If you sit down to have tea or coffee at my mom’s house the milk will be served in a small pitcher. It’s not because she’s one to stand on ceremony, many a Chinese take out dinner were eaten sitting around the large coffee table in the living room when I was young, but she just can’t abide a carton of milk on the table. Well, as my sister in law likes to say, “ducks don’t have chickens”. I now have my own lovely assortment of pitchers and carafes and serving pieces that adorn the table when I have guests.  The details of a table, like a charming milk jug or dainty cups & saucers, might not be noticed by every guest specifically but they will combine to create an overall impression.

Creative theming requires attention to every aspect of a party’s mood and decor. To put it another way, the dazzle is in the details. Much like when you set your table for company, guests at a large event won’t necessarily see every design detail that went into creating it. However, those design details will combine to showcase your theme.

It may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes the trick of a seamless event is how little guests notice the small touches that make up the overall mood. If everything at an event compliments the theme, what will stick out to your guests is what is out of place. So, the first thing to remember when you’re trying to dazzle with your details is to make sure your theme is being carried through as many aspects of the event as possible.   Adding small touches throughout the event will envelop your guests in the mood you are trying to achieve. Always take a moment to look over your completed plan and final set up for any off theme sore thumbs and try to either change them or diminish their impact.

One of the ways you can achieve this is by remembering that an event’s overall theme can be multilayered. For instance, you may have specific era or a mood you want to evoke. You combine that era or mood with a color scheme that compliments it. To create a cohesive visual impression you weave together mood or period specific decor with your color scheme.   Your color scheme can help you create a seamless visual impact without overdoing mood or period specific items. You can then add touches of your theme in your food and beverage choices as well as your entertainment.

As an example, A Sparkling Affair recently coordinated a ‘Rat Pack Vegas Night’ milestone birthday party. The host wanted a theme which harkened back to the 60s. After tossing around a few ideas they settled on a Rat Pack theme. What says Rat Pack and gives a party a fun entertainment theme more than Vegas? The first thing we did was choose an invitation. We found a fantastic black, white and gold invitation that featured touches of red, dice and poker chips. From there I designed a Rat Pack Vegas party with a black, white and gold color scheme with touches of red.

While the Godiva chocolate cigar favors in authentic wooden cigar boxes were one of my favorite moments of the event, the real stars  were the centerpieces that tied every single aspect of the party together. The centerpieces were composed of martini glasses filled with black and white dice and poker chips along with a metallic gold hand of cards. The glasses sat atop vinyl records from the 1960s and out of the center floated balloon bouquets with black, white and gold balloons and a balloon of either hearts, spades, clubs or diamonds. The hands of cards corresponded to the card suit of the balloons and the placecards matched them. The tables were finished with black bow tie napkins, Rat Pack signature cocktail menus and custom gold table confetti. The theme was carried throughout the room with authentic black jack and roulette tables, vintage black and white photographs and a variety of other details.

The secret of creative theming and dazzling with your details isn’t over theming your event or pushing your décor to the point of gaudiness. It’s adding small touches throughout your décor and planning that create a consistent mood and visual impression. Remember that your goal is to engage your guests and for them to have fun. So keep in mind that a host who is enjoying their party is the best and most priceless décor.