Glam Cocktail Party

If there's one time of year people love to dress up, it's the holidays—so give your guests an excuse to indulge in the impulse with a classy cocktail affair. Sending formal invitations via the postal service sets a sophisticated mood from the start. For extra holiday sparkle, choose heavy paper stock with silver or gold trim and/or printed with metallic ink.

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Build anticipation before anyone even walks in the door with a chic red carpet runner. Inside, set the mood by turning off the overheads and switching out lamp bulbs with low-wattage versions. Then set red votives and line them up on windowsills for light that makes guests positively glow. Spray paint delicate branches with glitter and arrange them in tall vases for striking centerpieces.

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Caviar, imported cheeses and other luxury foods make a special occasion feel even more so; round out the offerings with retro-inspired nibbles like shrimp cocktail, stuffed mushrooms and miniature quiches or crab cakes. And in keeping with the theme, don't forget the rum balls!

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Class up your soiree with festive martini glasses and champagne flutes. Hire a bartender to mix drinks (extra points for dramatic shaker work!) or whip up two or three batches of signature cocktails in pitchers. And to play the part of the stylish hostess, stand out from the crowd in a dress-to-the-nines frock in anything but black.

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Get in the holiday spirit by publicly toasting the people and things you're most grateful for this year (starting with the wonderful friends in attendance!), and then inviting guests to do the same. Set up a do-it-yourself photo booth in a bedroom with a camera on a tripod, a remote-controlled clicker and over-the-top props like a feather boa and top hat so guests can glam it up for posterity, then email pictures to guests the next day.

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