These elegant Christmas party themes for adults will make your guests feel special and they will make party planning easier for you.
We have become a casual society. Taking the time for a hostess to create an elegant party and for guests to take the time to dress up and enjoy the evening is an important reminder. It reminds us all that Christmas is really about a gift of a savior, Christ, that we should celebrate. It's a holiday to be set apart from the norm.
The easiest way to host an elegant Christmas party is to plan around a theme for your party. Once you have your theme, then decorations and food should easily fall into place.
Pick a theme to make narrowing down decorations easier. Choose gold, silver, or white as your base color. Use garlands, natural greens, and simple sophisticated ornaments that all match in some sort of theme. Tie on large pretty ribbons to top it all off.
Christmas party themes for 2021
It's been another hard year, so we all need to spend extra time treasuring the holiday season by doing some extra-special parties.
Christmas is the time of year that everyone enjoys going to parties, so I have gathered unique themes to help you plan your next Christmas party with an elegant holiday feel. When you center your decorations and food around a themed party your friends and family will be talking bout the party for weeks. There are some party ideas that will work well for larger groups and others would make a perfect intimate special party for close friends and family.
French Soiree Christmas party
For an elegant and fun Christmas dinner party host a French Soiree. The entire party will focus on using traditional Christmas French decor and foods. Your guest will have a good time learning about another culture and creating a special time of memories.
What is a Soiree?
In English, soiree means “a fancy evening affair.” The word comes directly from French and was formed from the word soir, meaning “evening” or “night.”
Decor: Fill glass bowls with fruit and set them around for decoration. In France, clementines appear in beautiful bowls in every home throughout December. The focus of the table is elegant and inviting, so use your good dishes and nice linens.
In France, it is common to put three candlesticks on the table, which represent the Trinity. Also, an interesting French Christmas tradition is the French knot the ends of the tablecloth so the Devil can’t get under the table.
Menu: According to Expatica, Food is a big part of French Christmas traditions. It depends on the region but some common French Christmas foods include:
- smoked salmon and oysters with bran bread and (real) butter
- foiegras (goose or duck liverpate)
- goose
- capon or turkey stuffed with chestnuts
- Servings of vegetables such as green beans cooked with garlic and butter and provincial herbs sautéed potatoes.
- dessert could be sponge cake decorated like a yule log, traditionally made of chocolate and chestnuts.
White Christmas party
An enjoyable elegant Christmas party theme would be to center your party around a favorite Christmas movie such as 1954's White Christmas. Invite friends to dress as the characters in the movie. They could choose classy daywear of the 1950s to big flamboyant performance costumes employed in the film’s musical numbers.
Decor: For table decorations use round tables draped with white tablecloths and a simple bowl of red flowers as they did in the nightclub scene.
Menu: Your menu could center around foods served in the movie. The first scene with food is when they are riding in the club car.
- club sandwiches
- popcorn (on the bar)
- lemonade
- malteds (like a malted milkshake)
- hot buttered rum
- coffee
Next, at the inn's bar, the characters had some late-night snacks.
- buttermilk
- ham and cheese on rye
- turkey sandwich
- liverwurst
Then of course there was a birthday cake for the major in the last dinner scene for dessert.
Tips: Be sure and have the movie soundtrack playing in the background during your party.
For entertainment, you could play a White Christmas movie trivia game and then settle down with popcorn and drinks to watch the movie together.
Royal Christmas Party
Get out your red velvet fabrics and silver decor to create a royal Christmas party. Elegance at its finest.
Decor: Buy some paper gold crowns and red velvet fabric to create a runner down your table. Place some small British flags around on the table.
Menu: According to British Studies Center you will need to serve some traditional items on your menu to make your party authentic.
- Turkey
- Roasted potatoes
- Stuffing
- Pigs in a blanket
- Yorkshire Pudding
- Gravy
- Cranberry Sauce
- Brussel sprouts - Served steam or fried up with bacon-
- Christmas pudding - Dried fruit and is normally served with brandy butter.
- Mince Pie - Tiny pies that are filled with fruits such as raisins, cranberries, and sultanas, as well as chopped nuts and spices such as cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg.
Winter wonderland party
Bring on the holiday cheer by creating a winter wonderland party. For fun make the dress code white clothes and silver. Your friends will start getting into the holiday spirit even before they arrive.
Decor: Your holiday decorations could be simple white everything with a touch of silver. Turn the lights down low and string tiny white Christmas lights everywhere to give an elegant touch.
Menu: Try creating a menu with mostly white food items. I have gathered a few recipes to get you started.
Wonderful Life Christmas party
Movie party themes can be so much fun and what better classic than It's A Wonderful Life to center your party around?
Have guests dress up as their favorite characters or in 1930's apparel. They could wear Mary's dancing dress, a white robe, or one of Vilets' extravagant outfits For men they could wear an old-fashioned football uniform, suit, and tie, or even Clearance's gown after falling in the river. For more great costume ideas look through the Pinterest board, It's A Wonderful life costumes.
Decor: You could set the stage for a romantic evening with travel posters around by candle light just like Mary and George's honeymoon. Rember George borrowed his mom's good dishes. Set the table with linens and white dishes with a hint of the gym feel or around the pool.
Menu: Be sure to include a long loaf of bread, salt, and wine. Remind your guest that these are served. Bread,
"so this house may never know hunger, salt, that life may always have flavor, and wine, that joy, and prosperity may reign forever"
For drinks serve my Azalea cocktail topped with Zuzu's rose peddles. Of course, hot mulled cider must be served too since it was Clearance'ss favorite.
For dessert serve chocolate ice cream with coconut on top.
Tips: For entertainment play a Wonderful Life trivia game and then settle in and enjoy watching the movie together.
Gold and white party
A beautiful and elegant color scheme to center your party around at Christmas time is a gold and white party. Invite guests to dress in glitzy gold and white.
Decor: Decorations can be gold Christmas ornaments, white linens, white plates with gold chargers, and gold tinsel running down the center of your table.
Tips: If you do not have many gold Christmas items, head to the Dollar Store and buy a few inexpensive items such as small trees or wreaths. Then spray paint everything gold!
Menu: Why not host a dessert and coffee menu. Set up a coffee bar with elegant white dishes. Create a table of scrumptious warm traditional cookies, petits fours, and fruit cakes.
Chartitams Scottish high tea party
During the Christmas season, there is not always a free evening to enjoy quality time with friends. Why not host an old-fashioned high tea party in the afternoon? This would be a great way to host an elegant gettogether with your best friends or other small groups. It's all about taking the time for a simple tea party and making it extra special
Decor: Vintage white lace draped over a traditional Christmas-colored tablecloth would be perfect. Mercury glass Christmas balls, vintage old fashion light bulbs, with silver and brass items. Your guest will enjoy tea in pretty mismatched teacups and saucers and silver trays of treats.
Menu: In Scotland, high tea will include some hot food, such as cheese on toast or other savory goodies.
Elegant Christmas dinner party on a budget
Christmas is about traditions but it does not have to be expensive. Hosting a budget-friendly elegant Christmas dinner is the perfect time to serve classic comfort food that will impress your friends and family.
Decor: It's the little details that guests remember, not so much the big extravagant ones.
Decor: Simplicity is elegance. Keep your decorations simple such as bows of greenery running down the center of your table with Christmas balls scattered in. Place candlesticks up and down the table for a romantic yet elegant feel.
Menu: Your menu does not need to be prime rib to be elegant. Simple, yet festive dishes can be elegantly served in pretty platters with garnishes. I have gathered a few ideas for budget-friendly Christmas recipes to get you started.
Make-ahead Elegant Christmas Party
Be out of the kitchen by the time your guest arrive can be a challenge but with these ideas, you will be able to enjoy the party with your guests.
Decor: The key is to set up a few days before the party. It's ok, it's worth your time to do this. Set your table and decorate the center. If you are having a buffet then get out all the serving pieces you will be using and silverware.
Menu: You will be out of the kitchen by the time your guests arrive if you choose a few easy make-ahead recipes to serve. I suggest setting up a buffet table. This will allow you to have your dishes ready and staying warm when guests arrive. You could use crockpots with large pine branches around to disguise them some.
I have gathered a few easy recipes to get you inspired.
Naughty or Nice Christmas cocktail party
How about getting your holiday spirit on, by literally serving up some spirits. A Naughty or Nice Christmas cocktail party hosted by you will be a great reason for friends to get dressed up and enjoy an evening out.
Decor: The decor can be your traditional Christmas decorations around your home. Focus on the ambiance, have Christmas lights strung around and warm scented candles burning. Set up a bar area all decked out with your best holiday cheer. Make it large enough everyone can gather easily and serve your drinks in pretty glasses. In a
In another area set up a food bar for light snacks and finger foods to go with our cocktails. Try serving one of these Healthy Charcuterie Boards. Be sure to have soft Christmas music playing to create an elegant holiday mood.
Menu: Finger foods and light snacks such as stuffed mushrooms or sweet and spicy roasted cashews would go perfect with cocktails. Also, be sure and serve sweet treats such as trays of Christmas cookies for Santa or Christmas Pudding Balls.
Christmas around the world potluck
If you have friends that enjoy cooking then during the holiday season host a Christmas around the world potluck. Themed food potluck is the perfect way for you to easily host a party during the busy holiday season.
Decor: Set up your own Christmas decoration but also add international flags around the world to our decorations.
Menu: Have each friend choose a course and bring a traditional Christmas dish from a country of their choice. During the dinner have them share what they learned about the country's traditions and a little bit about the dish they brought.
Free Party Planner Printable
Get your free Printable Party Planner to make the next party you host fun and easy. Throwing a small party or a big event, this planning checklist will simplify taking care of all the details.
I’m excited to share with you an easy-to-make, free printable banner with letters I have created so you can make your own custom party banners.
Tristin Rieken
What an amazing festive roundup! I love the idea of using movies to theme your party :)