Why Holiday Parties Will Always Have My Heart

Every caterer has those events that light them up a little extra.
Weddings, private parties, galas — I love them all.

But corporate and nonprofit holiday parties?
They hold a special place in my heart.

Let me tell you why.

Last year, we catered a holiday party for a team that had simply lived a year.
Not a tragic year.
Not a dramatic year.
Just… a full one. The kind we all have.
Busy, stretched thin, lots of changes, lots of growth, lots of “we’ll figure it out.”

When the guests walked in, you could see it instantly; the work brain was still switched on.

People arrived with phones in hand.
Someone whispered about an email they needed to send.
A few were still wearing that “I’m here, but I’m not quite here yet” expression.

We’ve all been there.

But then… holiday magic happened.

It starts with something small — a drink, a bite, a warm welcome

Someone grabbed a cocktail and let out that first little sigh.
Another tasted a holiday appetizer and lit up like, “oh wow, okay… tonight’s going to be good.”
A group gathered near the bar and started talking, not about work, but about life, kids, memories from the year.

You could literally feel the room shift.

Coats came off.
Shoulders dropped.
Laughter started bubbling up.
Hugs happened that no one planned on giving.
People who hadn’t talked in months reconnected like no time had passed.

There’s this beautiful moment at every holiday party where the whole room exhale at once, and that’s the moment that gets me every single year.

Holiday parties are where the year finally catches up — in the best way

The victories.
The struggles.
The lessons.
The inside jokes.
The projects that almost broke them.
The ones they crushed.
The memories they created together without even realizing it.

A holiday party becomes this soft space where a team gets to pause and actually see everything they accomplished. Not through a report. Not in a meeting. But through connection.

There’s something so human about that.
So warm.
So needed.

And being behind the scenes of that moment? It’s the best feeling in the world

We’re the ones helping leaders show appreciation.
We’re the ones setting the tone for the night.
We’re the ones making sure every plate, drink, and detail quietly says:

“Thank you.”
“You worked hard.”
“You’re valued.”
“Tonight is for you.”

It’s not about extravagance. It’s about care.

And when a team finally relaxes when the laughter gets louder, the smiles get bigger, and the whole room settles into the joy of the season, that’s when it hits me:

This is why I do what I do.
This is why holiday parties will always have my heart.

Because at the end of the day…

We all work.
We all show up.
We all push through long seasons and celebrate big wins and support the people on our team.

And holiday parties are a reminder of that shared human experience — the year we lived, the people we did it with, and the joy of taking one night to celebrate it all.

Being trusted to help create that moment… it’s an honor.
And truly it’s one of the best feelings in the world.

When your team is ready to celebrate this holiday season, we’d love to create that magic for you warm, thoughtful, intentional, and absolutely Top Shelf.