34 DECEMBER 20, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
HOLIDAY GUIDE
Aff ordable aff air:
7 tips for a holiday bash on a budget
The days leading up to the
holidays tend to be among the
busiest of the year, with lots of
celebrations taking place over a few
short weeks.
If you're hosting a holiday celebration
of your own, you're following a
national trend. Statista reports some
59 percent of Americans anticipate
spending on holiday entertaining
this year. That said, it's important not
to let your party planning become so
stressful, time consuming or pricey
that it interferes with your enjoyment
of the season itself.
Don't worry. Preparing for a holiday
bash doesn't need to be hugely expensive
or overwhelming if you can enlist
help for some of the busywork and outsource
some of the key elements. Consider
the following ideas for bringing
friends and family together this year
without having to micromanage either
your budget or the logistical details.
• Enlist a crew of friends and
family members to help with
the pre-cleaning, prep, cooking,
bartending and fi nal clean-up.
Many hands make light work,
and working toward a common
goal can be a fun part of the
gathering itself.
• Instead of investing in your own
serving ware and glassware,
simply head to your nearest
party rental store and check off
all your needed supplies. The
result will be far more elegant
than opting for disposable paper
products, and you need not worry
about how and where you'll
store all those pieces aft erward.
• Worried that your limited
furniture collection won't
allow guests to fully relax?
Instead of buying something
new, think about renting
some of the fun, comfortable
and design-forward seating
groups now available for rental.
Today's options go way beyond
traditional folding chairs to
encompass cocktail tables, rugs,
lighting elements, bars and fully
confi gurable sectionals and
lounges, many of which can be
used inside or out.
• To take your party theme a
step further, consider the fun
of renting a full-sized backdrop
that sets the stage while
providing a prime selfi e opportunity
for your guests. Festive
settings range from barns to
castles to famous landmarks
to cityscapes to breathtaking
scenes from nature.
• Hire a local caterer for your
refreshments, or just contract
for an attention-grabbing main
course. Keep it simple with a
traditional meal or opt for a
local specialty.
• Simplify the entertainment
and/or dance music by creating
a party playlist on your smartphone
ahead of time, then hooking
it up to your own speakers.
• Finally, don't discount the
idea of holding your party at
a restaurant or rented event
venue. That saves you from
time-consuming preparations
and cleanup, shift s the
liability elsewhere and lets
guests come and go at their
discretion.
Celebrating the holiday season
with friends and family can become
cost-eff ective and hassle-free when
you turn to a rental store for help.
To fi nd a rental store near you when
planning your soiree, visit Rental-
HQ.com.
Courtesy BPT