Throw a Fun and Stylish Holiday Party
By Lara Vaienti
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Holiday party before the guests
photo courtesy Kene Sperry
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Calm down now, there’s no need to press the panic button, yet. Perhaps you expect 30 people at your table for Thanksgiving dinner and then another five relatives from New Hampshire fly in at the very last moment. So what? Whether you are anxious or serene, realize that many people are available to help you .
Just grab the Yellow Pages, and go to the “P” letter. No, don’t look under the word “psychiatrist.” Scan under “party planners,” aka “P” as in party, “P” for planning on time, “P” for peace. The difference between peace of mind and panic consists only in some smart moves made ahead of the time.
When it comes to having a big luscious dinner, complete with candles, flowers, festive napkins, and tablecloths, make it easy on yourself by calling on experienced party planners or suppliers.
Everybody will have their own chair, all the chairs will be of the same height, all the dishes the same size, and the forks will be forks and not spoons—and all in the same style! No more quarrels among the kids who want their own table separated from the adults with their own decorations and the right to play in between the mashed potatoes and the pumpkin pie. They will have their own on-theme table; perhaps they will make wreaths or play with the balloons and the trumpets you will find at a party-rentals shop. No more skipping of the pre-holiday’s intensive work-out at the gym to lose pounds before you gain them. You are free to sit on your yoga mat, while a myriad of people with the best sense of how your house and table should be decorated to impress your guests are at work, like a super-efficient and indefatigable colony of ants.
Those in the party business know that an elegant event begins long before the guests arrive. They have based their reputations on the principle of masterful planning. Stacey Alexander, manager of Paradise Custom Weddings in Bozeman, says “Our focused attention on details and our commitment to complete client satisfaction have earned repeat customers and ongoing referrals. We offer a full range of services for events large and small and take pride in creating impressive events that are stylish, chic, and fun. From concept to completion, we attend to every detail so that you can relax during the event and enjoy your guests.”
To party planners, creativity is key to making a customized, memorable party. “Every job I take on I view as a new creative endeavor,” says Anita Pagliaro, an innovative, resourceful party planner headquartered in Livingston. “I work exclusively on private properties designing site-specific installations for each situation. Indigenous materials are used to enhance the natural beauty of spectacular settings and minimize the impact to the environment,” says Pagliaro. “Over the years I have worked with one client on many of his company Christmas parties,” she recounts. “This client is adventurous in choosing alternative locations (such as barns, warehouses) and also in suggesting clever themes. I am left alone then to make it happen. It’s always a challenge and always fun.”
Pagliaro, who has been in the business since the 1980s, advises potential customers, “Make your wishes, needs, parameters clear, but then leave the planner alone. Don’t try to micromanage.”
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Plate settings for the holiday season
photo courtesy by Melanie Nashan
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“It’s great to work with Anita,” says Jill Redmon owner of Party Rentals in Bozeman and Livingston. Party Rentals works with clients, such as Pagliaro, who may rent the varied items for throwing your party. There’s an important distinction here to underline,” says Redmon. “We are not event coordinators. We supply event coordinators with all sorts of equipment they may need. We work with clients to choose the correct chairs, linens, china, glassware, vases, and other decorations for their event. We also are fortunate to work with a fabulous group of florists, caterers, photographers, and related vendors,” explains Redmon. “All these resources allow us to help clients find the appropriate specialists to ensure their event is a success.”
The distinction Redmon makes between party planners (or event coordinators) and party rental companies is fundamental for people to understand. If you want some skilled people to organize your New Year’s party for 100 people and you don’t want to lift a finger to organize it other than dialing a phone number, look for event coordinators. On the other hand, party rental staff will make installations throughout the state and give you all the contacts you need (the music, the caterer, the florist, the inflatables, the trumpets and the hats) but won’t come to your house to see which candles you should put at the center of your dinner table.
As Shawna Kleven, manager of the Montana Party Time in Missoula, says “We are a rental company that rents out tents, tables, chairs, china, glassware, flatware, linens and wedding decor. Customers (event planners) will call us with their needs and then we’ll deliver the equipment to their desired location. I will, however, assist a customer in selecting of equipment that I feel is important to the overall success of their event.”
When to call under the “P” letter is a good question to consider. If you call as soon as possible, you can rely on the planner to help you make choices without rushing. Pagliaro says, “Short notice works too, because then there’s less time to worry and rethink details. It is also rewarding to realize the vision quickly.”
When it comes to Thanksgiving though, you should know that choosing a menu should be an early November task, especially if you want a fresh turkey. Talk about your menu ideas with your party planner (they work with food caterers for a reason) at least a month ahead of the event, be it Thanksgiving or Christmas or New Year’s Eve. While Thanksgiving and Christmas festivities are more traditional, the mood on New Year’s Eve is utterly festive and playful, providing the perfect occasion for a lively, diverse menu and decorations. Start, for example, with colorful, fruity champagne drinks or virgin cocktails, then let your guests choose from a buffet that juxtaposes dishes of Asian and European origin.
While party rental businesses find who and what you need to set up your party from A to Z, you may also want to send out invitations and use place cards. A solution to this fundamental party detail exists too.
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Plate settings for the holiday season
photo courtesy by Melanie Nashan |
“There are all kinds of invitations, from custom to inexpensive fill-in,” says Julie Collins of Paper Route, set in Belgrade. “I mostly do custom holiday work, in which I design the invitation and help the customer to choose the paper. For some parties people might want the invitation, menu card, and place card. For other parties I may just do place cards. But everything I do is unique and customized to each person and event,” explains Collins. “Also, the possibilities with the papers are almost endless; the only limit is the customer’s imagination.”
Whether you usher in the New Year with the pop of a champagne cork or with a somewhat less ebullient beverage, the right party plannerwill help you plan an imaginative and beautiful party while you smile serenely on. “In the end, expectations are met and exceeded,” concludes Pagliaro.
So relax, sit back, and remember you can’t crack open the champagne bottle before everyone’s there.
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