Wow FACTOR y o u k no w y o u ’ v e h o s t e d a s u c c e s s f u l pa rt y w h e n y o u r gu e s t s a r e s t i l l ta l k i ng a b o u t i t f o r weeks to come.
A FARE EXTRAORDINAIRE
To ensure there’s water cooler talk after your shindig, Melissa Krauser of Melissa Krauser Events says it’s important to know your guests and what gets them excited. “Are they foodies who find the latest combinations of ingredients and manner of preparation absolutely entertaining, or are they football fanatics who want good food they can eat easily while they focus on the Superbowl?” she says. “If you can figure out why guests look forward to attending the party, and then deliver that element on a grand scale, wows are assured.” For a recent event she created for TransOcean, Krauser had the opportunity to use elements from the Ocean’s Eleven movie series as inspiration for the look and feel of the company’s FIRST Excellence Awards. Every aspect of the event—from invitations, menus and décor to party activities—was designed to make sure the honorees felt comfortable and had a great time. “Tough guys from around the world were giddy as school girls as they accepted their awards, and their spouses were positively beaming,” Krauser says. There are so many ways you can surprise guests during the party—a big music act, amazing food, beautiful flowers and more—but a great opportunity to go above and beyond lies at the party’s end. Ann Massey, director of catering at Royal Sonesta Houston (which has been picking up a number of the most sought-after annual black tie events since its recent remodel), says she’s a big fan of making the departure experience as special as the arrival. One trend she’s spotted and encourages is little gifts in the valet cars. It can be as simple as bottled water with a personalized or company logo, but a clever token at the end of the night really gets guests’ attention. “I
attended a hotel re-launch party many years ago on the same evening as the finale of ‘Seinfeld,’” she recalls. “The meeting planners and guests were certainly surprised when they picked up their vehicles and a copy of that episode had been taped and duplicated and placed in their car.” Rachael Volz, chair of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation gala in August and owner of A Fare Extraordinaire, says photos are a favorite favor because it reminds guests of how much fun they had. “Have a photographer print and frame photos on site, and as guests leave, have them wrapped with a pretty tag and ribbon as a gift,” she says. Tudor adds that a trending trick of some of the big parties lately is to have a “breakfast at midnight” table at the door as guests leave, so they can pick up coffee and a chicken biscuit on their way out the door.
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her best to introduce them and point it out. “I don’t like to keep couples together,” she says. “I like to mix it up. It makes for a better table.” Between the main course and the dessert, the Tudors ask their male guests to pick up their wine glass and napkin and move to the left two “men’s spots”—so that they are now seated between two new lady guests. “This way, everyone gets two new people to talk to for the last course. It can really liven things up.” At the end of the day, Tudor thinks the most important thing to remember is to take the hostess role seriously. “When we entertain at home and at events, I think it’s impor-
PHOEBE TUDOR SUGGESTS SEPARATING COUPLES AT DINNER PARTIES. “I LIKE TO MIX IT UP. IT MAKES FOR A BETTER TABLE,” SHE SAYS.
THE
Guest List
a pa rt y s i m p l y i s n ’ t a pa rt y w i t h o u t t h e gu e s t s .
Tudor spends a good deal of time putting together a table. She tries to seat people together who might not know each other but have something in common, and does
tant for the host and hostess to greet each guest,” she says. “You don’t have to necessarily plant yourself at the door. But if you’re hosting, you should warmly greet them and tell them good-bye when they leave.” And Eyles reminds hostesses to always stay in character. “Never let them see you sweat,” she quips. “When the air conditioning can’t keep up or when the biscuits end up more like hockey pucks, make sure you can laugh about it. Your guests will remember that you made it a great night and have a fun story to take away.” bayoucitymagazine.com
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