Written By Kimberly Liddick-Byrnes
You know it as soon as you enter the front door. You are embraced by a warm and homey feeling, the scent of cinnamon and peppermint linger.
Friends are quietly laughing and enjoying the subtle piano music coming from the corner. They are holding plates full of delicious looking food and sipping from beautiful crystal glasses.
Festive colors and patterns accented with glitter adorn the mantles and a large bouquet of red Irises and white roses bring life to the perfectly set dinner table.
The hostess welcomes you, takes your coat and invites you in to warm up by the fire. As soon as you enter you know this is going to be a good party.
According to some of Carroll County’s prime party people, with a little advanced planning and creative thinking, anyone can pull together an elegant gathering that is both sophisticated and comfortable.
Carol Cahill is a party planner and owner of The Main Event party supply store in Mt. Airy. She has helped clients plan hundreds of parties from weddings to corporate galas. She says the most important component of a successful party is planning.
“There is so much to consider when preparing for an event,” she said. “Thinking through the logistics and considering the needs of the guests will alleviate much of the stress of hosting.”
Cahill recommends starting with the guest list and invitations. Determine who will be on the guest list; is it for coworkers, neighbors, family or friends? Planning the atmosphere around the crowd you will have is crucial.
The Invitation
A good invitation will get your guests excited before they even arrive. Whether it’s something fun like a puzzle that your guests have to put together, or something elegant like custom flower-pressed paper with handwritten calligraphy, the invitation not only sets the tone of the event, but should indicate how formal it is so that guests know how to dress and what to bring.
Sykesville-based interior decorator Corrine Zwiselsberger believes that “a great invitation helps set the mood.” Owner of Creations by Corrine, LLC, Zwiselsberger suggests a creative approach. For example, she said, she has seen an invitation printed on a balloon that the recipient must blow up.
“A holiday party invitation is something that you should consider sending in the mail,” she said. “It should be special, set the tone and have a personal touch.”
She also suggests avoiding “regrets only.” She says that requesting RSVPs will help with the planning, “especially if you’re have having a sit down dinner, you will want to know exactly how many are coming.”
The Atmosphere
People may not remember what food was served at an event or if there was a centerpiece on the table, but they will remember how they felt. They will remember feeling welcomed and relaxed, warm and comfortable, pampered and special.
Westminster residents Jenny Teeter and her husband Frank Baylor often host dinner parties and other gatherings. According to Teeter, home cooked meals are a rarity these days and she and her husband enjoy the feeling of having small, intimate gatherings with close friends who appreciate a delicious meal and good wine.
“We enjoy small, casual gatherings,” said Teeter. “It is important that the setting be comfortable so that people feel at ease. Music sets the mood, but the table setting can make your guests feel like the treasured friends they are. I love to set a beautiful table that is special but not so fussy that people are afraid to use it.”
Cahill said that once the larger elements have been decided, such as what parts of the house will be used, whether the party will be indoor or outdoor, formal or informal, catered or home cooked; then you can start managing the details.
“You want continuity of theme throughout.” said Cahill. “Repetition of colors, shapes and patterns make it look organized and festive. For some, part of the joy in holiday hosting is the decorating.”
According to Zwiselsberger, engaging the senses is a great way to create atmosphere. She suggests playing music appropriate for the crowd.
“Involving all of the senses really sets the tone of the evening,” she said. “Hire someone to play the piano in the corner or put the radio on. Put some potpourri on the stove, dim the lights, have the fireplace going. If you don’t have a working fireplace, then put candles in the fireplace to set the mood and make it a focal point.”
One thing people forget is the bathroom, said Cahill. Make sure your facilities will accommodate the size of the group you’re hosting. The bathroom should make the guests feel pampered, said Zwiselberger. It should smell good, perhaps have lit candles, and offer ample soap and towels.
Cahill believes that one of the biggest responsibilities or tasks during the event is making sure someone is checking the supply of food and drinks and picking up trash.
“If you are hosting a larger party, even 30-40 people, consider hiring some help to keep things moving,” said Cahill. “It’s hard to make sure your guests’ needs are attended to and be a hostess, too.”
The Decor
It is the holiday season. You have a green light to go crazy with color, texture and all the bling. Dcor will add the spice that distinguishes a holiday party. People usually enjoy the glitter and metallics and vibrant colors that harmonize with the season. With a little direction, your dcor can add spirit to a small dinner party or a large family affair.
Zwiselsberger believes that formal holiday gatherings are the ideal time to bring out the fine china and crystal. She recommends using your best linens and dishes to make the event special. And she says that setting the table at least a day ahead of time can help avoid the last-minute stress of making sure everything is where it belongs.
“I set my table days ahead of time,” said Zwiselsberger. “I just love to look at it. You should keep in mind who you want to sit where and remember that you want guests to be able to see across the table. And I always like to put a little something special out for each person to add a personal touch and make the guests feel special.”
Zwiselsberger said that small and inexpensive gifts or favors might include a Christmas ball with someone’s name written on it in permanent marker, or a small vase with a fresh cut flower. She added that the ornament with the name can also serve as a place marker.
More and more people are getting away from using the traditional colors of red and green for the holidays, said Zwiselsberger. People are starting to choose other festive colors and decorating on the basis of colors that they have in their homes.
“When you decorate,” she said, “You don’t have to use the colors of Christmas, just colors that are festive and special to you.”
According to Zwiselsberger, it is not necessary to have fine china, silver or crystal to produce an elegant table setting. She says she will often use different colored wine glasses so that everyone knows which glass is theirs.
“I do have an eclectic mix of serving pieces,” said Zwiselberger. “And sometimes it’s nice to mix and match and put things together that still look beautiful. Even using plain white china can be nice when accented with larger dishes and festive colors. And layering dishes allows you to create a pattern and texture on the table.”
In keeping with the idea of catering to the senses, Zwiselsberger recommends using floral arrangements that are fresh and unique and add fragrance. She says she will often cut some greens from her yard on the day of the party so that they are fragrant and vibrant.
The Food
Food is the centerpiece of any good party. If the food is good and plentiful, the guests will generally be happy. The holidays are a fantastic time to experiment with new recipes and make foods that look as amazing as they taste.
“My husband and I both enjoy cooking and entertaining,” said Jenny Teeter. “It all starts with the process of selecting great ingredients. We select the best fresh local produce, and then select our recipe. The entire time I’m walking through the market I’m envisioning what a plate will look like on the table and trying to pair the right combinations.”
Cahill says that you don’t have to hire a caterer in order to impress your guests with food. Preparing the dishes in-house just requires some good planning and perhaps some precooking. Some of the nicest parties, she said, are the ones that are laid back and where everyone brings a dish.
“More and more people are getting back to the basics. A lot of people are not having lavish parties to show off, they are having parties more to enjoy the company,” she said.
Teeter agrees that hosts shouldn’t be shy about taking guests up on their offer to contribute to the meal. “It’s easy,” she said, “to bring a bottle of wine, an appetizer or dessert. It relieves the hosts of the burden of cooking the whole meal.”
Cahill cautions that it is extremely important to make sure you have enough food and drinks. Not having enough can really ruin a party.
“I’m from the Julia Child school of cooking, said Teeter. “Have fun, let fresh, high quality ingredients drive the menu, experiment, involve your guests, and most of all enjoy being with your friends and family.”
Hosting an elegant holiday party involves planning and some work, but even the novice can impress her guests by focusing on a few key items. Zwiselsberger advises not to stress over everything, pick a few things and do them really well. By focusing on the invitation, the atmosphere, dcor and food, you too can have guests who think, the minute they walk in the door, “This is going to be a good party.”
