Dress (Red Dress Boutique) | Shoes (Soludos)
Happy Friday! Another weekend is here and I couldn’t be more excited. As much as I hate it, I always tend to ‘live for the weekends’ in the summer! And one of my favorite things to do on a summer weekend is to entertain my friends and family. Whether my high school girlfriends are driving out to the Hamptons for the ultimate girls weekend or a few friends stop by my NYC apartment, there is something about summer that gives me so much more energy to entertain in style.
When you are working all week, entertaining definitely isn’t the easiest and sometimes could feel exhausting before you even start prepping but throughout the years my mom (who is truly the hostess with the mostest) has shared a few easy and attainable tips to turn any moment into a classy affair.
1| Set the Scene. Whether it is a 2-3 person bachelor viewing party or a gala, you always want to set the tone for the gathering. This might mean putting on your favorite Spotify playlist to play softly in the background or picking up a bouquet of in-season flowers to display on your entry table, these little details immediately let your guests know that you’ve prepared for their arrival and they haven’t ‘caught you by surprise.’
2| Always serve hors d’oeuvres. This is a mama Goldstein must! Seriously for as long as I can remember my mom always had snacks at the ready. Whether my friends were coming over for an evening or she was entertaining my dad’s business partners, hors d’oeuvres were just as important. You may be thinking, ‘what if we are going out to dinner afterward?’ or ‘It’s just a pregame party!’ I promise you, your guests will always eat. Of course, what you serve will be dependent on the occasion, but I find charcuterie and cheese boards (as pictured here) to be a good go-to. They offer a variety of options, they are actually filling and usually pair well with your favorite glass of wine. 🍷
3 | Presentation Matters. You may think putting a bag of potato chip on the table gets the job done, but it honestly feels lazy and isn’t at all welcoming to your guests. Nobody wants to be the first one to open the bag and who wants to be reaching their hand in all night?! This one kinda goes back to ‘setting the scene,’ if you want your guests to feel comfortable in your home, break out a nice glass bowl and pour in those chips!
4 | Diversify the beverages. I’m definitely not saying that you need a fully stocked bar, but don’t go all-in on one sort of beverage unless you are 100% sure nobody at the gathering would prefer something else. For example, don’t only get one type of wine because SO many people have a preference for red or white. That’s actually why I like stocking up on Cappola Wine’s Diamond Collection in our apartment. For a pretty decent price point (~$20 per bottle) you can always have a few bottles of white and red at the ready. It’s also important to have a few non-alcoholic options. My personal favorite is buying the individual sized San Pellegrino bottles, not only are they thirst quenching for anyone who is just plain thirsty, they al
5| Have Fun. Nobody likes a stressed-out hostess and it honestly just makes your guests feel guilty for accepting your invitation. If things get overwhelming ask one of your guests for help or actually accept the help when someone offers, I promise you aren’t putting ANYONE out whatsoever.
I hope some of you are off entertaining this weekend or at least enjoying time with friends and family because that is what Summer is really all about.
