Celebrate!

heres no doubt about it. En-
tertaining, or throwing a par-
ty, is an art. Elements like
medium, composition, color
and message or theme are crucial to
achieving success.
While there are those who are merely
good at it, there are others who excel.
They just knowwhat works and what
doesn't — what is an appropriate
theme, which foods go with which and
how everything ties together to create a
mood and look. These lucky few can
teach us a few things.

Divide entertaining into a few major
ing experience that is special and
segments, like style, food and ambiance,
unique.
and the trends become more apparent.
Florine Halpern, owner of Amaryllis
Style, or more accurately, per-
Catering in Birmingham, special-
sonal style, is the way you, as an ANNABEL COHEN izes in interpreting her clients'
SPECIAL TO THE styles into parties — from menus
individual, approach entertain-
JEWISH NEWS
ing. A very casual person for
to table settings — that are as indi-
PHOTO BY
example, may not be comfort-
vidual as the people themselves.
DANIEL LIPPITT
able hosting a fancy black-tie
"We meet with people in their
evening. That's not to say that the casual
homes and select what best reflects
party can't be elegant, but the style of
their own sense of style. Once they real-
entertaining is less structured and less
ize what type of entertainers they are,
formal.
the rest just falls into place," says Ms.
Every style can result in an entertain-
Halpern.

Kathleen O'Neill, co-owner of
Canape Cart of Ferndale, agrees. "To
force a host or hostess to entertain a cer-
tain way he or she may not feel comfort-
able with is certainly not good for you or
your client," she says. "You have to
know yourself, what you like, what you
don't like, and go from there. If you're
the kind of person who likes a chair for
each and every body, you will not be
happy with a stand-up buffet. Period."
A party planner can help refine a per-
sonal style or theme and turn it into a
party. DeeDee Hoffman, a Farmington