What's Hotter Than Naked?

I think some people find it hard to find just the right thing to wear to a party. When I throw my own, I try to give direction that's fun and amorphous so that guests can take the direction and interpret it in their own way. For example, at my last book launch party, the only attire request I had was to wear red (by the way, the rebel Martha Stewart showed up in orange). I love surveying the scene as guests show up to see all the clever ways they decided to get dressed.

For the Celebrations party, I wanted to come up with an attire request that complimented the mood of the party. January tends to be a depressing month since it's so cold, it's post-holidays and some people are partied out. That's exactly why I wanted to throw the party at this time to bring back the mood of sexy, fun and hot...hence the attire requirement for this party: hot.

I've been so busy traveling and planning my party (along with many others...work never stops) that today it hit me: I haven't chosen anything to wear to the party yet. What does one wear to a party where the attire requirement is "hot" and all the guests have already seen the invite?

When I grew up in Panama, I used to have to wear a uniform of white shirt, tie and slacks so I promised after high school that I would never wear another tie again. So, generally, I'm opposed to wearing suits--even though that may be someone's definition of hot.

This is where you come in my loves. I need your help figuring out what to wear to my party. Tell me your suggestions, please!

Oh, and stay tuned for tomorrow. We'll be talking about my favorite part of the party...the decor.

Stop Giving The Same Old Tired Party Favors Everyone Else Gives

I have been to many fantastic events where I received gigantic bags of goodies (most of it very useful, but some ending up in my re-gift closet), but there are times where I've received a favor that was especially spectacular (like special cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery, Kiehl's products, or a 1 hour massage treatment).

Before we get into talking about spectacular favors, let's pull back and ask this very simple question:  Do you think it's necessary to give your guests a party favor after you've spoiled them all night with great decor, great food, and great entertainment?

For me, the answer is a big fat YES.

However, please do not give another frame or candle. If you choose to give a present, make it relevant and something that's special to both you and your guests. The price tag is not that important (though I truly did love receiving that hour long massage).

For example, one party favor I like to give a lot when I entertain at home is the gift of leftovers. I always make sure to have extra food and nice containers so that each guest can leave with their own package. (I've been told many times that it was a great way to re-live the evening the next day.)

Another thing I object to is please DO NOT put your favors on the table as part of the decor.  Most of the time your guests don't know what to do with it during diner, and sometimes, as we break down the event, we find that a lot of guests simply forget to take them.

A much more dramatic and memorable way to distribute party favors is to instruct the waiters to come out with your favors on silver trays and hand them out to each guest individually.

So tell me, what was the most exciting party favor you have ever given or received?

Conversation with: Olivier Cheng

I grilled Olivier Cheng, founder of Olivier Cheng Catering and Events, to get some insight on the catering business, discuss what food trends are in and out, and try to find out what special food he has on the menu for the Celebrations launch party.

But before you read the interview, here is Olivier’s tip on how to help your caterer help you find your food vision. Press play to watch.



PB: Tell us about how you got started in the catering business.

Olivier: My background is in business and architecture and I got started in the catering business because I worked for a friend of mine who was an architect and ran a little luxury resort in Colorado. He really loved what he did and I helped him on the business and design side to help run and manage it.

I came back here trying to figure out what I’d like to do and I liked the idea of working on food, catering and design so I worked for somebody I knew here in New York, and then I worked for a celebrity chef to help him start a business, and from there I started my own business.

I just really wanted to make something that was not your typical catering business. For me, it was more about doing beautiful food, about the way things looked in the whole story--from how the staff looked, etc...Obviously you have to complement everything all the way around. [I wanted] to really treat it like a fine restaurant but in a catering experience.

PB: Now let’s jump to what’s really important. What’s your favorite food?

Olivier (smiling): Well, I have to say that one of my favorite foods is one of your favorite foods...and that would have to be short ribs. I think you’d agree with me that short ribs with a little celery root is the way to go.

PB: What food trend do you think has been overdone in the past year?

Olivier: That’s a good question. Since New York is so eclectic, it’s hard for me to say what...

You know, I’m wondering if this sort of American comfort food thing is--with the cupcakes and everything--I feel like that’s really getting saturated and I think that’s something that has sort of seen its day.

PB: What’s the strangest food request you’ve ever had from a client?

Olivier: It would have to be for this wedding we did where it was just a two person wedding and the bride really didn’t eat anything. I think she was lactose intolerant or vegetarian and the groom was a complete carnivore. Since we were only feeding two people, I think for their hors d’oeuvre for their wedding we served her one type because that was all she could eat and we served him like 10.

It had to be one of the most unique parties I’ve done food-wise since their tastes were so different yet there was only two of them. When you’re doing that for 100 people, it’s a little different, but for just two, I think the clash stood out to me the most.

PB: How do you plan your menus? What’s your process?

Olivier: We’re very client-oriented. One of the very first things I always do is talk to the client and figure out what they love and what they envision for food. To me, it’s really about the client and to direct the client to help them find their vision.

PB: Here's the final question we’ve been waiting for. What are you planning on serving at my Celebrations launch party?

Olivier: Well, a lot of it is a surprise so I shouldn’t really be revealing to you what we have planned...BUT one of the things we’re doing is that I want to serve some of your favorite things.

At the parties we do together, I see that your eyes light up when you’re around the food table so one of the things I’m doing for you is that we’re going to serve what I was talking about earlier which is one of my favorite things as well... braised short ribs with celery root puree. So I hope you will love that.

Now tell me dear readers, what is one amazing dish you recently had and where did you eat it?


Photos by: Olivier Cheng Catering and Events or Jason Wyche

To Park or Not to Park

I've been intrigued by the responses you posted about yesterday's bathroom attendant entry so I thought I'd bring up another small, but important detail that sometimes causes an issue: parking. The big question is, should you, as the host, pay for your guest's parking? I once worked with a client that not only paid for her guest's parking but also gave specific instructions that no one should accept tips (she tipped 20% to all the car servers).

On top of that, she also offered to give each guest a single rose on their way home.  We all struggle in this industry to come up with unforgettable moments for our events.  I thought this was a true moment of class. (Of course, she could also afford this luxury, which makes a difference in what you choose to offer your guests.)

Tell me about an unforgettable service you have either given or received that made an event memorable and why it was so great.

Let's Talk About Bathroom Attendants

Yesterday's post got me thinking more about servers and attendants at events. I believe in great service as much as anyone, in fact I pride myself on giving grade A service, but there is always a limit. For instance, I still find it incredibly uncomfortable when I go to the bathroom and finish my business to find a usually very sweet attendant trying to hand me a towel for a tip.

I am always left with the vague feeling that this sweet person was just assigned there to make sure guests wash their hands properly (or wash them at all--seriously men, I’ve seen some of you just walk right out of the bathroom after you exit the stall).

Being from the old school of what goes around comes around, I never know what tip is appropriate. Fifty cents hardly seems enough, a dollar probably about right...but then, of course, partly out of guilt or generosity I end up over-tipping.

 I strongly suggest that if you do plan to offer this very private service at your next event, please pay the server beforehand and have them refuse any extra gratuity.

How do you feel about bathroom attendants? Do you think it’s a luxurious touch or an awkward encounter?

The Importance of Eye Candy

I've always said that LA is full of gorgeous people (even the ugly ones are pretty) but New York is where the characters are. Since this city is such a melting pot of different cultures, there's a diversity in beauty and types of people that you may not see in another city. Besides great food at a party, it's always wonderful to have some hot servers to accompany the hot food. Okay, I know you're thinking this may seem trivial or superficial, but let's think about this: The devil is in the details. If you're going to oversee all the other crucial details of your event, why not ensure that there's some great eye candy to go along with the main entree?

Yes, I am being a little cheeky--but there's nothing wrong with admiring beauty, and if that means also getting to flirt with a random stranger, then all the better. And listen to this, at one of my parties a guest and a server ended up clicking and making a real connection. They later got married!

One semi-related, but semi-not side note to this thought--I really dislike when waiters are asked to wear tuxes at a black tie affair. It's confusing to distinguish the servers from the guests and can cause some awkward moments. I can't tell you how many times I've been at a formal event as a guest and I've had other guests come up to me to ask for a drink (talk about profiling).

What do you think? Is eye candy important?

Tips for Throwing a Fabulous New Year’s Eve Party: Part 2—the Food

There’s so much to worry about when entertaining from home, but one of the most important things is the food. What should you serve? And how much? Here are some delicious food tips from me to you:

Tip #1: Make sure you know if your guests have allergies or food preferences.  If you are doing a formal invite, have a section where they can note this on the reply card.  Otherwise, make sure you speak to them about it or let them know they should contact you to discuss.  Having that brief conversation ahead of time makes everyone feel at ease on the day of the event.  You know you won’t have to run out, or make substitutions at the last minute, and your guests already feel taken care of!

Tip #2: One of my favorite tricks for creating unexpected décor is to use fruit.  You can also fill different sized clear glass vases with monochromatic fruits- I love the look of black cherries, plums, and figs- for a fresh, easy centerpiece. (They make delicious snacks too.)

Tip #3 Always make sure you have extra food!  You never know when an additional guest may show up.  I always like to have a course I serve at room temperature and so I can set aside extra portions and have them ready should an unexpected guest arrive.

Tip #4 One of my most prized possessions is my juicer. When you are entertaining you can pick a combination of fruits and vegetables that will compliment the food you are serving.  Fresh juice is a great way to spice up a party.  People can drink it plain, or mix it with alcohol for a light cocktail.

Also, check out this article from People magazine (the picture above is from the article) about some of the sweets I love to serve at New Year’s Eve. Do you have any food tips to share?

Photo by: Jim Franco

Tips for Throwing a Fabulous New Year’s Eve Party: Part 1

Now that Christmas is out of the way, we have one more big event before we step into 2010 (can you believe it’s already 2010?): your new year’s eve party. At this point, you might be feeling partied out. It’s okay. These tips can apply to parties big and small.

Tip #1: For an evening affair, you can decorate the whole room with candles. I like to mix and match, using pillars, tapers, votives and even candelabras.  You decorate the whole room with them and it creates such a warm, intimate glow.

Tip #2 : I love to put gardenias in the bathrooms.  I float a few in a decorative bowl.  They have such a wonderful scent and it such is an unexpected treat.  I also always do really nice linens in the bathroom.

Tip #3: For smaller, more intimate gatherings, I greet my guests and then let the party flow naturally--making sure everyone has enough to eat and drink and someone to talk to. However, for any gathering larger than 10 people, I think it is very important to seat people so that no one has an awkward moment.  The best way to do this is with simple place cards, ideally ones that match your décor.

Tip #4: Another element I use at almost all of my parties is the “rose bowl.” (Pictured above.) The arrangement is easy to make, but creates an intricate, delicate look.  To make the “rose bowl” at home, you fill a low glass bowl with water and then float rose petals in it beginning on the outside edge and working your way towards the center.  When you are done, you will have what looks like a beautiful oversized rose!

Tomorrow, I’ll have more tips for you—mostly about food and how to entertain your guests. Do you have any tips for how to throw a fabulous New Year’s eve party? Let me know in the comments.

Ecclectic Tea Party

So now that all the holiday entertaining is wrapped up, it is time to start brainstorming for spring parties! I have been in my office all week playing around with different design elements for the coming months. Valentines Day is right around the corner, but I still have not perfected the look for my romantic sweetheart table. Don't worry, I will let you know as soon as I do!

I did come up with some really fun looks for a springy Sunday Brunch, or Mother's Day, or an Afternoon Tea. My design team chose some pieces from the Williams Sonoma housewares collection and we reworked them. We filled tart pans with flowers and berries to create delicate floral moments for the table.I love the juxtaposition of the utilitarian tart pan and the whimsical blooms. It has that homey, country feel that we usually don't see here in New York. I have always liked the look of baking tools, and here you can bring them out of the kitchen and keep them on the table for the whole meal, not just dessert. Guests can take the whole tin home at the end of the party and enjoy the flowers for a few days and then use the pan for baking...We filled the center with roses and then arranged berries in the scalloped edges. They almost look good enough to eat, don't they?

I also played around with cake stands and tried filling them with flowers to create mini-gardens. We used moss as a base to mimic the look of a terrarium and accented it with bright flowers to lighten the look. I love the loose, unstructured look in the clear glass. It almost has a hanging garden feel to it. You could even add little feather butterflies for an even more playful look!

Recycled Giftwrap

I always bring my holiday gifts into the office and wrap them with different supplies we have lying around. I like to create a really eclectic look underneath the tree, and I love that everyone gets not only a present but a totally unique package. We had just gotten a big shipment of candles, and had tons of packing material left over. I loved the look of this recycled paper- there is so much texture and movement to it.
Once I folded it around the plain white boxes the paper popped even more and really came alive. I paired the paper with a coffee organza ribbon with satin trim and topped the whole thing off with an arrangement of silk roses and peonies accented with white berries. I use silk on all my holiday wrapping. If you are shipping any of your gifts, there is no guarantee what they will go through or when they will get there, so I want to make sure that the present will look as good when it arrives as it did when I packed it. I also like that the flowers can be reused, either to decorate another gift, or simply placed on the mantle to spice up the the room!

Napkin Tricks

With the holidays coming up, I am sure a lot of you are getting ready to entertain at home. One of my simple tricks to brighten a table is to dress up the napkin. It can be as simple as a single flower, but having something at each place setting really ties the whole table together. I love the attention to detail, and making sure each of my guests gets a little treat when they sit down. You can simply clip a bloom at the stem and arrange it in the fold of your napkin! If you are running low on flowers, you can use your extra petals and artfully arrange them on the napkin and around each plate. Here, we tucked two poppy pods into the hemstitch napkin to create a more organic look. The pods echo the color of the centerpiece and florals, but create a bit of fun on each plate!

Instead of fresh flowers, we have also decorated with dried leaves. I especially love this look for Thanksgiving, because it echos the weather and brings a touch of nature inside. We used dessicated leaves that you find in a paper or craft store, but you could just as easily use ones you find in your backyard or the park. Pick ones that still have a bit of color, or an interesting shape.

A monogrammed napkin is another wonderful way to set the mood. It really elevates the look of your table and indicates that it is, in fact, a special occasion! Don't scrimp here- you can use a set of monogrammed napkins for years! Or you can be a bit more playful and do a paper cutout. For this event- celebrating the 60's as an era- we adorned each napkin with a paper daisy. For the holidays, you can do something seasonal or something that has sentimental value for your family. You could even create your own monogram stencil and personalize each napkin that way!

Eco-Chic Weddings

Today, I would love to share some green tips with you. More and more, brides are looking for ways to make their weddings eco-friendly. So, with the help of my team, my vendors, and some of my brides, we put together this list:

INVITES
- Use recycled, non-bleached paper for everything from your invites to your programs.
- Send Save-the-Date postcards- not only are they cute and personal, but it saves an envelope (and postage). Do the same for your response cards...
- Set up a wedding website rather than sending printed directions. This can also be a great resource for you, and your guests.
- Forgo tissue and inner envelopes- good for your budget, and the environment!

LOCATION
- If you plan your wedding for spring or fall, you are already ahead of the game. Having your wedding during a cooler month can cut your air conditioning costs in half.

- Have your ceremony and reception at the same site so your guests do not have to drive from place to place.
- Choose a botanical garden or greenhouse as your venue. Not only are you surrounded by lush natural beauty, but the site fee goes to support the garden.

DECOR
- Use potted plants throughout the ceremony and reception. After your wedding, they can be re-planted near your home as a wonderful reminder of that special day!
- Use local, in-season flowers! This not only cuts down on carbon emission from trucking and shipping, but also saves on energy and water used in greenhouses.
- Use fruit in your centerpieces and to decorate your tables. It is a great way to punch up the color of your decor, and you can donate it to a food bank after the event.
- Donate your flowers so people can continue to enjoy them after your event. If you are in New York or LA, check out Flower Power- http://flowerpowerfoundation.org/.

FOOD
- Like your flowers, try to focus your menu on seasonal local ingredients.
- Work with a caterer who uses organic produce and is committed to sustainable agriculture.
- By serving local wines, you incorporate your setting, and also cut down on carbon costs.
- Most food banks do not except perishable food, but organizations like Second Harvest (http://www.secondharvest.org/how_to_help/donate_food/) will collect the food from the reception and use it to feed the hungry.

FAVORS
- Give away bulbs or wildflower seeds and encourage guests to plant them.
- Make a donation to a charity in the name of each guest rather than giving them something material.
- Include sustainable, eco-friendly products- like bamboo housewares, hemp and soy products, and organic linens- in your registry.

For more great tips and advice, check out Portovert Magazine. http://portovert.com/

Good Day LA

I am in sunny California producing a wedding this weekend. I love it out here- the beautiful beaches, the beautiful people, the sea air! The event is taking place at a private home in Malibu. This is a really special event for me because it is for an old client and I always feel incredibly gratified when people choose to share another of their milestone events with me! The other big news is that while I am here, I am going to stop by Good Day LA (http://www.myfoxla.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox/GoodDay?pageId=5.2)
and give a little presentation on "End of Summer Entertaining". I will be setting up a table and showing some of my new designs tomorrow morning (Friday, September 7th) around 9AM. I hope you guys tune in!

The Dogwood Dog

If you are familiar with my work, you know I love to create floral sculptures! The topiaries I have designed include a lemon leaf elephant, a rose lion, a petal and gold leafed cow, a mini-sunflower pineapple, and my dogwood dog.

This was for an event in the Pool Room at the Four Seasons. We created this sculpture- modeled after the client’s actual dog- to greet guests as they entered the restaurant. If you look closely, you will see an original Pablo Picasso mural on the wall behind the topiary. My idea was to have a guard dog protecting the painting! To make these statues, we have a sculptor create the frame out of Styrofoam and chicken wire. Then the individual dogwood flowers are applied directly to the frame. This is one of the few times when I use silk flowers. Because of the size of the dog (it is four feet tall and almost six feet long), it usually takes about two hours to adorn, in addition to the time it will be on display at the event, so silk makes the production possible. I also love the idea that my clients can keep the sculpture forever as a memento of their event.

Bride-o-rama Video

Thought I would share this interview that I recently did with Bride-o-rama:



You can find more videos and lots of helpful information at http://www.brideorama.com/.