The Art of the Party

Rating:
Summary: Breath-taking Settings
Review: If you've ever wondered what a beautiful New York charity bash looks like, this is the book for you. Filled with wonderful full-color pictures, each function looks better than the next. A sample party would feature nine-foot-high floral sprays with roses and orchids, gorgeous streamers of taffeta or velvet to the ceiling, and spectacular table settings. Very inspiring!

Rating:
Summary: Stunning Settings for Glamorous Parties
Review: Renny Reynolds is a true artist who was trained as a landscape architect. His party-design firm has been featured in Bon Appetit and House Beautiful. He has designed more than 2,500 events. Elaine Louie is known for her "Currents" column in the New York Times and Edward Addeo is a New York photographer whose work appears in Vogue, New York Times Magazine and in the book Cherished Objects.

Together, they have created a luxurious feast for the eyes. Not only are there ideas one could only imagine in your most exotic culinary setting dreams, there are a few ideas for intimate parties you could actually reproduce in your own home or outdoors in your favorite setting. Whether you are seeking ideas for an extraordinarily expensive fundraiser or a meeting that speaks of a casual elegance, you will find ideas that will inspire you and encourage you to create a very memorable setting.

Some fabulous party ideas include:

A Night in the Stars - A canopy of lights was created with white Christmas tree lights. The entire scene looks like it is floating out in some magical galaxy. You could probably recreate this on a smaller scale with tiny lights. I adored this idea. Imagine actually attending such a function. A must-see picture!

Down-Home Dinner - Firelight and candles in an eighteenth-century stone house. The idea is comforting and if you have a fireplace, you could recreate this at home.

Beauty and the Beast - ideas for decorating your home for romance.

Summer Poolside Lunch - now this anyone can achieve. Simply pack a picnic lunch and bring vases of flowers and colorful napkins.

The highlight of many of these parties seems to be the candlelight. At least, that was what I noticed the most. Candles around bowls filled with peach flowers, candles in wine glasses or hundreds of votive candles surrounding pools, candles flickering in glass bowls swaying overhead in a tent. I mean, if you love candles, you are going to find unique ideas in this book.

The more expensive ideas include dinners for hundreds of guests. The settings are places like the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan, Lincoln Center, the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City and the Four Seasons, Manhattan. One of the most beautiful pictures was taken in the New York Public Library. There is a vast dome over the tables that is glowing in a soft lavender light. The chairs are gold, the tablecloths have a golden/pink sheen to them and towering vases of flowers are overflowing with lavender delphinium, white dendrobium orchids, pink lilies, purple lilacs and spiky golden eremuirus. Apparently the entire area was highly scented with lilac branches and the goal was to make everyone feel like they were actually outside in nature.

Whether you are planning a wedding, intimate brunch, a dinner party or an indoor beach party, you will find ideas that your guests will never forget. A highly memorable book of spectacular party ideas.

~TheRebeccaReview.com