The Splendid Holiday Soirée: Hosting Guide for Christmas Glam

Plan your ultimate Christmas soirée with trendy brands, dazzling decor, effortless menus, and crowd-pleasing cocktails. Let the festivities begin!

Hosting a holiday party this year? Our Splendid Holiday Soirée guide is here to help you plan the ultimate glam get-together—complete with trending tabletop brands, curated menus, and interactive stations like a DIY gingerbread bar and champagne coupe cocktails. Whether you're serving fondue or fig flatbreads, this is your go-to party playbook.

Trending Brands to Elevate Your Soirée Style

Moonpig – Custom Cards & Party Invites

Setting the vibe starts before guests walk through the door. With Moonpig, you can send personalized invites that feel way more personal than a group chat. Upload your fave photo, add a cheeky message, and let them know this is the party of the season. Oh, and did we mention free shipping in the U.S.?

Estelle Colored Glass

Barbiecore meets vintage luxury. These hand-blown pastel and jewel-toned coupes, wine glasses, and cake stands are the moment.

What to Grab: Champagne coupes, cake stands for dessert drama, decanters

Soirée Status: Insta-iconic

Sophie Lou Jacobsen

Sculptural, wavy glassware and tabletop accessories that double as art. You’ve seen them on every “cool girl” moodboard.

What to Grab: Squiggle Tray, Trumpet Aperitif Glass Set, Angel Flute Set

Soirée Status: Art School Chic

La DoubleJ

Maximalist Italian glam at its finest. Bold prints, gold-rimmed plates, and party-ready vibes.

What to Grab: Bamboo Balloon Glasses Set Of 2, Dessert Plates, Serving Bowl

Soirée Status: Statement Queen

Coming Soon NY

The downtown it-girl concept store with unexpected tabletop picks and design-forward pieces from buzzy indie creators.

What to Grab: Shrimp Party Gift Set, Lobster Platter, Candy Candleholder

Soirée Status: Offbeat Cool

Williams Sonoma

The OG of elegant entertaining. Think timeless cheese boards, luxe fondue sets, and gold-rimmed bar tools—everything you need for a perfectly-styled buffet that still feels effortless.

What to Grab: Buffet Dinner Plate Holder, Cuisinart Rectangle Stainless-Steel Chafing Dish, Heirloom Gold 2-Tiered Stand, Honeycomb 3-Tiered Stand

Soirée Status: Buffet Royalty

West Elm

Where modern meets cozy. West Elm’s tableware is perfect for creating a dinner party feel that’s refined, moody, and welcoming.

What to Grab: Fika Stoneware Dinnerware Collection, Tannenbaum Winter Berries Border Table Runner, Etched Glass Snowflake Place Card Holder Sets, Celestial Burst Table Scatter

Soirée Status: Minimalist Host Dream

Menu Inspo: Effortless Dishes, Major Impact

Whether you're serving up retro elegance or modern bites, these two menus keep things chic and achievable.

Soirée Menu 1: Retro Glam

• Starter: Caviar potato chips with crème fraîche + chives
• Main: Mini beef wellingtons
• Side: Haricots verts with lemon zest and toasted almonds
• Dessert: Baked Alaska with torch-blown meringue

Soirée Menu 2: Cool-Girl Tapas

• Starter: Marinated olives + burrata with chili crunch
• Main: Fig and prosciutto flatbreads
• Side: Roasted carrots with tahini drizzle + dukkah
• Dessert: Store-bought gelato with gold leaf + edible glitter (do it for the ‘gram)

Interactive Stations to Wow Your Guests

Forget the boring buffet—create experiential corners that feel like Pinterest IRL. Here are our favorite crowd-pleasing, Instagrammable stations that add major charm to your soirée.

Cheese Fondue Corner

Vibe: Retro Après-Ski Chic

Set up a bubbling fondue pot with melty gruyère + fontina mix

Serve with: Cubed sourdough, roasted baby potatoes, apple slices, cornichons

Display Pieces: St. Jude Holiday Skiers Tiered Serving Stand from West Elm for your servings and add a Swissmar Bern Copper Fondue Pot

Make-Your-Own Gingerbread Men Corner

Vibe: Cozy Chaos

• Pre-bake gingerbread cookies and provide bowls of icing tubes, sprinkles, edible glitter, and any other toppings you like
• Use kraft paper as a table cover and let guests decorate (and tag you in their masterpieces!)
• Bonus: Add a mini Polaroid station for guests to take pics with their cookie creations

Display Pieces: New York City Ballet Stoneware Cereal Bowls, Set of 4 for toppings, Benedita Bow Ceramic Stoneware Cake Stand to place your gingerbread men

Eggnog & Espresso Martini Station

Vibe: Naughty & Nice

Offer spiked and non-spiked options so everyone wins:

Classic Eggnog Bar:

• • Use Bored Cow for dairy-free nog
  • Add Bev’s canned sparkling white for a fizzy twist
  • Garnishes: Nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, whipped cream, mini candy canes

Espresso Martini Corner:

• • Vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur
  • Use ripple glasses or Estelle coupes for glam
  • Add gold sugar rims for sparkle

Display Pieces: Lismore diamond martini glasses by Waterford, Lismore Irish coffee mugs by Waterford, St. Jude Skier Barware Collection by West Elm

Party-Perfect Food & Beverage Brands for Your Holiday Soirée

Fishwife – California White Sturgeon Caviar

This is not your grandmother’s caviar. Fishwife’s take is sustainably-sourced and super luxe, and ut comes in a tin so cute it doubles as tablescape decor.

How to Serve It: Chill it over crushed ice and serve with kettle chips, crème fraîche, and chives

Soirée Status: Indie-luxe & unapologetically extra

Venissimo Cheese – Abbondante Board

The name says it all—Abbondante means abundant. This large-format board is hand-selected by expert cheesemongers and packed with premium international cheeses, cured meats, dried fruits, nuts, and house-made accoutrements.

Soirée Status: Overflowing luxury meets European flair

Kin Euphorics – Kin Spritz

It’s packed with mood-lifting adaptogens, nootropics, and botanics—and comes in the sleekest little can.

How to Serve: Chill and pour into a ripple glass with a dehydrated citrus wheel and sprig of rosemary. You’ve just created a “Sober Sparkle” moment.

Soirée Status: Sober, but serving main character energy

Avaline – Holiday Gift Set

Avaline’s holiday gift set includes their cult-favorite wine in beautifully minimalist packaging that looks just as good under the tree as it does on your soirée buffet. Co-founded by Cameron Diaz, this is clean, chic wine without the fluff.

What to Serve: Their Sparkling or White pairs perfectly with your grazing board or seafood tower moment.

Bonus Use: Bring it as a hostess gift that says, “I have great taste and I showed up with something they’ll actually use.”

Soirée Status: Gift-worthy glam

Williams Sonoma – Chocolate Pistachio Panettone

A luxurious spin on the Italian holiday classic, this panettone is studded with roasted pistachios and rich dark chocolate. It arrives in a gold foil-wrapped tin that’s basically table decor on its own.

Bonus Use: Wrap with a velvet bow and gift it to your host—it’s festive and delicious.

Soirée Status: Dessert table crown jewel

From champagne coupes to cookie corners, you’re now officially equipped to host a soirée that sparkles with personality, flavor, and unforgettable details. Whether you’re popping caviar, swirling fondue, or setting up a Kin Euphorics bar, this holiday party is your moment to be the bold host that ends up on everyone’s Instagram.

Need more inspo for the season?

✨ Explore Our Holiday Gift Guides

✨ Follow @splendid.shopper for Party Picks & Styling Tips

Here’s to creating magic, memories, and major main character energy all season long. Cheers, darling. 🥂

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