While we love to create lavish, detailed and stunning affairs, there is another side to perfect hospitality.   Sometimes, creating something extraordinary can be really simple.

Case in point:  Last winter, Sara and I spent hours on fabric row playing with all sorts of beautiful material and notions as we were styling some of our upcoming celebrations.  After all the creating was complete, we had some fabric left over.  We decided to  very easy napkins out of our extra fabric to show you how simple it is to make a table extraordinary.  All the placesettings and accessories are pieces that came straight out of our kitchen cabinets.  The flowers came from my yard.   But the looks are truly special.

Geek Chic (As Maggie likes to call it!)

This napkin was super-simple to make. Just a simple swiss dot, cotton fabric, cut into squares and sewn back-to-back.

An easy summer picnic

We just tied together some flowers cut from my yard and threw them in a wood salad bowl. The effect was lovely!

Again, creating the napkin couldn't have been easier!

Breakfast at the Piazza

We thought it would be fun to just bring some things from the kitchen and set them up at the market tables under yellow umbrellas at the Piazza.   Nothing unusual going on here — except the homemade napkins.   But it really looks really special! What a lovely way to start a Sunday morning, eh?

Here, we simply used a contrasting fabric for the reverse side.

It’s hot.   Really really hot.  So hot that no one can speak an intelligible sentence about anything that doesn’t include the words “heat, oppressive, humidity or TURN UP THE DAMN A/C!!”

Aside from the beach (or the “shore,” depending on where you reside), there really are some wonderful things that only happen when the temperature rises above the tolerable. So, rather than dwell on the heat, let’s focus on the great things about summer and how to translate them into a wonderful summer party with friends. The key to a great summer fiesta:  SIMPLICITY.  I’m from the south (kinda), and there we learned at an early age that slow and easy is the path to great hospitality in the summer sun.

What to serve

WATERMELON!   I literally crave it — virtually without calories and certainly without fat, it is nature’s reward for not succumbing to road rage when you’re stuck in traffic on the way to the beach (a/k/a the “shore”).

There simply is no such thing as a great summer party without watermelon — in any form at all.   But here’s a great way to enjoy watermelon after hours (or, as my father used to say — “it’s noon somewhere!”)

Navan Watermelon Daquiri

Ingredients per serving

(make ahead of time in a pitcher and let it get really cold before serving)

• 1/2 oz  Navan (in case Navan is new to you, it’s a fabulous vanilla liqueur — better than any other — trust me on this)
• 1 oz 10Cane Rum
• 3 nice big chunks of fresh watermelon
• 1/2 oz Part simple syrup
• 1/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

Muddle the watermelon.  Add Navan, 10Cane Rum, simple syrup and lemon juice.  Shake over ice and strain into a chilled martini glass (from pitcher).

What to place

Then, to continue to keep things as simple as possible, Mother Nature gives us the most charming flowers for the table that require no effort at all to be perfect!  When I see daisies in mason jars on a simply set table, it conjours up my favorite summer memories on picnic benches with the fam.   I have to admit, as simple as they are, there is just nothing as sweet and pretty as the white daisies that grow abundantly all summer long.   I just love them.

What to wear

And finally, while we’re spending a hot summer day, we must know that there’s just nothing more comfortable than a simple cotton sundress (this one is by Betsey Johnson) adorned with nothing but this wonderful straw hat we found at J.Crew.

Of course, I can’t help but add some flair to the ensemble by placing one of our great Emersonmade flowers (from the Eclatante Boutique) on the sun hat.   But that’s just me.

As many of you know, we have an amazing studio on Liberties Walk in the uber-chic section of Philadelphia known as Northern Liberties.  People just love it here — and so do we!!

Often, people stopped by to ask if we rent any of our space out for parties.  As the photos below show you, the answer is a resounding yes!   We’ve gotten enough requests now that I thought it was time to send a message to the world that if anyone would like to rent our studio out, we would be more than happy to make that happen.

If you need more space for a larger party, we can combine our space with the teaching studio at Beautiful Blooms Boutique as a kind of bundle where you could have both spaces and the Walk in between for an amazing party on the Walk.   Take a look at all the photos below to see how cool each possibility is.   The space rental fee includes the use of our incredible screens, too, where you can play a video of your own or watch a cool season finale or the World Series! Depending upon what configuration of space you choose to rent, your party could go anywhere from intimate (25 people) to 125 people.   The rental fee begins at $500 for a five hour event.

Give us a buzz if you’d like to talk about renting our little oasis.   We’ve had some incredible parties here!

This winter, we were thrilled to have the pleasure of working with one of our favorite families of all time to help them plan their son, Harry’s, Bar Mitzvah.   We’ll tell that amazing story soon, since it occurred during one of our historic blizzards.   But I digress.

Since then, Harry’s dad, Ivan, celebrated his 50th birthday.   His gorgeous wife Ann wanted to throw him a party he would never forget.   She asked Donna of Beautiful Blooms and Eclatante to help her get the details together and, of course, we were very happy to oblige!

Here’s a little back story:  Ann & Ivan are both British (with the most wonderful accents!).  Ann had no problem coming up with the perfect theme, since Ivan was born in 1960 — London in the 60’s!   How fun is that??

Eclatante’s own Maggie Ruder took these photos.

Eclatante was able to find a classic English black cab to to take the couple and other guests from their home to Duportail House for the party.  If you’ve ever been to London, you know these little cars are everywhere!

Even Donna and I dressed up for this one!   And we had to jump in the cab for a quick photo!   By the way, Claudia Seyler did our hair and makeup for the party.   I still miss the eyelashes!!!

We loved the gobo we had created to emulate the Tube in London.

And of COURSE, we had to have the famous British red telephone booth!   People were in and out of it all night!

LOVE these photos of Ann & Ivan.   Her absolutely PERFECT dress was specially made for the night by Janice Martin of Janice Martin Couture.  And I could not get over how Ivan nailed the look of his suit.  He had his tailor create the perfect trousers.   It was like going back in time!!  (Not that I remember the 60’s.)

Donna and I couldn’t resist jumping into the phone booth ourselves. I mean, who could?

We saw some great outfits that night!   Among them was certainly this Union Jack dress!

And just look at this fantastic jacket right off the Sargeant Pepper album!    The DJ immediately struck up The Lonely Heart’s Club Band the very moment this guest walked in the door — right on cue!

We loved the trolly cake from Cake Art Studio

Ann & Ivan had a fantastic time -- which, of course, is why we do what we do!

In late April, we introduced you all to the upcoming charity event known as Date with A Plate.  The event took place on the 4th & 5th of May and was just incredible. All of the designers and collectors who provided an insight into their interpretation of a fabulous table or entertainment scenario absolutely brought their A-game.  I do hope that a lot of you were able to make it out to see the amazing work that thrilled all of the guests. It was truly a feast for the eyes!!!

This year, the charity, known as the IMAJNZ Foundation –  which is the very innovative charity created by Judi Goodman and Sharyn Berman to support selected area charities – supported The Noreen O’Neill Foundation for Melanoma Research. It was an honor to step up for this particular charity as there is a history there for us.

We teamed up Beautiful Blooms to design and create our own interpretation of what would be a great night out with close friends. The inspiration began with a simple photo out of the January issue of InStyle Magazine.

And then the vision grew. We LOVED this beautiful combination of Sangria and White and decided that what we really needed to do was create wine and cheese party under the stars using this incredible contrast of colors. When we finally concluded what we were out to accomplish, we found the perfect name for our dining adventure:  ”Private Escape.”

Next came the ruffles –  which, until this year, I’ve never really found a place for in my heart. Now, suddenly, I LOVE THEM!  But not your grandmother’s ruffles, as you will soon see.

Beautiful Blooms has these awesome arbors created from beautiful wood beams.  We just had to use them!  Then we went in search of sangria colored ruffles, and WHITE ruffled plates.   No easy task, but a fun one nontheless!  And of course, being the detail crazies are, we lined everything out from drawings and measurements to make sure that our little plan would work.

Then, on the day of installation, the Beautiful Blooms and Eclatante teams carefully taped out the dimesions of our space, laid the the carpet, built the arbor, and carefully placed the linens and all of the other beautiful elements.

And here are the results!  These stunning photos were taken by David Mielcarek of CinematicbyDavidM.   He graciously agreed to shoot our display and we couldn’t have been more pleased.  His photos are wonderful!!!

People ADORED the ruffled chair backs and ruffled placemats. And so did we!

The chandelier is a phenomenal custom piece created out of square wine glasses.  Beautiful Blooms laced flowers all through the glassware.  The result was STUNNING!!!

Two Paper Dolls created the carefully designed Wine Tasting piece that explained the specific wine and cheese pairings to each guest.   Of course, choosing just the perfect wines was definitely one of the fun parts.

At the corners of the arbor, there were lovely large teardrop glass vases hung containing Japanese sweet peas, Japanese white long stem gloriosa lilies and white peonies.  It was a perfect softening touch.

We were so pleased to have Starr Events work with us. They created a gorgeous cheese and fruit platter and Frank’s Union Wine Mart helped us choose the perfect wine!  The wine and cheese pairings were absolutely amazing.

Thanks also go to Moore Events for lighting our display with uplights and pinspots. It truly made the difference by having this lighting installed.

The guests were thrilled to discover that this incredible “Private Escape” could be their reality — if they bid high enough!  Apparently, there was quite a little bidding war over our Private Escape.  We don’t know who won, but we can’t wait  recreate this look on Liberties Walk for one lucky winner and their friends.  Starr Events will create a lovely wine tasting menu for 8 and Frank’s Union Wine Mart will provide the wine for the event. What could be more wonderful than dining under the stars with great friends in their own “Pefect Escape.”

Our parting shots are the team photo!

From left to right: Maya (BB), Donna (BB), Kendall (EED) and Sara (EED)

Assuming your mother is extraordinary, we thought you would appreciate it if we brought a few amazing gifts that would suit your mom perfectly.

From Emersonmade, we are selling some of the most amazing gifts that will likely thrill your mom no end.  The hand-dyed and hand-stitched blooms and accessories are simply beautiful — like nothing she’s ever seen.  And everything comes so beautifully packaged.   You won’t want to wrap it!

Who wouldn't love these wonderful shoe flowers? They are amazing. We fell in love with them at first sight and have already placed our first reorder so we'll be sure to keep up with the demand for Mother's Day! And they're only $36 for the pair.

Next up, this wonderful little fabric clutch adorned with one absolutely beautiful dahlia.   LOVE!    For only $58 (and they won’t die in week!)

We absolute ADORE these tiny floral “poppers.”   We’ve thought of several ways your mom could use them.   As a super-cute lapel pin or even as a napkin adornment.   (They also make unbelievable tie pins — perfect for Father’s Day — hint, hint).

These wonderful fabric handmade flowers are $9 each or a beautifully boxed set of six for $56

Finally, we just fell totally in love with these linens.   The table runners are amazing, as are the napkins.

We have “E A T” linens and napkins in the Boutique now, but we can order whatever you want!

The table runner is $58 and the napkins are $42 for a set of six.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!

There are some things that we are really proud of — our involvement with this event is absolutely among them!   This is going to be an incredible event full of the most amazing eye-candy you can imagine presented our area’s most talented and creative designers and collectors.   On top of which you will be treated to the delights of Steven Starr.   All to benefit one my most cherished charities — the Noreen Foundation for Melanoma Research.  Their work is very near and dear to my heart.

This is a two-day event, you can participate in one or both — take a look at the invitations below.   You really should go.  I promise you’ll be glad you did!

It doesn’t have to be complicated, or expensive, to insert some pretty, unique details into your spring parties.  Here are some wonderful ideas that will absolutely delight your guests.

Once again, Heather Fowler shot the wonderful photos of the items in our Boutique. See for yourself what a great job she does with details.

A set of six placecards is only $9.

We love these adorable hand-crafted paper placecards that flutter right onto your stemware at each placesetting. They make for great conversation-starters. Handwrite your guests’ names (or have them calligraphed) and slip the notch over rim of water goblets or wine glasses for a lovely dinner party accessory.

In Part 1, we talked about the tables where your guests are seated.   Now, it’s on to place settings.

Setting a table is a simple matter of logic and symmetry.   You’ll see.

Photo by Marie Labbancz

First, let’s do a rundown of the elements that make up a table setting

PLATES

Charger (or “lay plate” or “service place”)

A charger is optional, but it is usually a terrific addition to the décor and function of service of your dinner– the bottom edge is aligned with the edge of the table.  It allows you to remove and replace salad and entrée plates while leaving an attractive plate at your setting.

Photo by Maggie Wallace Cullen

Dinner plate or luncheon plate

The large entrée plate is placed in the center of the charger.  If there is no charger, then the bottom of this plate should be placed about an inch above the edge of the table.

Photo by Marie Labbancz

Photo by Marie Labbancz

Salad plate

This really all depends on whether you’re having a sit down dinner at home or a large reception. and whether you want salad served after guests sit down.  When you serve the salad you can remove the dinner plate and replace it with the salad plate with the salad already placed.

Dessert plate

I’m really not a huge fan of a lot of plates at the table when people sit down.   For dessert.  I think it’s better to remove all of the plates (except for the cup and saucer) and place the dessert plate (and spoon and/or fork) when it’s time for dessert.

Photo by Sarah DiCicco

Cups and saucers

Again, I think these should be left off the table until you’re ready to serve coffee and tea after the entrée (usually with dessert).   Cluttering up a table is never a good idea.

Bread and butter plates

I love these little plates.  I often like to do something unusual with them as an accent to the table.  Usually placed above the dinner fork (the top left of the charger), they are use to separate bread and butter from the other foods on the salad or dinner plate.   I really don’t like having the actual bread and butter sitting at each place setting when your guests arrive in the room.  Although purist North American formal at-home dining etiquette removes the bread completely (way to formalistic for me!), I believe the more lovely way to provide bread and butter to your guests is to have it served once your guests have taken their seats.  This is especially true at a large reception where you have worked so hard to plan a meticulous and beautiful look on your table – without bread and pats of butter (don’t get me started on those shaped patties of butter) impeding your beautiful tablescape.

Photo by Michael Branscom

Photo by Amanda Kraft

GLASSWARE

So, there are a myriad of types of glassware, but, for the sake of yourself and your guests (and to minimize clutter on the table), keep it to these simple three types of glassware:  water, wine and champagne (if serving champagne at the table). Drinking glasses of any kind are placed the top right of the charger or dinner plate, above the knives and spoons.

Photo by Amy Deputy

Photo by Marie Labbancz

Water goblets are the largest glasses (can also be used for ice tea, unless you want to use Tom Collins glasses).  Red wine glasses then white wine glasses follow, and finally, the champagne flutes.   The water goblet  is placed directly above the knives. Smaller glasses are placed in front.  See the diagram below.

Depending upon the kind of party you’re having, you can, of course, use whatever glassware suits your party best.  You can also include a dessert drink glass if you’re serving sherry after the meal, but again, I feel that it is better to place that glassware after the dinner service has been removed.

FLATWARE

Honestly, there’s nothing particularly interesting about flatware — it’s just about placement.

Forks go on the left, knives on the right (and, usually, spoons). After that, logic takes over.  what you use first goes on the outside  – so, the salad fork is to the outside of the dinner fork; the soup spoon goes outside of the dinner knife.   After that, it’s just a matter of symmetry,

I’ve always liked waiting until dessert is served for the dessert spoons to come out, but sometimes, it’s just not practical.   In that case, placing the dessert spoon above the plates is fine.

Oh, and the knife blade faces the plate.

Here’s a diagram for you:

A:  Salad fork

B: Dinner fork

C:  Charger

D:  Napkin (which can go onto the center of the plate or, if you have a salad plate or soup bowl, to the left of the plates

E:  Dinner Plate

F:  Dinner knife (blade facing the plate)

G:  Soup Spoon or teaspoon (If you aren’t serving soup, then for the sake of symmetry, you could place a teaspoon in its place, which could, if you choose, be used for the dessert spoon later.

H:  Butter knife

I:   Bread & butter plate

J:  Dessert spoon (if necessary)

K:  Water Goblet

L:  Red Wine glass

M:  White wine glass

N:  Champagne flute

Trust me when I tell you that none of the rules are unbreakable.   They are much more like guildelines than rules.   Sometimes the reality of what’s happening on the table makes it less attractive or functional to change things around a little.

But always remember the Golden Rule we started out with in Part I –

It’s always about the hospitality.

So whatever you do, don’t confuse your guests with unnecessary pieces.   Keep it simple and lovely and your guests will be thrilled!

There are lots and lots of other things that happen depending upon the types of food you’re serving or the type of food service.   This is just the basics of a formal dinner table.

Now relax and have an amazing time!

There really is an art to throwing a great party — whether it’s a small intimate dinner-thing at your dining room table or a reception for 300 of your closest friends.   So, here’s the next golden rule:

It’s always about hospitality

I do acknowledge that there are far more important things going on in the world than worrying about how to set a table.   I also freely admit that knowing the in’s and out’s of how to throw a great party does not make me a candidate for the next Nobel Peace Prize.

But, honestly, if you’re going to go to all the trouble of getting things together for a dinner party or a reception, don’t you think you should go to the trouble of doing it right?  I’m a huge fan of getting the details right.  It truly is what sets a great party apart from a mediocre one!

photo by Marie Labbancz

Part 1:  The Size of the Dinner Table

One of the biggest (and most annoying) mistakes people make is to place too many people at their tables.  I can’t measure your dining room table, but I can step right up on my soapbox about how many people should be seated at the standard size dinner tables used at receptions.

No matter who tells you otherwise, it is not a good idea to seat 10 people at a 60” table or 12 people at a 72” table.  Why?  Because it’s really uncomfortable and has the personal touch of an annual meeting of an insurance company.  When you’re serving your friends and family, here is your rule of thumb:  about 2’ per person (a little less is okay, but don’t fudge too much).  Most of the time, for receptions, you will be dealing with square or round tables with the following dimensions:

So, for the comfort of your guests, 60” tables should seat only 8 people and 72” tables should seat only 10 guests.  (Don’t worry about the fractions, it’s not an exact science).

Rectangular tables come in lengths from 6′ to 10′ or 12′.   The same 2′ per guest applies.   But the widths of all rectangular tables are not equal — make sure the width of your table is at least 36″ if  you plan to have anything placed down the middle of the table.

Photo by Cliff Mautner

If you need some backup on this, here’s why it works best this way:

Photo by Michael Branscom

Photo by Marie Labbancz

This is how your table should look if your guests are having a great time and they have enough room to move around:

Photo by Sarah DiCicco

photo by Maggie Wallace Cullen

There’s no way this could happen at a cramped dinner table

Photo by Maggie Wallace Cullen

If you’re having a dinner party, be realistic about the number of people who can fit comfortably sit at your table – whether your having food placed on your table or not. It’s easier to bring in tables than it is to serve between crowded guests.

Part 2 will make it easy to set a great table.

The Golden Rule of Timing a Great Party

Part 1)   The Cocktail Hour (or so).

Most large events that include a dinner and/or entertainment start with a cocktail hour (or so) prior to the festivities really getting started.   The purpose of this is several-fold.  First, it’s a time for the guests to mingle amongst themselves, get a bit to eat and start getting the sense of your celebration.   Plus (if your celebration is a wedding), it gives you time to get through photos, then do some mingling of your own.   Because I HATE receiving lines (and I really really do) and I’m not a big fan of contrived table visits, either, I think a great cocktail hour (or so) is the key to a very successful celebration.

A truly great cocktail hour depends on some key ingredients:  1)  food & drink, 2) music and 3) lighting

Photo by Sarah DiCicco

Photo by Matthew Hollerbush

Rule #1:  Have enough food and drink and make sure it’s accessible.

There is really nothing less enjoyable than standing in line for food or at the bar (unless it’s standing in a receiving line — just sayin’).  It’s great to have food stations, but make sure there are passed yummies as well.

Photo by Barnaby Draper

The same goes for the bar.   To avoid a line forming at the bar, have wine, champagne and maybe a signature drink passed.   The number of bars, bartenders and food stations is dependent on the number of guests.

Photo by Michael Branscom

Rule #2:  Your music should not be loud or too hi-energy during the cocktail hour. Remember, the primary purpose of your cocktail hour is for mingling.  I’m all in favor of really interesting, fun music that steps a bit out-of-the-box, but make sure that it doesn’t overwhelm your guests’ conversation with each other and with you!

from lapisluna.com

Photo by Marie Labbancz

Rule #3:   Great lighting creates great atmosphere.

Enough said.

Photo by Cliff Mautner

Photo by Marie Labbancz

If you’re hosting a great cocktail party, then you can stop here (obviously).   Plan to start kissing your guests goodbye after about three hours.  Otherwise, if you’re moving on to the dinner/dance portion, my favorite length of a cocktail hour (or so) is about 1 1/2 hours.   But make sure you don’t run out of anything!

See you for Part 2 soon!

Let’s go for the easy answer first:  It’s almost NEVER a problem to bring a gift to someone, silly.

To alleviate some of the guesswork for when you should bring a gift, and what kind of gift you should bring, here are a few ‘lil guidelines:

If you are attending a cocktail party at someone’s home or a holiday open house, then a gift, while certainly appreciated, is not mandatory.  It is even less necessary if the cocktail party is being held someplace other than the hosts’ home.

If you are attending a dinner party, then a small gift is probably a good idea.

If you’re just casually getting together at someone’s home for a quick bite, then probably nothing more than a side dish or dessert would be necessary — but please, please, please coordinate any food you bring with the hostess.

Will you be sleeping at your hosts’ home?  Then, by all means, you should bring a gift in appreciation of your hosts’ hospitality.

So, now for the next level of complication – what to bring?

People LOVE to bring wine.   Because I entertain as often as possible, I have a great deal of wine in my basement from my very gracious guests (stored at the perfect temperature, of course!).   I think wine is a perfectly lovely hostess gift for a dinner party or anything other than an overnight stay.

To make things even nicer, consider giving the wine in a wine carrier that your host can use for the next dinner out at a BYOB (we were given wine in a wine carrier almost four years ago and we use it to this day.  And I still remember who gave it to us.) — and maybe a beautiful wine stopper to go with it all.

Gold Hatch Wine Carrier ($10)

• But if you’d like to bring something just a little off-the-beaten-trail, allow me to suggest a few little ideas that will make people feel really appreciated:

Perhaps you could make blueberry muffins and give it to them in a lovely basket tied with a bow — and include a great hot chocolate mix for your hosts to enjoy the next morning.

I LOVE these little Salt and Pepper Shakers – We’ve watched them fly out the door this season.

Are you staying for a day or two?  I think the most wonderful gift you can give someone is the gift of relaxation.   If you’re in Philly, allow me to make a suggestion. Right here on Liberties Walk, we have Spa East — a true urban oasis with the most amazing masseuses and body treatments I have ever encountered.

And here’s the final advice –

If you’re going to bring flowers (and that’s a lovely thing to do), then please bring the vase for them. You can pick up the most amazing flowers at the Beautiful Blooms Boutique just across from us on the Walk (but you already knew that, right?) along with a beautiful vase.

Or, of course, you can choose a different amazing vase or container at the Eclatante Boutique.

Okay, that’s my advice regarding host and hostess gifts.    Have a great time!

We have another wedding to show you that was published in the latest issue of Brides Magazine  - Philadelphia.   

Small wonder Brides Magazine grabbed up this wedding almost as soon as we got the photos back from Marie Labbancz, the amazing photographer who captured this wonderful wedding PERFECTLY!   

The Team we put together to execute this wedding was incredible –  Beautiful Blooms, Two Paper Dolls, Max Hansen Catering, Marie Labbanz Photography, the Sultans of Swing and VU-Events!

Feel free to check out the amazing story behind Mindy & Ben’s super-fun wedding (complete with 1,200 handmade oragami cranes hung from the ceiling at the Crane Arts Center) in the two-part installment (Part 1 and Part 2) we posted a while back.

Be sure to get a copy of the latest issue of Brides-Philadelphia — it’s loaded with gorgeous photos and great ideas! ooooo

Okay, I don’t really mean that.   Especially since we’re lucky enough to be a block away from Brown Betty — creators of the the best cupcakes in the entire world!   One could never burn out on their cupcakes!

BUT, if you want to see what alternatives there are to cupcakes — take a look at these amazing dessert delights (churros, croissants (chocolate and otherwise), brioche and eclairs) – if this doesn’t inspire you to think outside the cake pan, nothing will!

These stunning eclairs are from Fauchon - a chic French Patisserie from where you can order these gorgeous morsels.

If you’re having an event with a Latin flair – look at the amazing delights — they’re dessert churros from Xooro (pronounced Sure-oh) — so yum!

Then again, there’s Patisserie Claude in the West Village in New York (187 W. 4th St., near Barrow St.).  The desserts there are so good it’s hard to believe it’s really possible!  Croissants,  brioche – simple things done extraordinarily well.   It would be well worth a trip to NYC to grab enough for the most amazing brunch or rehearsal dinner, dinner parties  or any other smaller gathering.   Your guests will never forget you!