Mistletoe & Mimosas: How We Pulled Off Our Sold-Out Holiday Party in 12 Days

On December 14th, we hosted our first annual Let’s DMV Holiday Party: Mistletoe & Mimosas—and pulling this off was nothing short of a Christmas miracle.

We didn’t even decide to host a party until December 2nd. Yes, you read that right: 12 days to plan an end-of-year celebration for 40+ people.

Our first hurdle? Finding a date that worked for the committee’s packed schedules:

• Coconut was busy managing a house full of kids and slaying literal demons.
• Lane was running half marathons every other weekend, staying strictly loyal to her training plan.
• Tamara was out here busting car windows and knocking dudes off their imaginary pedestals.
• Kia was deeply committed to her birthday shenanigans, which stretched across the entire month.

Despite the chaos, Sunday, December 14th emerged as the one day that worked for everyone. We had no idea how we were going to execute an entire event in under two weeks, but we were determined to make it happen.

Step 1: The Theme

Every great party starts with a vision. We landed on a Sunday brunch, which felt like the ultimate end-of-year vibe. Breakfast food is a crowd-pleaser, brunch isn’t complete without mimosas, and a dash of holiday mistletoe tied it all together. Just like that, Mistletoe & Mimosas was born.

The Dream Team at Work

Once the theme was locked in, everyone stepped into their roles like a well-oiled holiday machine:

• Kia (@KurlyGirlKia) | Executive Chef: Handcrafted a mouthwatering brunch menu, built the master ingredient list, and single-handedly cooked the entire spread for all 40 guests. Iconic behavior.
• Tamara (@MaraInMotion_) | Party Planner: Took Kia’s list and worked her spreadsheet magic—mapping out store runs for food and decor, calculating costs, and setting our ticket pricing.
• Lane (@Laneknees) | Community Organizer: Designed the flyer, managed ticket sales, and kept our finances on track.
• Coconut (@CocoFromLetsDMV) | Social Media Manager: Took to the interwebs to build hype and drive sales. We needed ticket funds up front to buy supplies, and the community delivered—we sold out in just three days!

The Big Event

What we delivered on party day exceeded everyone’s expectations:

• 🎨 DIY Crafts: A holiday station for custom ornaments and ceramic Christmas trees.
• 🏷️ Personal Touches: Custom name tags and Let’s DMV keepsake lanyards for every guest.
• 📸 Photo Station: Complete with holiday props, Polaroids, and custom Let’s DMV holiday cards.
• 🏆 Interactive Games: High-stakes competition with Fruit-by-the-Foot races, musical candy canes, and cup grabs.
• 🧶 Ugly Sweater Contest: Everyone dressed far too cute, but the competition was fierce anyway!
• 🎁 Early Bird Raffle: Surprise gift raffle for everyone who arrived within the first hour.

The Real Star: The Food 🍳

Kia managed to pull off a culinary feast using a single residential stove (we are definitely getting her access to a commercial kitchen next time):

• Savor: Turkey bacon, regular bacon, eggs, grits, shrimp, salmon, fried chicken, hashbrown potatoes, sausage links, and kielbasa.
• Sweet & Fresh: French toast, a custom waffle station, yogurt bar, croissants, muffins, cookies, fruit, and fresh salad.
• Sips: A Cutwater crate, rum rack, mimosa bar, plus hot chocolate, apple cider, and mocktails for our sober guests.

Looking Ahead to Next Year

People loved it. We heard nothing but rave reviews from attendees—and a whole lot of remorse and FOMO from those who missed out.

If we can pull off something this special in under two weeks, imagine what we’re going to do with a full year of planning. Next year’s holiday party is going to be bigger, better, and even more magical.

Mark your calendars now: Tickets drop mid-November. Since this year sold out in 72 hours, you’ll want to act fast.

Side Note: Start planning early! Set aside about $12 a month now, and you’ll be ready to hit that “Buy Now” button the moment tickets go live. See you next year! 🥂

Check  out all the all photos on Flickr ↓