're running low on time this year, host a brunch instead of a dinner. A spread of bagels, cream cheese, and fruit will look just as beautiful as a roast that requires hours of cooking, and your guests will be more relaxed, because you will be too! Stack some donuts on an elegant cake stand, add a coffee or mimosa bar, and toast to the easiest meal ever.

Another one of Kertzner's favorite ways to throw a delicious (and low-lift) event is with what she likes to call, "Charcuterie and Cocktails." It's just as awesome as it sounds: "All it requires is picking up some meats, cheeses, olives, nuts — anything that you enjoy snacking on — and then creating a big, beautiful board of snackable foods."

Totally stealing this idea.

Make Guests Feel Involved

Once you've settled on the type of event you're throwing, focus your attention to how you're going to make your guests feel like they're part of the action. For the big holidays, Kertzner extends the invite to friends who don't have family in the area, making her gatherings feel like a big celebration full of extended 'family.'

And when guests arrive, she makes sure to include them no matter what the occasion.

"I love giving my guests jobs and things to do when they’re here. On the Jewish High Holidays that means going around the table and having guests read passages from our prayer books. Everyone ends up feeling really involved, and more like family than friends."

Isn't that the whole point of holiday hosting? Creating special memories with family, both actual and chosen. Being able to do it with ease is just icing on the cake.

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This post is sponsored by JCPenney.

Photographer: Lauren Perlstein; Art Director: Molly Kugelmann; Prop Stylist: Kaitlyn Du Ross Walker; HMU Artist: Aria Ferraro; Wardrobe Stylist: Allison Koehler; Producer: Danica Butkovich; Editor: Suzanne McKenzie