Whether you’re hosting a party for 30 or 300 people this holiday season, it’s important to plan and prepare leading up to the big day. Selecting the menu, creating the holiday décor, and ensuring the space is spotless before guests arrive, is paramount. Having planned hundreds of celebrations and parties, here are some of my tips and tricks for hosting the perfect holiday party that both you and your guests will enjoy.

• Start with a color theme: red and gold or white and silver are both perfect for a holiday party. Incorporate these colors into everything from your invitations to your decorations.

• Create vignettes throughout your home by grouping candles, ornaments, and flowers in the most visible spaces.

• Save yourself the mess and use an artificial tree. Artificial trees look just as good as the real ones so your guests won’t be able to tell the difference. Consider using a product like Febreze Air Effects in Cranberry and Frost to add a touch of holiday scent.

• Good lighting is a must. Use lights on dimmers or consider adjusting the lighting with candles. There’s no such thing as too many candles – don’t be shy about using votives, pillars, and tapers everywhere. To create a unified scent around the house, try using Febreze Candles to add ambiance or as part of a festive centerpiece.

• Sit down dinners can be intimidating so set up a variety of food stations instead. Your food stations can still include the holiday classics: set up a turkey carving station and let people help themselves to sides and stuffing.

Colin Cowie is the party planner of choice for celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Lopez, Oprah Winfrey and Kim Kardashian. What sets Colin apart is his experiential approach to design; what you smell, touch, taste, feel and hear are carefully orchestrated to create the ultimate experience.

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