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It's the most wonderful time of the year—for good reason. We just love holiday parties. Spiced rum, little black-and-red dresses, dancing—both to music, and around that line of appropriateness in the company of your coworkers and superiors after one-too-many glasses of wine at the office Christmas party. What? That's never happened to you? Perhaps your boss hasn't thrown a great party. (Maybe you should point him or her in our direction...) Tis the season! But we digress...
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No, this post isn't about the appropriateness of slinging back your third gin and tonic before busting out the karaoke machine at work—even if it is after 8 p.m. and your friends swear you sound just like Mariah Carey. (But do check back for an office party etiquette post, now that we've thought of it.) This is about the kickoff of holiday party season. And it starts this weekend.
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Saturday is the Friends Foundation's Annual Holiday Party at Loews Annapolis Hotel.
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We cannot wait.
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But the key to having the best possible time at any event is to get the inside scoop in advance. You can thank us later. (Or, at the party. We'll be there!) So here's what you need to know.
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Where should we park?
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Two words are music to our ears when it comes to event parking: free valet. Perfect. Don't fret about finding street parking or walking too far in your heels. The Holiday Party offers free valet parking, as well as parking in the super convenient Loews hotel garage.
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Libation Logistics.
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Two more blissful words: open bar. Leave your cash and credit at home.
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Coat Check?
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Yes indeed. Which means we can bundle up for the cold and not have to worry about lugging around 20 pounds of wool, or bumping around like a pinball thanks to four extra inches of bulk.
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Should we eat before we go?
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No need. Guests can expect passed hors d'oeuvres during cocktail hour, followed by a buffet dinner with serving stations. Just in time for the sudden onset of our aversion to leftover turkey sandwiches.
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How comfortable need our shoes be?
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Don your most fabulous—your feet won't mind. There will be a handful of high-top tables (perfect for balancing the eating-from-a-small-plate-while-holding-a-cocktail act), and then tables for ten in the banquet room, for dinner. (That should buy you at least an hour to regain the will to walk should painfulness directly correlate with your particular pieces of posh.)
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What kind of entertainment can we look forward to?
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The best kind. The Doug Segree Band will be playing, and we love them. Apparently, so do you--you voted them best local musician eight years in a row.
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Perhaps the most important question: What should we wear?
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The party is cocktail attire. Ladies—your favorite LBD will be perfect. A few women might wear floor-length numbers, but you'll likely feel best dressed in cocktail length. Gents—you can leave your tux at home. A suit will work swimmingly, but if you prefer to go more casual, a jacket—with, or without a tie—is fine.
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Anything else?
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Glad you asked. The Friends Foundation is asking guests to ing along their favorite bottle of wine (We're pretty sure you can use this as an opportunity to re-gift that unopened bottle that your neighbor gave you last week, too, if you'd like. We won't tell.) to be put toward an "Instant Wine Cellar" auction item. The winner of the auctioned package will get to take home the whole lot. What a great idea!
