Planning your Christmas in July Event
The Christmas Cart’s guide for planning Christmas in July
#1 The official date for Christmas in July
Unlike traditional Christmas in December, planning Christmas in July allows a little more flexibility when it comes to a date for hosting your party. Officially, Christmas in July falls on July 25th. However, this does not mean that you are stuck to this date for official celebrations. In fact, it is perfectly fine to plan your Christmas in July event at any time during the month. And generally, you will find that a weekend suits most of your guests the best. To work out the most suitable date to plan your Christmas in July party, just send out an expressions of interest date card to your guests first. To do this – come up with a selection of dates that work for you, then ask your guests to select the one which suits them best. Plan your Christmas in July event on whichever of those dates comes back as the most favourable amongst respondents.#2 Set a Christmas in July planning budget
Budget is very important when planning Christmas in July. July is the start of a new financial year, but be sure to consider any other events you have set out across the year also. Do you have new funds available, spare funds available, or will you need to borrow funds from another of those events to spread out across them all? Some items to consider when planning Christmas in July are:- catering – simple and relaxed or more formal? The bigger the event, generally the more costly it will be to arrange
- décor – will you take a “less is best” approach or will you be opting for extravagance? What can you afford to budget? Are there items that you can make yourself to help with costs?
- number of guests – do you need to cull invitations? can you invite more people?
- venue – is your venue hire-free? will you need to hire additional furniture?
#3 Christmas in July guest list
If you need help with planning Christmas in July guest list, especially when working in with your budget, here is a quick formula I like to use:- prioritise all the people who I don’t generally get to see at Christmas in December on the top of my invite list. Then cull only from the bottom of the list, if needed.
- once the expressions of interest have come back, give at least three (3) weeks’ notice of the actual date for your Christmas in July event
- request RSVP’s one and a half weeks prior to the date, allowing yourself wriggle room for following-up non-responses and time to arrange the catering and set-up for your event
#4 Where to host your Christmas in July celebrations
Much like traditional Christmas, it is generally quite acceptable to plan Christmas in July events at home amongst your family and friends. But, being that a mid-year Christmas in Australia falls in winter, remember to take this into account when planning Christmas in July celebrations. Ensure that wherever you plan to host guests for Christmas in July – make it comfortable for the cooler weather.Planning Christmas in July at home
If you are planning Christmas in July in an outdoor area, such as your alfresco area at home, include some heating options like portable gas heaters. The Christmas Cart also has a range of fantastic themed throw rugs and Christmas cushions that can help to keep guests warm. [gallery link="none" columns="4" size="medium" ids="https://www.thechristmascart.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Santa-Please-stop-Here-Cushion-Lifestyle-4-2.jpg|,https://www.thechristmascart.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hygge-craft2.jpg|,https://www.thechristmascart.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/burlap-cushion-with-red-bells-lifestyle.jpg|,https://www.thechristmascart.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/red-snowflake-cushion-lifestyle-P.jpg|"]Planning Christmas in July away from home
If you are planning Christmas in July at a venue, or with another host, ask them how cold it gets so that you can pre-warn your guests. Do they have heating, blinds to block the cool air, etc? * Tip: if you are planning Christmas in July events this year (especially at an external venue), be sure to keep up to date with Government social distancing laws and rules on social gatherings. You can see up to date information here.#5 Planning Christmas in July catering
Catering for Christmas in July traditions can be quite different to December events. The weather allows opportunity for warming winter foods that are just perfect for gathering of the masses. Some of our favourite Christmas in July winter dishes include:- roasts such as turkey and legs of lamb or pork
- warm seafood options, as opposed to the cold selections more popular in summer, like stuffed, baked whole fish and steamed mussels in white wine broth
- wet dishes like pasta, curries, casseroles and stews
- soups and laksas
- warm pudding desserts
- warm apple pies and crumbles served with hot custard