Event Series III: The Bossa Nova Lounge

So I'd like to start off by stating that this was my first ever attempt at a party. This was probably four years ago, so I forget what the menu was and what rentals we got. But do not fret! Even though I have forgotten some things, there are still tips and advice I can share.

Description: A surprise anniversary cocktail party

People: 70

Drinks: Vitamin water, Fiji water, wine, jungle juice, bahama mama, mai tai

Playlist: Don Tiki, Martin Denny, Astrud Gilberto, Elis Regina, Nouvelle Vague, Nicola Conte, Jet Society Album.

So as you can tell by the title, this cocktail party had a Bossa Nova feel to it. Think 1960's, Sean Connery as James Bond. It was in the dead of winter, and we wanted everyone to feel like they were on vaction somewhere tropical. We didn't do this by turning up the heat. With that many bodies, we didn't need to. We bought as many tropical leaves as we could get our hands on. They are quite cheap and available all year round. We also rented goldfish. Yes, you can rent goldfish! Leave it to my lovely sister-in-law to figure that one out. It definitely added life and colour. We placed them up at the bar (pictured above) because you know everyone will make multiple trips there throughout the night. And because it was a surprise, we gave the party a code name: Operation Goldfish. There was a large flat screen TV on the wall, on which we played Thunderball and Dr. No.

One major part of this night was the "Girl Drink Menu." Let's be honest, tropical drinks are girl drinks. And well, in our house we don't drink them. So it was a bit of a challenge choosing three fun drinks that we could pre-make and serve on the night of the party. It would be so simple that all the bartenders would need to do is pour and garnish with fruit and an umbrella. My husband was in charge of this. When he set out to find the perfect recipes, guess who got to be his guinea pig? Me. Oh dear. I had the biggest sugar rush of my life. But in the end, we had three perfect drinks. And to save the bartenders from repeating themselves on what was available, I made them a drink menu (pictured below).

Since this was top secret, we hired two helpers. That way there were people to greet the guests, give them directions on what to do, and even help with lighting the candles. The night just wouldn't have been as fun without their help.
  

Though the size of the gathering was large, our stealth execution resulted in a couple who were taken completely by surprise! So, as they say in the world of spies and covert operations: mission accomplished.

Cheers!
Carlson...Charysse Carlson

Event Series II: The Italian Family Dinner

So I'd like to say right off the bat, that this was probably one of the most fabulous nights I've ever had. It was relaxed, comfortable and over the top.

Description: A cozy Italian anniversary dinner.

People: 6

Rentals: Crystal Chiavari chairs x 6, round table with linen, champagne bucket with stand, flight glasses x 3 dozen.

Menu: Italian terrino (pictured below), Radish salad, truffled risotto, seafood mancotti, tira misu.

Drinks: Prosecco, white wine, red wine, pelligrino, grappa.

Playlist: Louis Prima, Bobby Darin, Dean Martin, Nino Rota, Harry Connick Jr, Tony Bennett, Pavarotti, Ezio Pinza, Pink Martini, Nine (OST), The Lost Fingers (Lost in the 80's album).

I've never been a fan of taking a couple out for dinner on really special occasions. The effort just isn't there, and sometimes they'll put you in a "Special Private Room" but really when you think about it, that takes away from any ambiance, and well I find it sort of boring. This is why planning dinner parties can be so much fun. You have control over everything and most importantly your night will not be ruined by bad service.

The first, and only, problem we had, was having the room for an actual sit down dinner (it's hard to come by in 640 square feet). To solve this problem, we made our bedroom into a dinning room. There were two advantages to this: 1) we had a perfect light fixture above the table as a focal point; and 2) it was on a dimmer switch which added to the mood lighting.

The idea behind this night was a sit down dinner with different courses accompanied with wine flights. I got asked a lot what wine flights are and how they work. Well here it goes:  A wine flight is basically a wine tasting. Wine flight glasses are smaller in size. So with each course that came out, we would bring out fresh new flight glasses and a new bottle on a silver tray (pictured below) that was to compliment the course you were eating. You don't need to buy uber expensive wine. It tastes good because you're making it special. And of course we didn't forget to pair something with dessert! Grappa. Ah, good ol' grappa. We made a little video of each person saying something in Italian then shooting the grappa. This may sound strange, but this was the best part of the whole night.

When it got dark enough, we put on our projector and played La Dolce Vita. That movie was our inspiration. Because I'm a graphic designer, I always need to do something extra to make it special. I did up menu's of six different scenes from Italy (Florence pictured below). Another thing that makes it special is dressing the part. I don't understand people who don't like dressing up. I find any reason to do it. It really adds to the feel of the night. My husband put on his black skinny tie and Valentino suit. He looked like it could have been 1962 on the Via Veneto

The most important thing of the night, of course, is the company. The night just wouldn't have been the same without them. Amo la mia famiglia!

Ciao,

Charysse

Event Series I: The French High Tea

Description: A French Afternoon Tea / Baby Shower

People: 40

Rentals: High top tables x 2, small round tables x 4 with appropriate linens, white folding chairs x 16, champagne flutes x 4 dozen, 3 tier plate stands with plates x 4, tea cups and saucers x 4 dozen, plates x 4 dozen.

Food: Tea sandwiches, cheese and meat platter, truffles, scones with devonshire cream and jam, lemon tarts, cookie cups with mousse and fruit, shortbread, profiterole's, mini fruit tarts.

Drinks: Four types of tea with the choice of adding booze to one (Cream Earl Grey, Tropical Green, Blueberry, Mocha Rooibos). We also had a Signature drink which we named a Kir Royal (not to be mistaken with Kir Royale). My baby niece's name is Royal:)

Playlist: Brigitte Bardot, Gotan Project, Serge Gainsbourg, Nouvelle Vague, Ella Fitzgerald, France Gall, Eartha Kitt, Charles Trenet and Edith Piaf.

We wanted to create a cozy feminine feel. We pulled out all of my mum's bone china tea cups and put roses in each one. We also pulled out all her silver and polished it all up with Wenol (which is actually quite time consuming - so make sure to do it a couple days before). We bought so many roses we were stuffing them in teapots and anything we could think of (Costco flowers are ridiculously cheap, but only last max two days - perfect for the occasion). 

Another thing that helps in a larger group is name tags for champagne glasses. It's really frustrating when you stand at a hightop table and lose your glass. Then you proceed to hold up each glass to try and match your lipstick to the glass. So to stop the confusion I made name tags for each person and tied them with a silk ribbon around each glass.

For the tea sandwiches we had four different types, and cut them into different shapes so everyone could differentiate. I also created a legend so they would know what they are eating, as pictured below:

When planning a party, I find having two planners is the perfect number. This, in the long run, helps you to relax and actually enjoy the party. Better yet, hiring a teenager or close friend you know as well, to serve and do a bit of the grunt work is well worth the money. Why go through all this work and not enjoy the fruits of your labour? If you plan well, I truly believe you can enjoy your party and still be that hospitable host everyone knows you to be. No one can enjoy themselves if you look stressed out. So grab a glass of bubbly and work the room.

Cheers,
Charysse