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Christmas party planner with a potluck sign-up

Plan the Christmas party in one place: guest list, a potluck sign-up that flags the same dish twice and any empty course, a white elephant line in the budget, decorations, a photo spot on the room plan and a 4-week checklist. The same app has Cookie Exchange, Holiday Potluck and New Year's Eve templates.

Open the Christmas Party demo Get the app for $6.99
  • Potluck sign-up with duplicates flagged
  • Cookie exchange: one cookie per guest
  • New Year's Eve: snacks, champagne, countdown
Event Planner App with the Christmas Party sample: floor plan, guest list by family and seating checks
The Christmas Party sample in the Event Planner App. The demo opens on it, with nothing to install.

A christmas party budget split to start from

For a $600 budget and about 25 guests. It's the default split in the app; change any % to fit your family.

Food and drinks are most of a Christmas party. Make it a potluck: you cover the main and the drinks, guests sign up for the rest, and nobody brings the fourth cheese plate.

  • Food30%$180
  • Drinks20%$120
  • Decorations & tree15%$90
  • Gift swap / white elephant8%$48
  • Games & photo booth7%$42
  • Supplies (plates, cups)7%$42
  • Music5%$30
  • Other & Buffer8%$48

Christmas Party checklist by deadline

In the app, each task gets a date counted back from your party.

  • 4 weeks

    • Pick the date (Dec weekends fill fast)
    • Set the guest list and the budget
    • Pick a theme (ugly sweater?)

  • 3 weeks

    • Send invites with the potluck sign-up
    • Plan the gift swap rules and price limit
    • Ask about allergies and diets

  • 2 weeks

    • Check the sign-up: fill empty courses
    • Plan games and a photo spot
    • Order decorations

  • 1 week

    • Make the shopping list
    • Make the playlist
    • Borrow chairs and serving dishes

  • 1–2 days

    • Buy drinks and ice
    • Set up the room and the buffet
    • Send a reminder with what to bring

  • After the party

    • Send leftovers home
    • Thank everyone

Potluck sign-up: who brings what

Add each dish to a course as people sign up. The app counts what each course needs for your head count and checks the menu for you.

See the sample sign-up
  • Courses: Appetizers, Mains, Sides, Desserts & cookies, Drinks.Each shows how many dishes you have against a suggestion for your guest count.
  • Same dish twice? Flagged.“Mashed potatoes × 2: Ben and Carla”, before anyone starts cooking.
  • Empty courses and diets.Nobody bringing drinks, or a vegan guest with nothing to eat: it shows in the checks.
  • Copy, print, shop.Copy the sign-up into the group chat, print a sign-up sheet, and tick off the shopping list for your own dishes.

Christmas Party planning tips

What makes the biggest difference, from parents and hosts who've done it.

  • Book a December weekend early.The two weekends before Christmas fill fast: pick the date four weeks out.
  • Make it a potluck.You cover the main and the drinks; guests sign up for a course. Paste what's still needed in the group chat.
  • Set the gift swap rules.White elephant or Secret Santa, with a price limit on the invite.
  • Plan one photo spot.An ugly sweater backdrop by the tree gets everyone in a picture.

Everything in one app

Budget by category, vendors with deposits and due dates, guests and families, a floor plan with drag-and-drop seating and Auto-seat, a gift list and a countdown checklist. Light or dark, offline, no subscription.

Try the free demoGet the app for $6.99

Christmas Party planner questions

How far ahead should I plan a Christmas party?

About four weeks: date, invites with the potluck sign-up, then games, decorations and the playlist.

How do I organize a cookie exchange?

Pick the Cookie Exchange template: each guest signs up with one kind of cookie, the app flags repeats, and the checklist has tins, labels and recipe cards.

Does it work for an office potluck or New Year's Eve?

Yes. The Holiday Potluck template is a sign-up by course for any gathering, and New Year's Eve has snacks, champagne and the countdown.

Is there a subscription?

No. You pay once and keep the app. It's one file that opens in your browser on a computer, with no account.

Does it work on my phone?

It's made for computers right now.

Planning another party?

The same app has a template for each of these.