With the holidays right around the corner, it’s time to start planning your parties & luckily, celeb party planner, Edward Perotti, shared his hacks for throwing an easy & affordable event!
There is so much to look forward to this holiday season and if you’re thinking of hosting an epic party, then you’re in luck because party planner to the stars, Edward Perotti, shared his tips and tricks for throwing an epic party, with HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. Edward has worked with many A-list celebrities including Nick Jonas and Ariana Grande, which he revealed, “Both events were to celebrate Halloween and they each performed during the events, as well. The concepts were all mine – of course, they and the teams had input, but in the end, the final design was all EP.”
Edward shared his top affordable and hassle-free décor and hosting hacks for the ultimate holiday party, revealing, “When it comes to hosting hacks or tricks for home entertaining, I am all about leveraging what you have and re-imagining it for a different event. There seems to be an ongoing discussion as to when you should set up your holiday décor. I am old school, and I won’t do it until after Thanksgiving. I want to enjoy the fall, and the reason for the Thanksgiving celebration. In today’s climate especially, it’s important to remember that Thanksgiving came from two opposite groups of people coming together at a table of mutual respect. So, I personally want to honor the spirit of community, family, and friendship before the snowflakes appear. With that said, you certainly can do a crossover among the holidays. How about all winter white décor, with a collection of antlers, white hydrangeas, candles, and white pumpkins mixed with lightly browned maple leaves? Pretty gorgeous, right? Then after the Thanksgiving holiday, simply remove the pumpkins and leaves and replace them with frosted large pinecones and pine tree branches…instant holiday (and fast)!”
As for three of Edward’s tried-and-true tips for hosting, “1. Have a plan, don’t fly by the seat of your pants and toss an event together at the last minute. It will show, and the event you’re hosting is for your guests – so show them you care by planning properly. 2. It’s all in the details. Think about the story you want to tell or the emotion you want to evoke. Write it down, then return to tip #1. 3. Don’t follow the trends or designs you see in magazines. Use them as inspiration, but put your own spin on it, use your own voice. No one will (including myself) ever be able to 100% recreate a photo – that was a moment in time. Use it to launch and inspire your own creative juices.”
Some easy and free ways to host a holiday party with what you already have, Edward shares, “Regarding décor, I love digging through the closest, the basement, the garage to see what has been boxed, buried or forgotten. As an example, I recently found a small old metal birdcage in my friend’s basement. I took it apart and I am using the sides as the charger for a country-inspired dinner table. Look around your house, I guarantee you’ll find some things that you have forgotten. With a little imagination and a good cleaning, they can give your party a great conversation piece.”
His top five tips for hosting a party – whether it be a holiday party or any party, Edward revealed, “I am going to start by saying that there is no real difference in hosting a holiday party or any party. The challenge for most is to realize that they are the hostess or host – and that role comes with responsibilities. The largest, of course, is that your guests have the most enjoyable, memorable time, and when they reminisce, they look back on the party and you fondly. Now I know that sounds like a ton of pressure. It isn’t. The trick is to just be you. Design all aspects of the event with your tastes and your style in mind. You are inviting people to YOUR event, you need to be woven into it (in spirit). Have a diverse invitation list. Create an environment where each person can bring a different point of view, in any way. You are hosting an event for people to interact – there is nothing worse than when no one connects. Lastly, think about what you can do to create a ‘moment to remember.’ It can be as simple as having everyone bring items so that over cocktails, you can all make shelter gifts for rescue dogs and cats. Or everyone brings a picture of the oldest relative they knew and then tells a story about them. Once again, you want people to connect. Once you do that, you will be known as a great host.”
Edward’s final piece of advice, “My only other advice would be to have fun. Don’t be intimidated. Enjoy the process of planning and hosting, and never forget to inject you into your event.”