Our annual Christmas party is tomorrow. It’s always special to be together with family and friends and over the years Matt and I have come to really enjoy hosting everyone.
I commented on one of Brooklyn Limestone’s Instagram posts last week where Stefanie shared the beautiful engravings that I used as place cards for our very first month before Christmas party at the farm.
She was intrigued by our “month before Christmas” party, and our exchange got me thinking about the gatherings that Matt and I host every year.
It’s become a tradition that Matt and I host a few dinners on key occasions every year–the month before Christmas party for his Mom’s extended family and a Good Friday dinner for my Mom’s extended family.
I like having these set dates that everyone knows they’re coming to our house. We still send out invitations well in advance (a simple email reminder), but for the most part people have them in their calendar already.
Hosting a Christmas party (a bit more than) a month before Christmas can feel a little early, but we squeeze it in before schedules get too busy, so it’s easier for everyone to make it.
The guest list is extended family that we don’t get to see very often. As our families get bigger, we find it’s harder to see everyone, so this ensures that we’re connecting at least once a year.
The menus don’t change very much. Tomorrow Matt will be cooking a full Christmas dinner, and everyone will be bringing appetizers and sweets to share.
We try to keep it casual. The house will not be fully decorated for Christmas. Some reno projects are underway that have led to clutter. But the point–and the joy–is to have everyone together.
What holiday traditions do you have? Do you host parties at your house? What are the big occasions for your family? How do you keep your family connected?
Home on 129 Acres 
Those place cards in the pinecones are adorable.
If I could, I would host all the parties. BHH is an excellent party house because there is plenty of room to move the festivities inside if the weather outside is poor. We typically host one or two parties per year, but there is no set date for either.
BHH seems like a great venue for parties. The weather is totally a consideration. With the farm, I love outdoor parties. We’ve had success with a big winter party but you definitely need to have people come in and warm up and eat! Al fresco in February doesn’t really work in our climates!
I have had a few gatherings at our house, but usually outside on the deck since it is so spacious! I feel like our house is not great in size or layout to host a very big party inside. My mom’s extended family has a scheduled date for our Christmas parties. It is so much easier to know ahead of time when we will meet so that we can schedule everything else around it!
Your table setting is beautiful!
Your deck is awesome for get-togethers. Having outdoor entertaining space is really nice as well.