Don Ernstein, the author of The Complete Party Book: How to Plan, Host, and Enjoy Your Party From Conception to Conclusion, joins host Heidi Bohay to demonstrate how to create a memorable dinner party. Ernstein is the owner of a Los Angeles catering company called Wonderful Parties, Wonderful Foods, and he loves the opportunity to serve the foods he has carefully and creatively prepared with his own personal style. He assures us that hosting a dinner party is easy to accomplish and is the perfect way to bring old and new friends together in a festive atmosphere. Setting the stage for a dinner party and accommodating more guests than your dining room allows can be challenging, but Ernstein shows us how to easily expand dining space. His dining area opens into the living room (figure A), so after separating the sofas and removing the cocktail tables, he transforms the space into a second dining room. To encourage unity among your guests while they dine, it is essential to maintain visual contact between the two groups. Connected in this manner, conversation between the two tables is possible. Party at Home host Heidi Bohay asks Ernstein to highlight the features of his dining space and to suggest some helpful hints for creating an inviting table that will leave a lasting impression on the guests: - Table decorations can be created from objects around your house. The centerpiece on the living-room table is a combination of Ernstein's collection of crystal finials and apothecary jars filled with cheerful yellow flowers (figure B). Votive candles shine prismatic light through the crystal and glass, creating a warm and comfortable environment in which to dine. Ernstein notes that the arrangement is less than a foot high. This allows guests on opposite sides of the table to see one another.
- To designate seating arrangements, Ernstein favors using oversized place cards written on both sides so the names can be seen and remembered by all guests around the table (figure C).
- To accommodate the 11 guests invited to his party, Ernstein rented the table, tablecloths and chairs for the living room. He uses his own flatware and accents his platinum dishes with classic black napkins (figure D). Don't be afraid to mix and match your accessories, he advises, and rent only what you need to keep costs at a minimum.
- Ernstein uses two tablecloths to add an elegant touch to the table. He gathers the top cloth in three places and secures it with metallic-gold wired ribbon tied in a bow (figure E).
- The dining room table is more eclectic, with multicolored plates and a greater variety of flowers of different hues (figure F). Ernstein coordinates the two rooms with more crystal finials and votive candles, and carries the glass theme over to the flower vases. He also uses the bright yellow color to pull the two dining areas together. A combination of color on the table is fun and nonthreatening, he says, and allows for many decorating possibilities.
Quick Tip: The absence of ashtrays at your party will help encourage smokers to step outside. Resources: The Complete Party Book: How to Plan, Host, and Enjoy Your Party From Conception to Conclusion (out of print)
By Deborah Sroloff
Photography by Don Ernstein Guest: Don Ernstein
Author/Photographer
Mr. Ernstein's information is private.
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