While Kian Egan was a VERY worthy winner of I'm A Celebrity 2013, we couldn't help but feel a little pang of sadness over the fact that David Emanuel had been pipped to the title of King of the Jungle.
However, after looking back at the archives of The Western Mail (of which David was style editor), we actually think he might be better suited to royal party planner.
Back in December 2003, David shared some tips on how to throw the PERFECT Christmas party. And, to be honest, they're so timeless and so classy that we reckon we might just be using them this year too…
The essentials of throwing a party, as dictated by David Emanuel:
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Send invitations. Printed are the best if you have the time. Failing that you could send a handwritten postcard.
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Copy other people’s ideas, and steal ideas from books and magazines!
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Inform (or perhaps invite) the neighbours. If it is going to be a large affair then you should also notify the police as there will be extra traffic and parked cars.
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Try to please all the senses. Have fresh flowers, the best champagne, the right type of music and the right lighting.
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Make the dress code strict – don’t let anybody in without it!
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Keep it simple if you want to do it yourself. It is much better to do something small and do it really well than attempt something big and it all go wrong!
Need a few more ideas? Go on then...
Drinks:
Don’t try to be clever, keep it simple!! Champagne and mulled wine is best for a Christmas party. You should always have fresh orange as well for the drivers!
Food:
I always think it is hard to eat at parties, when you have people to talk to. A cheese board is perfect when drinking, and it requires so little effort on the part of the host. I once went to a party where they served mini fish and chips, which was a fabulous idea.
Dress code:
Black tie is the best option. It’s nice and crisp. One word of advice if you are going to a black tie party: don’t mess around with it – black means black. Let the ladies be the ones to shine!
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