Read an Excerpt
Party Confidential
By Lara Shriftman Elizabeth Harrison BULFINCH PRESS
Copyright © 2006 Lara Shriftman and Elizabeth Harrison
All right reserved. ISBN: 0-821-25780-3
Introduction
It's your best friend's birthday and you want to throw something fabulous, chic, and out of the ordinary. Another wine and cheese party? Blah. Backyard barbecue? Nothing new there. All of a sudden it becomes too much money, too much planning, and way too much stress. Just the thought of throwing a party is enough to send people into a complete panic. They moan about cost, what to serve, how to decorate, and, omigod, what to do. We're here to put these fears to rest and show you that throwing fantastic parties is fun, easy, and doable on any budget. As experts with thousands of events to our names, we're here to demystify the party-planning process. We designed
Party Confidential to show you how we plan parties, from beginning to end. Packed with imaginative tips and ideas, this book is written for anyone from the age of eight to eighty, with budgets ranging from fifty to five hundred thousand dollars. You don't have to be Sean "Diddy" Combs to throw a smashing soiree!
Our first books, Fête Accompli! The Ultimate Guide to Creative Entertaining and the accompanying workbook The Ultimate Party Planning Guide, were created as textbooks to teach you the art of entertaining. In this book we offer visual inspiration that will help you plan new and unique parties and encourage you to think outside the box. Instead of throwinga traditional birthday celebration, make the occasion a sugar party or a fabulous disco bash! We selected ten of our favorite concepts to get you inspired, including a nightclub party introducing Paris Hilton's perfume, a shopping party at a boutique, an authentic Indian feast, an organic dinner, and a casual afternoon dog party.
Each of the ten chapters features a different concept and outlines each element in detail: the invite, location, menu, sound, décor, lighting, flowers, and gift bags. You can splurge and do it like we did or steal the idea and make it your own for a lot less money. Can't afford thirty kickboard invitations for your pool party? No problem; make a splash with beach balls or bottles of suntan oil. Ultimately, it's about making a unique statement; we just provide you with the suggestions and tools to go out and make it happen. You can take as much or as little from each concept and apply your own twist. Realize that for every one idea there are a million options!
In addition to our step-by-step party guide, we dedicate an entire section to food-and-drink recipes from the caterers that did our events, celebrities, and yummy restaurants such as Mr. Chow, the Forge, Pop Burger, and the infamous nightclub Privé. Some recipes were served at our parties, others are suggestions just for you. For when you get down to the nitty-gritty of spending your hard-earned bucks on decorations and more, we've put together a comprehensive resource guide to help you purchase everything from customized invitations to vintage serving platters. The book features our top ten no-fail party tips as well as info on how to give a great toast, plan a budget, and turn any party into a fund-raiser. We even asked our better-known friends for their advice. You'll find fabulous words of party wisdom from pros like David Arquette, Lara Flynn Boyle, Billy Bob Thornton, Molly Sims, and Luke Wilson.
So what are you waiting for? Let's get this party started!
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Excerpted from Party Confidential by Lara Shriftman Elizabeth Harrison Copyright © 2006 by Lara Shriftman and Elizabeth Harrison. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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