December always brings with it the promise of Christmas parties, but how do you make your party stand out from the rest? here are our top 5 things to make your Christmas party the best of the season.

Brought to you by Lanson Champagne

Mrs romance loves Christmas. and not just because it’s her birthday the week before. She really gets into it and loves a good Christmas party.

And by Christmas party, I should clarify I don’t mean those work dos that can turn so bad so fast.

I’m talking about getting all your favourite friends and family members together and celebrating the coming festive season.

When we lived in the UK, a festive party usually meant bunkering down in a warm pub somewhere. but here in Australia, hot days and plenty of outdoor venues mean throwing Christmas parties that go down in history.

To give your Christmas party the chance it deserves, here are our top 5 tips for making your festive bash the best of the season.

5 things to make your Christmas party the best of the season

It’s not a Christmas party without…

1. …presents – but with a difference

It makes sense that everyone should get a present at a Christmas party. but there are some alternatives to a regular Kris Kringle that really bring the party together.

I love this list on The Gracious Host, which happens to include a couple of our favourites. Kringle Gamble (called ‘Dirty Santa’ in The Gracious Host’s list) is where you basically swap your unopened Kris Kringle for a possibly better present someone else has already opened. It’s a fun gamble, but it can work out.

There’s also ‘Krap Kringle’, where everyone gives really bad (but funny) gifts as their Kris Kringle.

You can also theme your Kris Kringle if your party has one or even make it a rule that all Kris Kringle gifts must be a type of hat the receiver has to wear during the party. This one’s even a good sun-safe option!

2. …music – but with a theme

Of course there has to be music, but creating a playlist that’s memorable can is much more fun than going for generic hits.

Put a playlist together that goes with the theme of your party if you have one. think ‘90s party or maybe location based music. Or if you’re with a specific group of friends, make it a list from when you first met or were at school together.

Plus anything’s better than carols.

3. …champagne – but choose the right bottle

You’ve got to have bubbles at a party – it’s the law. We’ve really fallen for Lanson – a beautiful French brand and one of the oldest champagne houses that dates back to 1760.

Our hot tip is the Lanson Black label NV Brut (RRP $49.99 from Dan Murphy’s). It’s a perfect example of a refreshing, elegant, well-aged champagne that not only drinks beautifully on those hot summer days, but also says celebration better than anything.

And if you want to really win, look for the special music boxes that come free with each bottle of Lanson Black label NV… which leads me on to party idea number 4.

4. …party tunes – but batteries not included

You need something to amplify your party tunes. We’ve tried a few things over the years like those portable speakers – even putting our phone in a bucket to resonate the sound.

The problems we found were the battery ran out on the speakers quite quickly and the bucket just didn’t work at all.

Lanson champagne have come up with this great idea to make a special edition ‘music box’ out of their champagne display tins. You take the bottle of bubbly out of the box, lift out the flap in the box lid and slide your mobile into the gap.

I must say that I was surprised about how well the speaker actually works.

The mobile holder has been engineered so it channels sound down from the phone’s speaker really well. and the holes of the speaker grill surprised us with the sound quality. but best of all, you’re only limited by your phone’s battery life.

By the way, each of those holes is actually in the shape of the historic Lanson emblem of a stylised Maltese Cross. The founder for the brand got it from his son, who was a Knight of the order of Malta. nice attention to detail there.

Don’t miss out on these music box specials – they’re in Dan Murphy’s for $49.99 – the same price as a bottle of Lanson Black label NV on its own. That’s right – the box is free!

5. …Pavlova – but with a Christmas feel

Is there anything more Australian than a Pav at a party? Mrs Romance’s mum is a bit of a Pavlova master too, so there’s always one at every family gathering and get-together with friends.

For the Christmas celebrations though, why not give your Pav a festive touch? For most of the Pavlova it’s meringue-and-cream business as usual. but to decorate, use sliced strawberries and kiwi fruit to bring in the colours of Christmas.

We’ve also chopped strawberries in half, glued them back together with cream and put a blog of cream on top to make like Santa hats.

With these 5 simple tips, you’re sure to mmake your Christmas party really stand out above the rest.
Do you have any tips for making an impression with your Christmas party? Do you have a favourite champagne? tell us in the comments!