Fete Accompli!: The Ultimate Guide To Creative Entertaining

by Lara Shriftman, Elizabeth Harrison, Karen Robinovitz

Throwing a successful party requires a lot more than a well-stocked bar and good music. As public relations experts whose job it is to produce events that make a lasting impression, Lara Shriftman and Elizabeth Harrison know it’s the details that make the difference. Now you, too, can organize any party, for 10 guests or 1,000, on a budget of $50 or $500,000, from creating the concept right down to saying goodbye at the end of the night. Chic tips, creative ideas, irresistible recipes, and all the countless ingredients that make a party sizzle are at your fingertips in this hip and handy guide to becoming an event planner extraordinaire. You’ll find the experts’ best advice

Creating a concept and a budget for any kind of party

Choosing the right location, whether you keep it cozy at home, camp out at the beach, or rent a local club

Designing invitations, from classic to kitschy

Setting the mood with lighting, music, flowers, furniture, décor, and all the little touches that make a party extra fab

Stocking a thirst-quenching home bar, whipping up smart cocktails, and thinking of innovative ways to serve it all up in style

Whetting the appetites of your guests, using insider secrets from chefs and tips on how to make fast food sophisticated, with sample menus for classic cocktail parties, luncheons, late-night bashes, and more

Being a flawless host—or guest—with proper etiquette guidelines, gift ideas, Table Setting 101, and the 411 on posing for the camera

Producing a party from beginning to end with colorful case studies and detailed instructions for eight fierce fêtes, such as a Hamptons-style clambake, a Barbie theme party, an Indian dinner on a $200 budget, and a mani-pedi party

Re-creating our favorite drinks and dishes from the best restaurants and bars all over the world, like Nobu, Asia de Cuba, Trader Vic’s, Bungalow 8, the Delano Hotel, and Indochine

Getting what you need. There’s a complete resource guide in the back, not to mention savvy tips from Puff Daddy, Russell Simmons, Lara Flynn Boyle, David Copperfield, Hugh Jackman, and Donald Trump.

272 pages, Hardcover

First published August 31, 2004

About the author

Luxury, fashion, and lifestyle expert Lara Shriftman co-founded Harrison & Shriftman in 1995. The agency specializes in public relations, marketing and events for high-profile luxury brands. Harrison & Shriftman currently has 50 employees spanning three offices in New York, Los Angeles and Miami.

Over the years, Lara has assisted in building world-class brands that include Juicy Couture, Jimmy Choo, W Hotels and Grey Goose. Harrison & Shriftman’s impressive client list continues to expand its reach within the global market.

A 2002 top entrepreneurial leader in Inc. magazine’s list of 500 fastest growing private companies, Harrison & Shriftman joined Omnicom Group, the world’s largest communication company in 2003.

Lara and partner Elizabeth Harrison have authored four books on entertaining: Fete Accompli (Random House, Clarkson Potter; fall 2004), Fete Accompli Workbook( Random House, Clarkson Potter; July 2005), Party Confidential (Bulfinch Press, a division of Time Warner Book Group; November 2006), and Party Confidential: New Etiquette for Fabulous Entertaining (St. Martin’s, July 2008). A line of Party Confidential products were launched on HSN in September, 2007.

Lara has been touted as a fashion/entertaining/PR “expert” in newspapers and magazines including Vanity Fair, Elle, Glamour, Seventeen, Daily Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Departures, The New York Times, The New York Post, Los Angeles Times and WWD.
Lara served as a contributor and editor to Tribune Media’s Distinction Magazine, The Miami Herald’s Home & Design, Brilliant, Q, Departures, LA Confidential, Quest and Hamptons, and has been a featured guest on The TODAY Show, E!, Extra, The Megan Mullally Show, and FOX’s Friends and Family.

Lara currently serves as a correspondent for EXTRA! with her own segment, Party Confidential and serves as a contributing editor for the website celebrations.com.

Lara and Elizabeth were honored by BizBash and inducted into their “Hall of Fame” as great event partners at their Event Style Expo in 2008.

Also in 2008, Lara was awarded the Hollywood Stylemaker Award at the Hollywood Life Magazine Style Awards.

Check out www.partyconfidential.com for imaginative tips and suggestions to inspire a unique and imaginative get-together!

Reviews

[Geraldine Navarrette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far the Ultimate Ultimate Party Planning Guide. It is an absolute MUST have for any party planner or party girl! These girls definitely got it going on! If you love to host glamorous,easy,fun-filled, unique and stress free get togethers then you have to use the Fete Accompli Bible...er I mean workbook. Go see for yourself!

[Geraldine Navarrette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Fete Accompli I managed to host a really awesome and fun surprise party in my studio (read: closet) and make a cake tower out of Entenmann donuts! Fete Accompli is my complete go-to guide from now on!

[DeBora Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has helped me plan my parties. So I am forever thankful to this book for helping me with decorations, ideas, statistics, etc.