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’Tis the season to entertain, and this year, the area’s most progressive event planners are doing it with unique takes on traditional themes.
By Julia M. Usher
One of the best gifts to give or receive during the holidays is a great party, one where the memory lingers long after the high of seasonal party-hopping wears off. Though enjoyable, the usual stops on the annual circuit—cookie swaps, open houses and tree-trimming events—seldom qualify as remarkable because they are too often hosted in an expected way. Even dressed in seasonal finery, these gatherings garner little more than a quick visit and an obligatory “thank you.”
But don’t fret. Guests won’t think “been there, done that” when they open your invitation this year if you take your cues from these St. Louis-area event planners, who are reinventing established party themes and traditions with unique and timesaving twists.
Josie Littlepage, Certified Special Event Professional (CSEP) and owner of Cosmopolitan Events, suggests throwing a snowball, though not exactly in the literal sense. Her elegant soirée is a textural spin that takes the warm-and-fuzzies out of conventional party décor and replaces it with the cool, contemporary sleekness of ice. And I do mean ice. To start, she greets guests with ice-cold shots of peppermint liqueur served in silver bowls mounded with crushed ice. Center-stage at each table are oversized snow globes—actual ice spheres into which acetate snowflakes and sparkly tree ornaments are frozen. Pearly white oysters topped with crystals of coarse salt shimmer on a nearby ice bar, waiting to be served up on real ice plates. Even the menus, etched on pieces of glass, have the same watery translucence as ice.
“This design contrasts the lush, rich velvets and red and green palette that typically describe most holiday parties,” explains Littlepage. “When one walks in the door, everything says ‘ice.’ When every element—even the food—fits the theme, that’s when a party really stands out.”
Nardi Hobler, CSEP and owner of Party Arts, couldn’t agree more: “If you want to do something out of the ordinary, you must be willing to embrace the whole concept and go for it.” Her twist on the company holiday party does just this. Business suits are retired for the evening, as the dress code requires ski clothes for this Swiss Alps-meets-St. Louis fest. At the front door, shoptalk is suspended by the rousing sounds of Schuhplatter, a Bavarian shoe-slapping dance performed by a lederhosen-clad troupe. Rather than a buffet with predictable selections of beef or fish, all manner of Austrian fare—from bratwurst to spaetzle to springerle—is presented family-style at extra-long tables to encourage mingling among colleagues and general good cheer. Too often, company parties are formal and cold, but Hobler’s plan welcomes guests with the same warmth and conviviality found at a cozy Alpine inn.
Innovative entertaining doesn’t necessarily imply either over-the-top or expensive. Hosting an event out of its usual season can be surprising in and of itself. Take, for instance, the block party—and turn it into an afternoon of skating instead. Secure permission to use the street or find a neighbor with a long, flat driveway to spare. Mark off the party perimeter with live or faux evergreen trees, lay a sheet of synthetic ice for a pond and then build an instant campfire for warming hot chocolate—or chilly toes and hands—by hiding a low-lying grill behind stones gathered from the roadside or yard.
It may sound counterintuitive, but a creative party can be practical and easy, too.
Mary and Amy Allison, the mother-and-daughter event design team at Parties & Props, Ltd., prove it every Thanksgiving. Their unique version of the cookie swap goes well beyond the exchange of sweets.
“Friends and family choose a favorite savory recipe and then bring all the ingredients to prepare and serve it in our home,” explains Mary. The communal cooking fosters holiday spirit and, with the meal in the hands of others, Mary and Amy are free to focus on the eye-catching décor for which they are known best.
A gift-wrap swap is also a perfect way to head off the procrastination and stress that often accompany a lengthy holiday to-do list. Invitations arrive in slim packages tied with bows, instructing partygoers to bring unused ribbons, tags and paper from past holidays as well as any presents to be wrapped. At the party, everyone’s trimmings are tumbled into an enormous gift box; then guests draw numbers to determine the lucky first pick of the lot. Once the trimmings have changed hands, the festivities really begin: guests escape for fun, food and relaxation, while a professional gift-wrapper—hired by the hostess—takes over the wrapping task.
Re-create these clever fêtes in whole or in part, or simply use them as inspiration for a holiday gathering of your own. Either way, your guests will enjoy a refreshing break from the expected party routine—and that is a gift they will treasure and long remember.
