The Art of the Party

I’ve been known in my time to throw some pretty swell parties. Everything from a surreal Dalí dinner, to Opera Galas, and of course a plethora of children’s birthdays, New Year’s Eve parties, and for many, many years the annual Valentine’s lonely hearts club dinner.

In my humble opinion, there is one ingredient that every great party must have, the secret sauce if you will; and it doesn’t matter if it is a grand soiree or a picnic, the party must have this. By the way it also doesn’t matter how much money you throw at a party, if it doesn’t have this, then it will just be a gathering of people.

The ingredient: caring. You must care. You must put yourself out there. The best of you, simple or grand, it doesn’t matter. Caring comes from the heart, all your decisions for a party will be imbued with gentle love. It is also primordial that you want to celebrate and share your creative bounty with others. Caring is about details.

Everything that has to come together for your party must be well thought out, this doesn’t mean over-planning and perfection...if you’ve ever been a guest at one of those parties demanding perfection, all you want to do is leave, the vibes are simply not there. It’s what I call a “pushy” party. Boring. However, when you attend a party where the host or hostess’s personality shines through and they are sharing their favorite things with you, they are introducing you to new experiences and foods, and they are allowing you to see their inner creative spark, then the party is a joy.

Think back for a moment to some of the best parties you have been to? What made them special? Wouldn’t you agree then, that the secret of the art of the party is indeed caring.