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!

The holidays can bring out the best in us.   It’s the perfect time to step just a little outside of the box and give people unique gifts that they may not be expecting.

One of the great advantages to having a little boutique is that we only have the items that we really love.   Chances are, you wouldn’t be able to find them anywhere else.

Take, for instance, this gorgeous back and white 5 x 7 frame ($35.95).   And one of our new favorite things in the Boutique is the Lotus hands tealight holders ($20).   They are really beautiful.

For stocking stuffers, we have totally fallen for these handmade flower brooches.   Everyone who sees them loves them.   People walk in the Boutique and buy them immediately — at $20, they are pretty irresistible.

And how cool is this?  It’s a fruit pyramid (ornaments look pretty amazing in it, too!).   It’s a great, chrome-platted spacesaver and  looks very chic on a counter or a table.   $24

These rose tealight holders are absolutely lovely. We have theme in light creme and bronze.   People are buying them up at $16.   Small wonder – they’re stunning.

As a truly elegant gift, we recommend this stunning Peacock Tray from Fringe ($55).  For your people that truly appreciate beautiful things, this tray will absolutely thrill them.  Likewise, the mercury glass gold apothecary jars are just gorgeous.  We have them in two sizes, 13″ ($33) and 16″ ($43).

Here’s another fun stocking stuffer – these little scottie salt and pepper shakers are adorable, and incredibly priced at $10 for the pair.

Finally — our latest obsession — Totally organic, 100% bamboo robes.   Not a synthetic thread to be found. So incredibly plush, you won’t want to take it off!   They feature a detailed shawl collar, cuffed long sleeves, two front patch pockets and they’re extremely durable.  You’ll also find them in luxury hotels and resorts. We couldn’t resist putting a few in the Boutique for the holidays!   A truly wonderful price at $70.

We have them in white and in chocolate brown.  

Of course, these are just a few of our favorite things.   We have so many more unique, fun and beautiful things at the Boutique.   You should come visit us and see it all!   We located at 1031 North 3rd Street on Liberties Walk, right next to the Piazza.  Parking is a piece of cake.  Of course, if you already know you want something, just give us a buzz at 215.925.9911 or email us at celebrate@eclatantedesign.com, and we’ll send it out to you.

Oh, and don’t forget to come down for the Holiday Shopping Crawl here in Northern Liberties on December 19th from 11 am to 8 pm. Just about all the shops are doing something really special for you, including offering some interesting incentives that you definitely make you very very jolly!   Our Boutique is going all out — as usual.   We’d love to see you!

…is easily accomplished if you have the right things at your fingertips.

It doesn’t have to be an expensive and drawn out ordeal to create a great holiday table when you’ve got friends and family coming over for dinner.   Just a few interesting elements on your table will give you all the charm you need.    Marie Labbancz brought a camera to our little Boutique on her last visit.  She loved the table we set up for the holidays, which we’d created from some of our favorite little items we have in our Boutique, so we thought we’d share the photos with you.

First, we love these very cool red lace cutout placemats!   They’re actually made out of thick felt and they look amazing on a simple white tablecloth.  And they’re only $9 each (or four for $30).    We also have fun white lace beverage coasters — four for $6.00.

I think placing monogrammed candles at each placesetting, then giving them as gifts to your guests is a really thoughtful and memorable thing to do.  Plus, they smell wonderful!   They’re $12.00 each and people just love them!

Again, we love to show off our napkin rings.   We have a large variety to choose from. For this particular table, we’re using the Bay Leaf Napkin Rings because they’re perfect for the holidays.   $44 for a set of four.

We have a really fun, beautiful and inexpensive way of displaying votives on your table or all over your home.   Our gold lace votive holders are just perfect.   They also come in silver, if that suits your decor better.   They’re only $7.50 each and will stay in shape year after year.

One of my very favorite things in the Boutique right now is this set of Dove salt and pepper shakers.  They are absolutely beautiful!   And extremely well priced at $30 for the pair.    They would also make a fantastic hostess gift or holiday present or housewarming gift.

Another absolutely beautiful way to display a simple tealight candle is within one of our rose tealight holders.   We’re displaying the creme colored one on our holiday table now, but we’re also in love with the copper rose tealight holder, which we used for Thanksgiving.

If you’d like a different way of identifying seats for your guests, we suggest these adorable paper snowflakes that slip right onto your glassware. A set of six is only $9! (We have butterflies, too, for an adorable springtime table.)

Personally, I really like almost any alternative to the traditional large centerpiece. For our display holiday table we chose these mini-handblown vases and placed little cuttings from a berry bush inside each one. I think it’s lovely, personal and takes up very little room.  A set of five mini-handblown vases is only $25.00.

Isn’t it nice when your guests bring wine?   And it’s even nicer when it arrives in a Gold Hatch Wine bag that you can use over and over when you go out to your favorite BYOB.   Include a lovely resin orchid bottle stopper and you have a really perfect hostess gift. The wine bag is $10 and the winestopper is only $13.50 and come in an array of different colors and flowers. There’s not a hostess in the world who wouldn’t love it.

And, as always, we LOVE our Ana candles.  A pair of red striped tapers is only $20. We placed them inside two of our colored glass bud vases —  a set of five is only $25.00.

So, there you have it.  An unusual, tasteful and fun holiday table that everyone will rave about and won’t dip into your holiday present budget!

We have lots of other things for decorating or gifts of course.   if you see something here you want us to send to you, just call 215.925.9911 or email celebrate@eclatantedesign.com, and we’ll get it right out to you.   Or feel free to come down to the Boutique.   We’re located at the amazing Liberties Walk at 1031 North 3rd Street – parking is a breeze.  We’ve been having such a great time finding things you might just love to give as gifts or take home for yourself.

Have a great time everyone!

Everyone here at Eclatante has a thing for entertaining.  That passion is what brought each and every one of us here!

And Thanksgiving is the mother of all entertaining days. Those of you who are fortunate enough to be hosting friends and family in your home for this great American feast, allow us to to provide you with just a few lovely ideas to add some unexpected charm to your table (without eating up to much room (or money))!

First up, our beautiful Eclatante table runners.   These are new additions to our shop and we just love them.   They come in a multitude of colors and patterns, but we thought these worked well for this particular Thanksgiving Day table. They’re $35 each.

I’m in love with these bronze rose tea light holders. We have them in white, too, but the bronze candle holders worked perfectly here.  And they’re only $16.00 — they are really beautiful!!

These oak leaf napkin rings created by Michael Michaud are absolutely perfect. We also have other gorgeous napkins rings that would work beautifully.   These napkin rings are $50 for a set of four.  Our other napkin rings are at different prices.

Salt cellars are making a comeback.  Our glass salt cellar with a  seashell spoon (they’re prettier than the silver plated spoons pictured below) are among my favorite things in the Eclatante Boutique.  I just LOVE them.   They are so easy, inexpensive and people just love them – a great conversation starter at your dinner table.    It’s a great little gift to give your guests — if you’re so inclined.  The price for both the salt cellar and the seashell spoon is only $6.50.

The  dripless single pique candles are so beautiful and unusual — they are flying out the door at  $11.50 each (or a pair for $20.00).   Again, they make your table really unique and are extremely well-priced.

You can call the Eclatante Boutique any time to find out how you can order over the phone. Our phone number is 215.925.9911.  Or, of course, we’d love it if you came by our shop and took a look at all the really amazing entertaining items we have.   We’re at 1031 North 3rd Street in Northern Liberties.  We’re open from 11:00 until 6:00 from Sunday – Thursday and on Saturday; on Fridays we’re open until 8:00 pm.

With the expert and indispensible help of the Beautiful Blooms team, Eclatante worked with the Dolls at Two Paper Dolls to create our very first Celebrating in Style™ event at the Dolls’ studio in Wayne.   We transformed the Dolls’ office into a great event space, the goal of which was to demonstrate to the great hosts of the Philadelphia area how we can help them throw an amazing party anytime, anywhere – not just weddings and other large scale social events. We actually planned five parties in one for our guests — each of which could be a great home party — and each one with its own interactive element!

Take a look at some of the fabulous photos taken by Mike Kehr and Jana Bannan at Mike Kehr Photography!  Thank you so much Mike and Jana!!

First up:  our wine and cheese pairing and tasting!   The expertly chosen wine was provided Frank’s Wine Mart.   Carl (from Frank’s) gave our willing guests advice on how to choose wine and cheese for their next home party.   Beautiful Blooms created gorgeous florals in rustic wood boxes.  The wine was divine and the cheese, provided by Provence Catering was to die for.   I could have hung out there all night, but there was much more to come!

Then we designed a simply gorgeous holiday dinner party with more scrumptious delights provided by Provence Catering.  Eclatante sought out and provided the perfect table settings in compliment to the painted table at Two Paper Dolls Studio.   Beautiful Blooms created the long table arrangement —  perfectly suited for a dinner table where you want to talk easily across the table to your guests.

Outside of the holiday dinner party room, Beautiful Blooms demonstrated the art of creating beautiful arrangements for your home.   People just loved it!

Moving along, we created a warm and wonderful yellow and grey baby shower that featured a stunning baby photo printed on large piece of fabric and hung over the gift table.   Laura Novak is an extraordinarily gifted photographer of beautiful babies and has created magic with her innovative ways of giving new parents the gift of a lifetime.  Beautiful Blooms filled vintage milk glass containers from Donna’s personal stash with a variety of carefully chosen flowers.  Look at how pretty the presents look in coordinating colored paper from Two Paper Dolls.

Next door to the Baby Shower was a very interesting birthday party designed by Maya of Beautiful Blooms and Leila of Eclatante.  With all of the buzz around the Twilight and True Blood series, these two good friends created a very special party based on an “ageless creatures” theme. What a perfect way to celebrate a birthday!

Beautiful Blooms created arrangements in sleek black glass vases from red, burgundy and deep eggplant colored flowers.   Along the perimeter of the room, we placed black wrought iron candle stands with deep eggplant pillar candles.   We also chose perfectly coordinated linens and drapery.   And look at that cake — Provence Catering caught the vision perfectly when they came up with this rich red cake with black lace sugar icing.   Gorgeous!

Craig Neier Associates provided a mind reader that people are still talking about!   How the heck did he know that stuff?!?!?!

Craig Neier also provided a duo of musicians that were just wonderful,   We loved how they fit right in and helped create the perfect atmosphere for our very eclectic party!

Moving downstairs, we were able to give our guests quite a treat!   We created a fabulous 80’s-themed party as a great inspiration for a mitzvah or other fun celebrations of just about anything!

Craig Neier provided a super-fun 80’s trivia game that thrilled everyone for hours!

And there’s nothing quite like an 80’s theme photo shoot (by Mike Kehr Photography) to make a party a little on the crazy side.   Love that backdrop Taylor (of Eclatante) created for the occasion!

Finally, we come to the “Man Cave” where Scott from Two Paper Dolls showed our guests how the huge letterpress printer works.   Very very cool.

Then we had the greatest thing of all — Craig Neier Associates installed a real Craps table with real Craps dealers who taught everyone how the game is played and how to really have fun with it. That table was crowded all night long with people playing craps and having a fantastic time.

A truly GREAT time was had by all.   We just love love love a successful party!

Although we absolutely love them, Eclatante’s mission is not just about the major life events like weddings and bar and bat mitzvahs.   We grab every chance we can get to help people have wonderful, memorable and stressfree celebrations, small and large –from dinner parties to birthday parties to neighborhood supper clubs.   So, here’s our first Celebrating in Style Event at Two Paper Dolls Studio in Wayne, PA.   You should come!

Heather at Brides.com wrote a really nice piece about our little boutique and our new home here on Liberties Walk.

Thank you Heather!!

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

Succulents are a very interesting way to bring something unexpected and beautiful to your celebration

Here’s a little background on succulents for all of those who are not versed in these lovely plants.  Succulents (or “succose”, which is Latin for juice or sap) are water-storing plants that give a thickened or fleshy look to their leaves, stems and roots. These plants come from dry areas of the tropics and subtropic regions of the world.   They are a durable, low-maintenance and eco-friendly alternative to flower arrangements that you can beautifully and easily incorporate into your own wedding day or any other party you’re hosting!

Here’s the part you all really love — the pictures!

Photo by http://www.erinheartscourt.com/, (Succulentlove designs): http://succulentlovedesigns.com/

From Utterly Engaged

Photos by http://www.erinheartscourt.com/

Succy Stuff’s Etsy Store

Horticopia’s Etsy Store

Thanks to Beautiful Blooms!

How cute is this?!?!?!  From Style Me Pretty

From Utterly Engaged

Thanks to Beautiful Blooms!

Photo by: http://sukrachand.com/wedding/

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!

At long last, this September Eclatante will begin its monthly class series on stylish, fun and creative entertaining. Understanding that just about everyone is looking for ways to enjoy themselves while spending a bit less money, we have assembled a great team of experts who will guide the interactive instructions through great topics, such as:

“Wine Pairings and Wine Tastings Made Easy”

“From Great Invitations to the perfect Thank You Note: The Art of
Communication.”

“Bar Basics 101”

“How to set a Beautiful Table at Home: Florals, Candles, Placesettings and Linens”

“Everything you ever wanted to know about wine—in an hour and a half”

Each class will last between an hour and a hour and a half.   The schedule of classes will be posted soon. 

Then, Eclatante and Beautiful Blooms are teaming up to present bi-monthly Sunday Seminars which will feature experts from all different areas of entertaining to demonstrate how to create effortless and memorable home parties — invitations, to music, to food, wine, table settings and décor.

Sunday Seminar topics will include:

“Tailgating parties at home: Super-fun, clever and scrumptious”

“The Perfect 2009 Holiday party”

“The 1950s Potluck becomes the 2009 Home Supperclub”

“Creating a Fabulous Dinner Party and Actually Enjoying it”

Workshops will vary in price (from $25 to $100) depending on the cost of
materials.  For more information about Eclatante’s entertainment classes or the Sunday Seminars, contact Eclatante Event Design at 215.925.9911.

And to round out the amazing things happening on the Walk, the team at Beautiful Blooms will begin their floral design workshops on Saturday Mornings from 11 am-2 pm ($150) and Tuesday evenings from 6:30 pm-8:30 pm ($135 for most Tuesday evening workshops).   Topics will include “Urban Vase,” “Go Green,” “Hand-tied for the Home,” “Thanksgiving Designs,” “Seasonal Wreaths,” “Florals, Fruits & Veggies,” “Floral Tablescapes for the Home” and “Color Trends.”   Contact Beautiful Blooms B0utique at 215.925.3111 or check out the Beautiful Blooms’ Blog for more information.