Party with panache

Pulling off the perfect event

BY BETH SHAPIRO

Let's face it - who doesn't like a great party, especially when you're the guest? But when the tables are turned and you're the host, it doesn't always feel like a party. Party mavens say organization and planning are the keys to throwing stress-free, sensational soirees. We caught up with some local party experts, who share advice and ideas for your next gathering.

Planning pizazz

"If each person would go to a party planner to have their budget done, they would know where they could spend their money," counsels Julie Levy, who co-owns, along with her husband, Jason, Sophisticated Shindigs, a full-service event planning and design studio serving the Valley. "Many times what happens is a client will come to us, having already spent more than 50 percent of the budget on the venue and food, and have little to spend on a really good photographer, dÇcor or entertainment. If they would go to a planner at the beginning stages of the process, they would get a lot more for their money than what they expected."

In addition to event planning, the Levys have found a niche in renting candelabras, particularly in black and brown, to enhance party decor.

"We get a lot of requests for wrought iron and the black candelabras, because they're unusual and people want to incorporate them into their black and white room dÇcor."

Levy says black and white are also making a comeback as hot choices for party linens, accented by strong colors like red or magenta. In linens, damask continues to be a chic favorite.

Whatever the color scheme, one of their favorite party venues is Inspirador, which offers private event space in historic downtown Chandler. "It has a trendy, New York-loft kind of feel inside with a beautiful courtyard outside the main hall," Levy says.

The Levys have encountered a few hiccups along the way.

"Once, when we were asked to coordinate a wedding on the day of the event, we didn't get the table seating cards until right after the ceremony," Levy says. "We didn't know where everyone was going to sit until the last minute. For me, that was a huge learning experience."

Pretty posies

Trust your florist, says florist Debbie Michelfelder, owner of By the Bunch, a full-service floral shop in Phoenix.

"Give them some creative freedom and don't get your heart's desire set on purple hydrangeas in August. We can probably get them, but they're going to be incredibly expensive and won't be the best quality, as they would earlier in the year."

Michelfelder is noticing a resurgence of midcentury modern style in floral design. "It's very clean and lush with unique flowers like cymbidium orchids done in a low, compact way in a white ceramic cube. It's very rich and clean-looking and architecturally appealing."

This fall, Michelfelder says, "you'll see a lot of rich colors like rust, mango and aubergine, moving away from the summer pinks. When you throw in something in there like a lime green flower, the whole thing really pops."

Still popular are pavÇ arrangements in which blooms are packed together in a low container creating a lush, compact design. And making a comeback are elevated floral displays.

"Today's design is not that Old World, wrought-iron stand with the drippy stuff hanging off of it. It's something light and airy with some metal work and beads, giving it a lighter look. They do give the room a lot of movement and dimension."

Food with kosher flair

"We try to find traditional Jewish and modern kosher ways to cater our parties," say Leah and Levi Pakanaev, co-owners of Levi Catering and Bakery, a full-service kosher catering business that operates from the kitchen of the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center. "All of our food is freshly prepared and made from scratch."

On occasion, a client wants to design his or her own menu or offer family recipes.

"Sometimes they have ideas like pineapple and anchovy pizza and we'll steer them away from that," admits Levi. "I tell them that they should just remember that the party is for your guests, not just for the family. Your family might like your recipe, but your guests might not like it."

Early on, the Pakanaevs prepared their clients' recipes - until guests started to ask what certain foods were or why they were serving a particular dish. "We try not to do this anymore because it's a hard position for us to be in, because we try not to embarrass the host while keeping our reputation."

As kosher caterers, the Pakanaevs will suggest that their clients need to connect with their rabbi about the timing of serving foods either on or after Shabbat.

"People need to consult their rabbis before ordering their invitations, because the time you want to have your party might not be when Shabbas is over."

Leah says many of her clients are choosing a healthier, low-fat party menu, more often offering a buffet than sit-down, plated meals.

"Grilled vegetables are very popular, like eggplant, peppers, zucchini and veggie kabobs," she says. Also popular at bar mitzvah parties are the yogurt smoothies they serve with dairy menus and the slushies they serve with meat menus.

Mood music

"Spending thousands of dollars on a party doesn't guarantee that you'll have a good time," says Rick Benton, owner of Living Energy, an entertainment production company. "It's what you choose to make of it."

Living Energy's teams of disc jockeys, masters of ceremonies and interactive dancers have been entertaining Valley partygoers for the past 10 years. Living Energy, along with the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, co-sponsored the annual Desert Boogie, a back-to-school bash for students in grades 5-7 at the JCC on Sept. 21.

Benton says Horizon High School's prom, held this past spring, was a memorable event.

"We were able to transform the cafeteria of a downtown high-rise into this huge night club. The music and lighting set the tone for an exciting party."

When considering a party entertainer, be sure to ask about the emcee or DJ's experience, which Benton says plays a critical role in being able to read a dance floor, read the crowd and flow a party.

"Don't just get somebody with iTunes who plays the music on random. You might as well just hire a teenager.

"We send all of our DJs out with full professional digital turntables, who mix the party as we go. There's nothing that is computerized, preprogrammed or scripted. The party is in essence made up on the fly. We read the crowd and go with it."

Benton says that gaming stations are a popular party trend for teens.

"For the Horizon prom party, we set up some plasma screens with PlayStations and Wiis. It's an activity no different from the picture booths and green screens. We can set up the stations with leather sofas, offering kids who don't want to dance something to do. I know when I was 13 years old, I would have been there in a heartbeat."

Photographic memories

For photographer B. Roxanne May, the best photos capture the people who are truly enjoying themselves.

"They're the ones that have the right attitude about the whole day," says the owner of May Photography in Scottsdale. "It comes through in the photos. It's the people who are there with the emotion and that take everything in stride, like the bride who dropped wine on her dress. They just laugh and go on."

May is enthusiastic about her work and enjoys getting to know her clients.

"We get into great detail. I love working with the bar and bat mitzvah kids and can't wait to open up the Jewish News each week to see their pictures."

She says that one of the big trends for b'nai mitzvah and weddings is the use of albums with photos that are digitally matted together, giving a more artistic look.

She considers a recent birthday party for a woman who turned 100 years old to be one of her best photography experiences.

"The greatest thing was that every time one of the family members came up to talk to this wonderful lady, they sat down and grabbed her hand and she grabbed back. I have photos of each one of them holding her hand. Now wouldn't you wish you had a picture of you with your grandmother's hand? I just love finding something to make an emotional connection."

In choosing a photographer, May suggests a face-to-face meeting to look over the portfolio and to get a feel for the photographer's personality.

"Make sure their personality meshes with yours. Let's face it, when the event is over, some people will say that their photographer was either too pushy or didn't take charge. You need to see if you can work together."

Gracious hostess

Whether it's planning a family birthday party or a Jewish community event, seasoned party hostess Benee Hilton-Spiegel is passionate and meticulous in her party preparation. She will be particularly busy over the next several months as she gears up for the engagement party and wedding of her stepson and his fiancÇe as well as the bat mitzvah of her youngest daughter.

To help pull off perfect parties, Hilton-Spiegel consults Linda Singer, owner of Scottsdale-based Soup to Nuts, an event planning and coordination business. "I view the party planner as a neutral person who wants to do what's best for the event," Hilton-Spiegel says.

She says that serving great-tasting food is the most critical aspect of a party, after selecting a date. "Book your caterer earlier. But if you're not using one, then you need to sit down and figure out who might be able to help you."

One of Hilton-Spiegel's most memorable occasions was her September 2006 wedding, to her husband, Jay Spiegel. "We planned to get married in Hawaii, but my mom was sick and couldn't make the trip." Instead, they decided to stay in town and planned an intimate Hawaiian-themed wedding. Her attention to detail transformed their home into a tropical oasis. Their chuppah was made out of bamboo, guests sat on bamboo chairs, Hawaiian tropical flowers were in abundance and the food had a Hawaiian flair.

She says it's often the little things that guests notice.

"For instance, the party favors for a baby shower we had last year were little baby bottles from a craft store that we stuffed with Jelly Bellies. For drinks, we bought baby bottles, cut off the top of the nipples and put straws inside. After the party, I washed the bottles, added new nipples and donated them to Crisis Nursery. These are simple things that don't cost a lot but people appreciate."

Legendary hotel

"One of the most important things to party planning is that you find a venue that you feel comfortable with and (that) meets your vision," says Tangie Jensen, a senior catering manager at the historic Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix.

Whether you're planning a birthday party for 25 or a fundraiser for 1,000, Jensen says that planning far in advance and selecting a date are crucial, especially at a high-demand hotel such as the Biltmore.

In addition to formal sit-down dinners, the Biltmore also offers more casual options. "We have a steak fry menu where the servers are wearing jeans," explains Stacey Shapiro, another senior catering manager at the Biltmore. "Our culinary team is just amazing. They can do just about anything."

Both say that each event offers a learning opportunity, including one Shapiro experienced five years ago that involved U.S. Vice President Richard Cheney.

"His people wanted him to go from one ballroom to another without being seen. I used pipe and drape in the middle of the hotel lobby to make it work. But I didn't realize what impression that would make on other guests coming into the hotel. I was trying to make it work for the client, but sometimes you need to think of the big picture."

Jensen and Shapiro enjoy getting to know their clients, especially those who return to the Biltmore over the years for family celebrations.

"We recently hosted an 80th birthday party for a lady and her closest friends in Wright's restaurant," says Jensen. "She told me that she and her husband, who passed away recently, celebrated their 60th anniversary party in the Gold Room. We have a lot of family tradition here. Getting to know our clients is the joy of our job. It's about you, it's your party. We want to create your vision."

Vendors

Event Planning
Sophisticated Shindigs, 480-262-3062
sophisticatedshindigs.com

Flowers
By the Bunch, 602-956-6711
bythebunch.com

Food
Levi Catering, 480-593-6899
levicatering.com

Music
Living Energy, 480-425-0700
livingenergy.com

Photography
May Photographic, 480-596-4046
mayphotographic.com

Venue
Arizona Biltmore, 602-955-6600
arizonabiltmore.com

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