Beat the Festive Season Frazzle! 5 Ways to Get Organised for Christmas 2017
Christmas has a habit of sneaking up, doesn’t it? You’re cruising along feeling like you have all the time in the world and next thing you know, you’re elbowing crowds of shoppers out of the way on Christmas Eve. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Three months might seem like a long time from now but October is the perfect time to start planning for the festive season.
Read on to discover 5 ways to beat the Christmas rush this year thanks to Melbourne event planners Silk and Cedar Events & stationery designer Emma Smith Event Stationery:
- Planning a Christmas event? Book it in NOW.
If you’re planning an event anywhere between October to the end of January, your number one priority is to lock in all the details now.
Venues and event vendors book months in advance especially during peak periods such as Christmas / New Year so planning early is the best way to secure your favourites. The Christmas peak season starts in mid-November and runs through to January. Keep in mind that some vendors close during mid-December to the end of January of if you’re planning a party in these months, book early to avoid disappointment.
Events can be time-consuming and stressful to organise – especially in November and December when life tends to get frantically busy.
Choosing a Melbourne event planner to take care of your Christmas celebration or end of year function is the perfect way to reduce festive season stress.
Handing over the reins to a professional event planner gives you the time and space to enjoy watching your vision come to life with someone else juggling the catering, styling and all those little details that make an event truly memorable.
- Choose a Stationary Designer to give your Christmas correspondence that special touch
Ditch generic Christmas cards this year and book a Melbourne stationery designer early to create a custom design to reflect your style. Or perhaps you require a complete stationery suite including Christmas party invitations, menus, place cards, tags, welcome signs and seating plans. A good stationery provider can assist with the current trends for this festive season and can design to any specification, theme and colour scheme.
Family portraits are a gorgeous way to personalise your Christmas stationery so be sure to book in a session with your preferred photographer now.
Mailing your Christmas cards early is important whether they’re for family and friends or corporate clients. Families go on holidays and businesses close for the Christmas period so send your festive greetings three weeks before December 25th to ensure they’re received in time.
We #love a Christmas wish delivered by snail mail!
- Travellers Take Note!
If you’re heading away this Christmas, here’s a handy list of things you don’t want to forget:
- – Book your flights and accommodation
- – Pay for visas
- – Check if travel vaccinations are required and book them in with your GP
- – Remember any medications that may be required for the trip including prescriptions or travel sickness aids
- – If you’re travelling on wheels, book your car in for a service and get the tyres checked
- – Make a list of the Christmas presents needed and don’t forget to pack them! Pop spare Christmas cards, tags and wrapping paper in for unforeseen gift emergencies
- – Keep the kids occupied with a special snack and goodie pack for the journey
- Christmas Gifts: make a list and check it twice!
Christmas can be an expensive time with seemingly endless people to buy for. By planning ahead and budgeting accordingly, you can avoid the stress of last minute over-spending. So make a list of everyone you’ll need to buy for and spend a moment thinking about a gift that they’ll really love. Christmas presents that have obviously been thoughtfully chosen needn’t cost a fortune.
Gift Hampers are a great idea to compliment the dedication and hard work of teachers, coaches and special helpers who have taken care of your family over the year. Gathering other parents to contribute means you’ll have more to spend on an extra-luxe hamper. Pre-order online for a hassle-free gift that can even be delivered.
An excellent way to keep the gift-giving budget down is with a Kris Kringle. Extended families, Mother’s Groups and workplaces can all benefit from the KK tradition by giving each participant only one person to buy for.
- Avoid Christmas Day family conflict
Christmas celebrations have a reputation for wreaking havoc on family peace! So how can you avoid it? Planning early is the key to things running smoothly.
Co-ordinating who celebrates where and when can be fraught with drama when there are parents and in-laws and other extended family members to consider.
Make sure all parties have a say in where the celebration will be held and consider a one year on, one year off approach to make it fair for both sides of your family. And to take the pressure off the host, why not ask guests to bring a platter?
This creates a family grazing table which is an informal and more relaxed affair for everyone. Head off tensions between particular family members by setting place cards for your Christmas lunch or dinner.
Large families can simplify gift-giving by having a Kris Kringle, and pre-planning some Christmas activities to keep the kids entertained buys a little extra peace for the grown-ups who traditionally need a nap after all that food!
So there you have it. Some sanity savers in the lead-up to Christmas 2017. And don’t forget, if you’re planning a party and just don’t have the time to handle all the arrangements yourself, a professional event planner and stationery designer are just two of the celebration specialists who are there to make your special occasion perfect!
