Entertaining

Inspiring Memories!

Setting the Mood

The secret to a Perfect Party is to create the best - Atmosphere...Ambiance...Feel...Mood. You want your guests to feel comfortable and welcome. The best way to achieve these goals is by incorporating the five senses into your event; sight...smell...hearing...touch...and taste.

Sight

• Lighting is the an essential element in creating the perfect look. Candles are the most flattering light. For instance, a candle light dinner is more romantic than a dinner for two with full light.
• Decor to match your theme can be as easy as a few well placed, rose petals on your table for a romantic dinner.
• Attractive food presentation can also be stimulating. Using fresh herbs or fruit to garnish an otherwise plain tray makes it even more intriguing.
• Colour is the easiest way to decorate. Always try to balance your warm and cool colors.

Color Key

Red - life force, passion, anger, hunger, too much makes people irritable

Green - nature, fresh, relaxing, soft green has a healing feeling, this is a receding color

Orange - creativity, affordability, sexuality toned down is warm, friendly, both genders like equally, great accent to greens and blues, discourages appetite

Blue - communication, teaching, dark blue - authority, money light blue - fantasy, flighty, makes you feel cooler

Yellow - caution, adds life, pops 1st color the retina sees

Purple - noble, high energy, people respond most to lavenders and blues

Pastel - love, happy, calming, soothing things taste better in pink

Brown - trust, safe, people feel the most comfort

White -purity, a powerful backdrop

Black - protection, most powerful combination is black and white

Smell - The most universal favourite smell is apple cinnamon. A great tip is to time the baking of your apple pie, or any dessert, to come out of the oven just before your guest arrive so your home is encompassed by the mouth-watering aroma. Scented candles are another subtle way to enhance the smell senses of your guests. Remember not to place scented candles at the dinner table as it masks the aroma of the food you worked so hard to prepare. Air fresheners are a wonderful way to freshen a favorite room of your pet. Subtlety is the key to smell. Overpowering smells can work against your goal of home comfort.

Hearing - An easy way to create atmosphere is to have music playing. What better way to create Italian Gourmet Night, than to have Dean Martin singing Amoure in the background. Or the Beach Boys singing California Girls at your Beach Party! Another interesting sound is water falling. This is a universally relaxing and soothing accent.

Touch - Choose dishware and cutlery for their structural character. Cut glass has a classic feel. Touch may also be achieved by using various textured fabrics for your table linens, napkins and placemats.

Taste - From a candy dish with mints to the most lavish dinner affairs, taste may be easily introduced. Setting the tone with your menu selections will help to unify your theme.