Are you a Lake Keowee property owner looking for a good way to cure your winter blues? With the holidays quickly approaching there’s no better way to spread winter cheer than hosting an amazing holiday party in your gorgeous Lake Keowee home. After all, living on Lake Keowee in the winter is exciting, especially during the holiday season, so why not share the experience with friends and family? Party season is not only in July on Lake Keowee. Hosting a holiday party on your Lake Keowee Property opens up many party hosting possibilities. If you are a hospitable person and love to entertain you will have a blast and truly enjoy turning Your Lake Keowee property into a holiday retreat for family and friends.

Choose Your Gathering Approach and Invite Guests

Your entertaining options are not limited as a property owner on Lake Keowee. You could open your home to family, friends and neighbors on a weekend night for an epic holiday bash that surely no one will forget. Or if your family is still looking for a place to gather for Christmas this year, suggest hosting an extended stay holiday weekend at your house on Lake Keowee. A little holiday road trip to Oconee County would be fun for any out of town family. And transforming your property on Lake Keowee into a bed and breakfast is an exciting winter project. The best part is the feeling of comfort and joy you will receive from spending the holidays surrounded by loved ones in your own beautiful home.

Thinking about hosting an epic holiday party with friends? Your home is located in just the right place. Chances are high that your Lake Keowee property is plenty spacious and includes the perfect set up for you to host the ‘best party of the year.’ If you are not exactly sure where to begin with this whole party throwing process, do not panic. It all starts with a little bit of brainstorming. For your first step visit The Art of Manliness: How to Throw an Awesome Holiday Party Part 1. These ideas are sure to help you choose a suitable party type. If you are looking to host a more specific themed party, Hartford Courant has some out of the box holiday party ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Some ideas from the Courant include Christmas in July, a pet-inclusive affair, a passport potluck holiday and many more.

If you don’t like the idea of throwing a huge wild party, opt for something a little bit more low key and still tons of fun. You can use the ideas mentioned above and tone it down in various ways by creating a more laid back setting and not inviting too many people. HGTV has also composed a wonderful list of low key Christmas party ideas, all of which are sure to spread holiday cheer and excitement. You don’t have to host ‘the Christmas party of the year’ to have holiday fun. You can simply have a few friends over for a holiday wrapping  and wine party, a holiday film marathon or a cookie baking and decorating party.

If you’ve opted for a lovely family affair this holiday season, don’t hesitate to offer up your Keowee home for a long weekend or extended stay. Turing your Lake Keowee home into a holiday bed and breakfast for family is not as difficult as it may seem. And it’s a kind offer for out of town relatives and loved ones.

Choosing the type of gathering you want to host can be a bit of a difficult decision, but it usually comes down to your preferences, since it is your party after all. Once you have made the decision on your party type and theme revisit The Art of Manliness: How to Throw an Awesome Holiday Party Part II.

Decorate and Prepare for Guests in Your Preferred Style

Once you have chosen the type of gathering that suits your fancy and you’ve invited your guests, it’s time to start decorating and getting your home guest-ready. It’s best to choose holiday decorations that compliment the style of your Lake Keowee home. Whether you have a rustic lake house home, a modern style house or a natural aesthetic property, your décor will look best together if you chose décor items that compliment the style of your home. As you decorate make sure you are getting your home in tip top shape for your guests. If you are having guests for an extended stay it’s nice to have sleeping arrangements prepared and bedrooms and bathrooms ready for company.

When decorating for your party, make sure to choose holiday décor that fits the style of your Lake Keowee home. Not all properties on Lake Keowee are the same. In fact, no two properties are alike. Some have more space and square footage, some are located on the lake, some have a cozy log cabin feel and others are very modern, open and bright.

If your Lake Keowee house is a more traditional home or a log cabin style go with a rustic holiday décor theme. Buffalo check plaid pillows, wooden decorations, antlers, pinecones, and vintage items are sure to please and fit perfectly with the warm and cozy feel of your home on beautiful Lake Keowee.

Cozy Christmas Home Décor | Mountain Modern Life

Buffalo Check Christmas Style Series | The Happy Housie

If you have a modern home, contemporary and modern aesthetic Christmas décor should be your top priority. Asymmetrical holiday wreaths, artsy spray painted nutcrackers, monochrome ornaments and hanging décor, bold statement pieces and geometric shapes and patterns all make for a very contemporary Christmas on Lake Keowee.

30 Modern Christmas Décor Ideas for Your Home | Contemporist

12 Modern Christmas Decorating Ideas | Hey There, Home

If you have a large open space with a lot of natural light, then a Scandinavian or Nordic décor concept would be a good idea this holiday season. Natural earthy decorations, garland with real greenery, lots of wreaths, handmade decorations, window treatments and natural winter essential oils will have you and your guests feeling like you are living in a cozy outdoor setting.  Nordic Christmas décor is very similar to modern and contemporary with a focus more on greenery, natural elements and homemade décor. The natural essence makes it a perfect holiday concept for a North Carolina Christmas.

How to Style for a Scandinavian Christmas | DIY Network

How to Have a Scandinavian Christmas | Kristina Lynne

Once your holiday décor style is chosen and ready to go, it’s time to start focusing on your setup. If you are planning on having guests for an extended stay, preparing the guest bed and bath area is good to do first. It is important to make your guests feel at home during their stay. The Art of Simple is a great site to find out the best ways to ‘guest-ify’ your home. This blog will give you great tips on how to prepare each room for overnight guests, from bedrooms and bathrooms to the living room and beyond.

Once your extended stay guest space is ready, you can move on to the entertaining space setup. There are quite a few important elements to note as you are setting up the space that you will actually be entertaining in. If you are having a big dinner, the dining area should be the focus of your party. If you are hosting a cocktail party you must make sure that you have plenty of standing space. And if you are exchanging gifts under the tree with the family, the focal point should be the warmth and comfort of your living room. Whatever the major occasion is should always be the main focus in your setup.

10 Stress Free Holiday Decorating Tricks | InStyle

Family Staying With You Over the Holidays? Don’t Panic! | SheKnows

Plan a Food and Beverage Menu and Dining Setup

Food is always the main attraction at just about any party, but especially during the holidays. Delicious warm comfort foods and a full bar will make anyone happy. And during the holidays you wouldn’t want your party guests to be anything less than jolly. You have many options when it comes to food and beverages. You could have a sit down dinner with a multiple course meal or prepare a meal buffet style, or you could settle for just hors d’oeuvres and drinks. However you decide to prepare the grub, a dessert menu is highly suggested since it is the holiday season. Christmas cookies and pies are pretty much a must during the holidays.

Food is the main focus at just about any gathering you can imagine, so be sure to carefully plan out the best dining setup for your occasion. For many large family affairs, a big Christmas feast is always a good idea. You can set up your meal as a large sit down dinner or a dining buffet. If you are expecting a big holiday bash with a lot of guests coming in and out at various times, hors d’oeuvres and cocktail bars are the way to go. Whatever dining setup you decide upon, make sure you choose a table setting or bar setting that fits with your party style.

After choosing your dinner style and setup its time to prepare the most important part, the menu. If you’re having trouble deciding on a menu or if you are tired of the usual holiday meal, The Food Network always has great full dinner recipes that are perfect for the holidays. A holiday cheese board is a great idea for an appetizer or hors d’oeuvre if you want something simple and delicious for your guests to snack on. As far as beverages go, cocktail bars with prepped mixed cocktails and full beer coolers will go over well at any kind of party. And with pre made drinks guests can serve themselves so you don’t have to worry about making drinks during the party. If you are having guests for an extended stay consider doing a breakfast buffet or coffee bar. This will be fun and exciting for your guests to wake up to in the morning.

Appetizers for Christmas Entertaining | Food Network

Party Planning: How to Host the Perfect Dinner Party | Lauren Conrad

Prepare Indoor and Outdoor Entertainment Options

With your home being located on the beautiful waters and landscapes of Lake Keowee, you have a wide variety of entertainment options, even in the winter. Classic holiday games and activities always go over well at Christmas parties. But you can also take advantage of your beautiful Keowee Lake property by preparing some fun outdoor winter activities as well.

Some great indoor activities for your holiday party include the always exciting traditional games like secret Santa, an ornament exchange, white elephant gift exchange, board games, gingerbread house making and more. The Balance has some great ideas for Christmas party games. They have a list of party games for adults as well as holiday games for all ages. You can always get creative and make up your own games or ask family and friends to bring some games and fun ideas with them.

Besides the classic holiday party games, offer your guests the option to have some holiday fun outdoors. Some great Lake Keowee outdoor activities include football, sledding, snowboarding, winter boat rides and dock fishing. But one of the best ideas that you can set up right in your back yard is a lovely holiday bonfire. Either have the bonfire be the focus of your party or make it a little extra edition to the fun for whoever wants to enjoy the outdoors and the warmth of gathering around the fire.

How to Plan a Winter Sledding Party | Country Living

16 Creative and Easy S’Mores Variations | Visualistan

Relax and Enjoy the Party and the Christmas Cheer!

Last but not least, it is Important that you as a host take the time to relax and enjoy the party with your guests. Party planning and hosting can be difficult and time consuming but once party time comes around it will be exciting and fun to have a home full of people enjoying each other’s company. So join in the fun and enjoy the season!

Top Tips for Staying Sane as You Prepare for the Holidays | Picture This Organized

How to Be a Good Host | POPSUGAR Home

Making Your Home Inviting to Guests| Life Unbalanced

How to Throw an Awesome Holiday Party IV: A Primer on Being the Ultimate Host | The Art of Manliness