It’s not too late to coordinate a holiday party in Bloomington-Normal for family, friends, or coworkers. And there are ways to make it easier for you as the party planner, and more enjoyable for your guests at the same time. Vrooman Mansion is the perfect location for your holiday gathering regardless of who is on the guest list, because we have the perfect spaces to make it memorable for everyone and less stressful for you.

Whether you’re hosting a white elephant gift exchange with friends, an office Christmas party, or a holiday gathering with out-of-town family, below are some tips to help you entertain with confidence.

1. Find a place that is already decorated
2. Delegate the dishes (and set up and clean up)
3. Look for character and intimate spaces
4. Opt for Overnight stays beyond the couch

Holiday Party Decorations

The cost of buying holiday decorations can add up. Not to mention the time needed to take things out of storage, set it all up, and then eventually take it all down. If you’re hosting an event at your house, you might have already decorated for the season. But if you’re looking to go to another location, chances are you need to bring decorations with you, get there early to set up, and then stay late to take it down. All of that can hamper your ability to enjoy the event, too!

If possible, find locations that are already decorated for the holidays so you can just show up and enjoy the time with your guests. It’s less cost and less time for you, which means less stress.

At Vrooman Mansion every room is decorated for the holidays, with a Christmas tree (or two or three!) in every overnight guestroom and every common area in the house. The foyer is home to our tallest tree!

Delegate the Dishes

The benefit to hosting a party at your home is that you can control the environment. No random strangers walking into a restaurant or conversations you need to talk over. The downside is you’re scrounging the garage looking for extra tables and chairs. You’re also doing all of the setup, the takedown, and the clean-up. And unless you’re using all disposable items, you’re quite possibly doing dishes, too.

When you host a holiday party at another location, the amenities available will vary. We recommend you find a place that has tables, chairs, linens, silverware, drinkware, plates… you name it. That means you don’t have to find it, buy it, set it up, or clean it. You can just show up. You deserve to enjoy the party, too you know!

When you book an event with Vrooman Mansion, we do all of that. So not only are holiday decorations taken care of, but we have enough chairs and tables on hand so you never have to think about it. And we work with you to create the set up that best meets the needs of your guests. (Did we mention that we have a bathroom you don’t have to clean either?)

We can help coordinate caterers and bartenders if that’s what you need, and let you know your options for snacks and drinks. We can provide all non-alcoholic drinks and help you figure out a solution for the Egg Nog your uncle insists upon (and how to politely decline someone’s fruit cake).

Send us an email with your desired dates and times so we can check availability and provide you with our price list for reserving event space with the amenities we described.

Look for character and intimate spaces

When hosting a Christmas party there are several restaurants, bars, and hotels that have private rooms you can rent, which is a great option.  And many of them will take care of the tables, chairs, and dishes (decorations depends on the location). But what if you want a more private experience without strangers walking in and out? Maybe you don’t want the loud sounds that accompany more public locations because it’s harder for some of your guests to hear one another. Do you want to control the music so you don’ have to hear that same Christmas song… again?

At Vrooman Mansion you get all of the conveniences plus more privacy and control. And did you know we have a music room with a player piano? We have a tablet you can use to control the music to create the mood you want, and eliminate the music you don’t.

Get all of the character of a glamorous vintage holiday party without all of the work.

A Better Place to Stay Beyond the Couch

We hope this season you’re able to see family, friends, and coworkers that you’ve been missing. And if they’re from out of town, or simply want to be able to stay later without a late-night drive home, they might need some overnight options. How many couches do you have?

The benefit of hosting a party at a hotel is that there are places for people to stay right on the premises. But you don’t get the character or the decorations we talked about. The benefit to having a gathering at your house, is that people can easily stay over, but you’re still doing all of the work for decorating, set up, clean up and take down. Not to mention your house may not have enough spaces for overnight guests (and having coworkers stay overnight would be… awkward to say the least).

At Vrooman Mansion we have 5 overnight guestrooms in the Mansion and 2 in the Carriage House to choose from, each with a private bathroom. So, if you have a Christmas Party with us, anyone from out of town or with a bit of a drive, can stay overnight with us.

That means you get to have a stress-free party that is fully decorated, catered and cleaned up. And your guests have a place to stay overnight so they can stay late, and get a gourmet breakfast the next morning. Everyone gets to enjoy the party and you can focus on the company and the relationship, not the details. That can be our job.

Don’t let the holidays go by without stopping to celebrate with those you care about.

Make it epic. Make it memorable.

Choose to celebrate…. in a mansion.