Fete Accompli!: The Ultimate Guide To Creative Entertaining

Throwing a successful party requires a lot more than a well-stocked bar and good music. As public relations experts whose job it is to produce events that make a lasting impression, Lara Shriftman and Elizabeth Harrison know it’s the details that make the difference. Now you, too, can organize any party, for 10 guests or 1,000, on a budget of $50 or $500,000, from creating the concept right down to saying goodbye at the end of the night. Chic tips, creative ideas, irresistible recipes, and all the countless ingredients that make a party sizzle are at your fingertips in this hip and handy guide to becoming an event planner extraordinaire. You’ll find the experts’ best advice on:

Creating a concept and a budget for any kind of party

Choosing the right location, whether you keep it cozy at home, camp out at the beach, or rent a local club

Designing invitations, from classic to kitschy

Setting the mood with lighting, music, flowers, furniture, décor, and all the little touches that make a party extra fab

Stocking a thirst-quenching home bar, whipping up smart cocktails, and thinking of innovative ways to serve it all up in style

Whetting the appetites of your guests, using insider secrets from chefs and tips on how to make fast food sophisticated, with sample menus for classic cocktail parties, luncheons, late-night bashes, and more

Being a flawless host—or guest—with proper etiquette guidelines, gift ideas, Table Setting 101, and the 411 on posing for the camera

Producing a party from beginning to end with colorful case studies and detailed instructions for eight fierce fêtes, such as a Hamptons-style clambake, a Barbie theme party, an Indian dinner on a $200 budget, and a mani-pedi party

Re-creating our favorite drinks and dishes from the best restaurants and bars all over the world, like Nobu, Asia de Cuba, Trader Vic’s, Bungalow 8, the Delano Hotel, and Indochine

Getting what you need. There’s a complete resource guide in the back, not to mention savvy tips from Puff Daddy, Russell Simmons, Lara Flynn Boyle, David Copperfield, Hugh Jackman, and Donald Trump.

Lara Shriftman and Elizabeth Harrison are principals of the public relations, special events, and marketing firm Harrison & Shriftman, whose A-list events have included film premieres for Charlie’s Angels, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and The Grinch, charity benefits, hotel and store openings, and product launches.

Karen Robinovitz covers the champagne circuit for Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Elle, the New York Times, and other publications.