Plan a holiday party menu and budget.
Holiday party budgets are dominated by the per-head line, and drinks are a larger share of it than most hosts assume — at 12 dollars a guest against 22 for food, drinks are over a third of the catering spend. Venue hire, decorations and staffing are fixed, so they dilute across a larger guest list. The all-in cost per guest is the figure worth comparing against alternatives such as a restaurant booking, where the per-head price looks higher but includes venue, staff and clearing up. If the budget needs cutting, the per-head lines are where the money is: switching from a full bar to beer, wine and a signature cocktail typically halves the drinks figure.
Holiday Party Planner
Per-head cost = guests x (catering + drinks); staffing = hours x rate; total = per-head + venue + decorations + staffing; per guest = total / guests
Where alcohol is served, plan for responsible service: provide food and non-alcoholic options, do not serve anyone under the legal drinking age, and arrange safe transport for guests.
Around 40-60 dollars all in for a catered event at home, and 80-120 at a venue. Food and drink alone is typically 30-40 of that.
Offer beer, wine and one signature cocktail rather than a full bar. It halves the drinks spend and reduces waste, because a full bar means opening bottles that never get finished.