As we enter the thick of the corporate holiday party season, here are some ideas and resources for food, decor, entertainment, and more.
1. H. Bloom is a new subscription-based floral delivery service that also offers flower arrangements à la carte. For the holidays, the company has a range of seasonal designs that start at under $100, including a red-on-red bouquet and a green and white mix of roses, gerbera daisies, and greenery. Pricing includes delivery.
2. For gifts or tabletop decor, Glassybaby makes chunky glass votives in more than 400 colors, including many holiday-appropriate hues. The vessels, which can be used to hold candles or flowers, rent for $5 each or can be purchased via the Glassybaby site for $40 each. Rental votives can be picked up and returned at the company's West Village store. Call 917.546.6850 for rental information.
3. Little Cupcake Bakeshop, which opened in October, offers holiday cupcakes in gingerbread, s'more, pumpkin spice, and apple spice flavors. The bakery makes everything in-house using local ingredients when possible. Cupcakes cost $2.75 each, but catering pricing varies depending on the quantity of the order and location of the event.
4. For an in-office treat or as part of an evening event, Grounded Coffee Catering can brew and serve hot caffeinated beverages on site. Holiday specials include the ginger steamer (steamed, frothed milk blended with ginger syrup) and honey spiced lattes (espresso, milk, honey, grated nutmeg). Two-hour beverage service includes a range of tea, coffee, and espresso drinks, chocolate sauces, and a choice of three syrups. Pricing starts at $175 for as many as 20 people, and $450 for as many as 120 people.
5. Props for Today has a range of new pieces to add a festive touch to holiday parties. Items include "modern pods," ottomanlike stools that come in red and green and rent for $65 apiece.
6. Downtown Kitchen offers catering packages for in-office holiday lunches and dinners. Options include buffets with items such as lobster potpie and filet mignon with béarnaise sauce, and a Bûche de Noël for dessert. Also available is a retro-inspired feast with pineapple-glazed ham, pigs in a blanket, and holiday cookies. Or, for something completely nontraditional, there's a spread of Chinese food including wonton soup, beef and broccoli, vegetable fried rice, and fortune cookies. Menus start at $28 per person for a minimum of 30 guests.
7. Ideal for kid-friendly parties (but fun for adults, too), Unirec offers Lootles, balloon sculptures in your likeness. Pricing starts at $1,500 and includes five hours of balloon making by a trained artist who typically produces 10 Lootles in one hour.
8. If you're in need of a last-minute invitation and don't want to send a generic company-wide email, event designer David Stark has designed a line of online invites through Cocodot. The collection has a playful collage look, with layers of graphics and text on fabriclike backgrounds. Pricing starts at $19 for one invitation that can be sent to as many as 500 people.
