Celebrate

by Lauren Conrad

From lifestyle and fashion icon Lauren Conrad—#1 New York Times bestselling author of Lauren Conrad Style and Lauren Conrad Beauty —comes her dazzling and essential guide to entertaining, filled with an inspiring array of lifestyle tips and personal stories and lavishly illustrated with dozens of color photographs throughout. Now that Lauren Conrad has gotten everyone all dressed up and looking their most beautiful, she gives them somewhere to go in this must-have guide to entertaining. Showcasing the same approachable attitude and insight that have made her books smash bestsellers, Lauren Conrad Celebrate shows how easy it is to throw a fantastic party. Filled with lush and inspiring original four-color photos and budget friendly tips, Lauren Conrad Celebrate offers advice about the basics to make planning any type of event a breeze, including suggestions for the perfect invitations, food, drinks, decorations, and gifts. Lauren shows how to put it all together for a diverse range of events that span the calendar, from a charming Baby shower to a festive holiday party. And she packs the book with creative full-color photos and stories from her own life, including her housewarming party, and her recent bridal shower and wedding. Just as her trusted advice has inspired women to look and feel their best, now Lauren Conrad brings out the fabulous party-giver in all of us in this elegant, must-have guide.

Genres: Nonfiction, Coffee Table Books, Fashion, Lifestyle, Cooking, Chick Lit

304 pages, Hardcover

First published April 5, 2016

About the author

Lauren Katherine Conrad, often referred to as "L.C.", is an American television personality and an aspiring fashion designer. She is best known for being featured in the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and for her spin-off show, The Hills, which follows her personal and professional life as she pursues a career in the fashion industry. She earns an estimated $1.5 million annually for her television appearances, fashion line, and product endorsements.

Reviews

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm so disappointed and sad to give this book only 1 star but it doesn't deserve more.



I own 'Style' and 'Beauty' by Lauren as well and they're both way way better books than this one.
I bought 'Celebrate' because my sisters wedding is in September and we were curious on reading more about LCs parties. I mean, I saw so many pictures of her wedding and I know that she loves to throw amazing parties but meh, that was not informative at all.

First of all, this book is so not worth buying. The only good thing about it are the beautiful pictures but that's it. That is all you get for your money. There are like 3 recipes in it and no real advice on anything. The chapters are so short. For example, the Wedding chapter has a special 'Entertainment' section and there is only listed 'The Band' and there she tells us that her husband William is a musician and that he was eager to decide the whole Music business. She tells us that most of her songs are by The Beatles, that they have a live band instead of a DJ and that William sang her one song. BOOM. THAT'S IT!
That is everything on the "Entertainment" part...

This book could've been so good and I normally like LC a lot and I'm excited to read tips and tricks by her but there are not enough good suggestions in this book at all.

It's pretty expensive if you think about it. There is no helpful content.
If you want it laying around as a coffee table book then go for it. If you want to buy it because you are in need of inspiration and tips for a wedding party etc. then leave this book alone and buy something else!

[Tara Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it was definitely more. I admire Lauren Conrad's business acumen, but this read more of a let me dish on my life and these fabulous parties I throw, then a guide on how to throw parties, which to say the least is highly disappointing ( I will note I've never read any of her previous books, so maybe this is her formula) There were some tips in there, however, she gives these sample parties she's apparently thrown with pictures of her and her "friends and family" peppered throughout, without actually providing you with recipes or how-tos in which to recreate theses events. What's the point of giving the menu without the recipes? In fact the Wedding section while (obvi way more) informative as to the details of her own nuptials, gave no insight as to achieve a similar ascetic - other then buy out an orchard and collect vintage brass. Which on a whole other tangent, she gave no less then 3 separate interviews which gave the same information and "tips" to Martha Stewart Weddings magazine. Additionally, her etiquette tips felt pretentious. Lastly, you probably can find all of her "advice" on her website, which actually does give recipes and party ideas... So not worth the time to read.

[Tisha (IG: Bluestocking629) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars.

Ok, first off I need to note I was not a true fan of Lauren Conrad’s prior to reading this book. I’ve never watched her tv shows; I have seen her merchandise in Kohl’s, however I’ve never purchased anything; and finally I’ve never read her fiction books. I have nothing against her, I just didn’t know much of her.

I purchased this book solely for the content. Based on the title and subsequent blurbs I thought it would contain recipes, decorating tips and specific party how-to’s. Now having finished this book I think I need to be banned from buying any more books for at least a week (true hardship) as punishment.

This book is not a how-to throw a good party book so much. It’s more like an auto-biography but it only includes Lauren’s parties. Ahem, I mean soirées.

I can tell LC (can I call you that Lauren?) and I will never throw similar parties. Her’s will never have Red Solo cups, her’s may have valet parking and her’s will usually have a paid bartender. Mine will most likely have Solo cups (I buy pink in October though), you will park on my lawn and you will pick your own beverage out of an Igloo.

With that being said - please LC invite me to one of your parties! I’d LOVE to attend one!

The pictures are glorious! LC absolutely loves a good photo. But...I bet these pics are all over the ‘gram. I did not need to buy the book.

I usually keep my “coffee table books”/lifestyle books, this one I shall be donating however.

It’s not that the book was bad, it just wasn’t for me. LC and I have different lifestyles and travel in different circles. It was mildly entertaining however. Not a terrible read. I like an occasional glimpse of how the other half lives.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading this (mostly picture) book several years ago. It filled my head with dreams of hosting fun and delicious dinner parties and one day planning my wedding.

[Anna Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I feel a bit silly giving 4-star ratings to lifestyle books, as they in no way compare with the excellent narrative novels I give 4 stars to. However, sometimes you need a little fluff to read and something pretty to look at!

I am a fan of Lauren Conrad's line of lifestyle books, and I dig her style. "Celebrate" isn't much in the way of advice sometimes (although there are a few great lists included, such as time markers to get things planned for a wedding). It's split up into 2 big sections: "Prep" (invitations, recipes, etc) and "Party" (mini-sections of events like wedding, brunch, bachelorette, housewarming, etc). The written format of this book is mostly "I threw this kind of party and I did this for food and this for decor and I wore this!" It's more of a peek into Conrad's life than a how-to for your own party planning, unless you want to copy what she did or follow similar guidelines.

BUT - the pictures are gorgeous. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I'm not much of a party planner, but I'd like to be one day, and this book is like a veritable Pinterest of pretty ideas without having to go to the trouble of finding the pictures of the stuff yourself. It's a little impractical, mostly because Lauren Conrad grew up in Laguna Beach (rich), and now has her own fashion lines (rich, rich, rich), and an extremely successful lifestyle business (she's really rich). The things she does for her parties are things I could not hope to afford in my wildest dreams. But the ideas are there for anyone to take and adjust to a more realistic budget.

I bought this mainly to be a coffee table book and for something pretty to look at, and it definitely didn't disappoint me there. I can also use it to serve as inspiration for when I am rich and can throw these types of fetes (if only in my dreams).

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know what otherworldly force compelled me to pick this book up in the library. It was on one of those shelves towards the front where you walk and the librarians chose to put it face-forward, which may have been enough to grab my attention, but I can't explain why I thought I would enjoy reading it. What can I say, Lauren Conrad is really pretty and I would love to look like her.

Sadly, the pretty pictures of her pretty face and her pretty tablescapes are pretty much all this book has to offer. Want advice on planning a party? LC (and her 'co-author' whose name doesn't appear on the front cover) basically just tell you that you should think about the size and budget of the event, and then make sure you have a menu, drinks, invitations, and entertainment. Oh, you wanted to know more? Too bad.

The pictures of various types of parties LC has hosted are the bulk of the content. Yeah there's a bunch of text to go with them, but it's the same generic drivel you can find on any mommy-blogger's Wordpress site. Sorry, that was mean (to mommy-bloggers). Problem with the parties is that there really isn't enough variety. She covers the main types, birthday, wedding shower, baby shower, dinner party, brunch, holiday, etc; but her style is so uniformly pink (or pastel), superfeminine, and floral that they all look the same. There's nothing wrong with wanting to throw a girly pale-pink party with flowers everywhere, but repeated multiple times in a book it becomes dull. The 'Moroccan brunch' was refreshing just because she had a different color palette.

Save yourself the trouble and just scroll through her instagram.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a useful tool for party planning if you happen to already have collections of the following:
Vintage brass candlesticks
Vintage brass vases
Vintage China
Vintage glassware
Your own clothing line


Kay thanks bye.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish it had a section on Halloween! But either way love LC.

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fairly disappointed that the section on throwing a lingerie shower is only one page and has just one small picture.

[Beth Owen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good reference book

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lauren Conrad burst on the scene as a case member of the reality TV show, "Laguna Beach" and then continued her television reign with "The Hills." She remained classy and accessible, an icon for girls my age. Lauren also knew when to quit the TV circuit and go onto bigger and better things in her life. She started two clothing lines and continued to expand her empire with a popular website, series of novels and now this book about celebrating. Clearly, I'm a fan. But I was slightly overwhelmed by Lauren's book. The feelings I had about parties being doable and accessible only lasted a few moments. I did enjoy getting a peek into her well-thought out events, but the numerous collections of vintage plates and glasses that I would have to start felt real unappealing. Ahh...if only I had unlimited money and time to throw parties, as well as a gorgeous house with a backyard in California, perhaps this book would come in more handy. Or Lauren could just invite me to one. Sigh...what if we were best friends. It did have some good basic information in the first couple of chapters about party planning in general and the rest was a look at various events that Lauren hosted such as a dinner party, a clam bake, a bachelorette party, a baby shower, Christmas party, New years party and a housewarming party. My favorite event was her wedding (of course) and I also really liked the baby shower she put on as well as the suggestion to have a "sprinkle" party for the second baby. So cute.

No favorite quotes.

[Morticia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much substance to it. Probably a better blog page than a novel. Reminds me too much of a knock-off west coast 30 something Martha Stewart, except Martha has already covered all of this. I suppose it was meant to appeal to women my age and younger, but I found I skimmed most of it, already informed of most of the material. I also thought it would be more about the breakdown of party types, but it was more flashbacks of her memories to the parties, and what worked for her, or what she wanted. Definitely learned to dislike the word "husband" after what little I read. Too much of "my husband this" and "my husband that". Please. I know you're newly married, but it's making me gag. Not much of the book was very relatable, but I think that should have been expected. I don't come from a similar family background, have the kind of money she does, or the kind of friends she does. That doesn't really impact my review too much, like I said before, it's moreso about the quality and quantity of information, and its real lack of new-ness. It's definitely written for a fanbase.
Overall, I gave it 3 stars, with 1 star given to all the photography, which was well done.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here are some pretty pictures from parties that Lauren has thrown. With an unlimited budget, time and energy, she makes it look easy. Not to discredit her creative talent, which is proven in the pages. (Albeit an OCD level, she would not relinquish the reins even for flower organizing the morning of her wedding. I picture her wedding planner wrestling her to the ground to make her stop and go get her hair and make-up done.) Her other books seemed more instructional and inclusive. You don't need a big budget for red lipstick and black eye liner after all. This book seems to strive to make you feel guilty for not having an unlimited budget, time and energy to plan parties. Not just parties but signature flower arrangements, place settings, menus, drinks, party favors, etc etc. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. And in debt from paying the serving staff, cotton candy machine rental and tent company for my friend's roommate's cousin's birthday party.

[Meryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

It feels silly to be rating a lifestyle, fluffy book such as this but (1) I'm a big unabashed fan of Lauren Conrad since her Laguna Beach days, (2) I'm currently into this whole decorating/cooking/baking phase and (3) I managed to snag a rare signed copy of this book at a local book fair.

The tips and tricks aren't legendary or groundbreaking - if you spend hours online, I'm sure you'll find something similar on Pinterest. What I found delightful was getting to peek behind the scenes into Lauren's life and how she celebrated her personal milestones, like throwing her own bridal shower and preparing for her wedding to moving into her new home and having a housewarming party.

The little personal anecdotes, like a story of how her then-boyfriend proposed to her or how she enjoyed her first authentic clambake in the East Coast, were like little Easter eggs for me. The gorgeous set ups, stylings and photos were also such a treat.

[Sara Guy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Lauren Conrad’s lifestyle book Celebrate. This is the first time that i have read one if her books, but I’ve read a few of her blogs before and always thought she had good advice. Reading this book made me kind of feel like I was reading a modern day version of Emily Post, especially her suggestions on etiquette. Etiquette and manners are sometimes overlooked, but really make a last impression.
I gave the book 4 stars because although I’d love to throw parties the way she has outlined and so beautifully laid out, it’s really not realistic for my budget or my mom lifestyle. Maybe pre mom life i could’ve had these beautiful parties, but then again my financial situation would have still limited me to have the parties she laid out. Oh to be rich and young. The book has beautiful photos and sounds like such a great time, it gives me hope that maybe one day I can be an awesome party planner.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Olen uppoutunut aiemminkin Lauren Conradin upeisiin, kauniisiin ja nopealukuisiin kirjoihin. Beauty ja Style olivat täynnä kauniita kuvia, kivoja vinkkejä ja kirjoitustyyliä, joka sai illuusion keskustelusta parhaan tyttöystäväsi kanssa. Celebrate - ihana elämä jatkaa tällä tyylilinjalla.

Pidin kirjasta oikein paljon! Innostuin uudelleen juhlien suunnittelusta, niiden viettämisestä ja ennen kaikkea siitä, että saisin viettää aikaa läheisteni kanssa. Lauren Conrad muistutti kirjansa avulla minua monesta tärkeästä seikasta; myös naisellisista, ihanista asuista ja somistamisen ihanuudesta.

Nappasin yhden tähden alkuperäisestä arvostelustani pois, koska kirjassa toistettiin muutamaa hokemaa monessa kappaleessa. Miinuspiste on annettava myös siitä, että tämä kirja herätti hirvittävän halun juoda skottiviskiä. En haluaisi rikkoa kolmen vuoden absolutismiani yhden kirjan tähden...

[Dana Al-Basha | دانة الباشا · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost 10 years have passed since I first heard of Lauren Conrad. I bought all her books and The Hills DVDs, she was and still is my number one style inspiration. Now she has released her third lifestyle book and it's about entertaining.



One of my favorite subjects because it includes many people that we love in one place. Entertaining is about style, food, laughter, music, creativity, fun and love.



I was upset about one thing, in every section there was many amazing dishes but no recipes, I really wish Lauren would make a cookbook with all her favorite recipes.

[Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Lauren Conrad. I'm not sure why. She's not that great an actress. I watched a couple episodes of her show out of curiosity and it was rather boring. I think it was designated a "reality show," but did not represent any reality I've ever seen. She may have been the most "real" person on the show since the other main actresses were caricatures of Hollywood. Perhaps it's because she's written more than half a dozen books including some novels. This book is not like many books by celebrities. It's not about her but about celebrations, planning for them, and carrying them out, with lots of details including recipes. It that sense it's a useful publication and delivers what it promises.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was obviously gorgeous, but I could have seen similar gorgeous photos by scrolling through Conrad's Instagram account. There were a few good ideas I suppose, but this book was lacking in any of the how-to aspects I thought a book like this might have...recipes, DIY instructions, etc. Good inspiration but not much substance. Mostly it just made me a little jealous that I'm not living a life full of beautiful things and fabulous parties and such lol

[Morgan Niecikowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this book is a great way to prepare for any kind of gathering you're planning to have. In this book Lauren Conrad gives many ideas of what kind of people to invite to the gathering, how big that certain gathering should be, and anything you really have questions about in order to prepare. I recommend this book to anyone if they're the type of person that stressed out about having any kind of party.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Photos! This book is a print version of #OverTheTop but gorgeous and stunning party decor. Commentary was light and a quick read- more of a glimpse into LC's lifestyle, but interesting to see #HollywoodGlamour. Although price and scale are beyond the average person, LC's passion for decor and themes is engaging and inspiring. An enjoyable #Lifestyle read. Lauren Conrad #MillennialsMarthaStewart

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. We don't currently entertain much in our home, but I feel that in the next few years I will be pulling a number of ideas from this book. I loved the amazing photos within the book, especial of the Moroccan brunch tea table.
Anyone is just starting out in adult life and entertaining would benefit from a copy of this book.

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some parts are unbearably basic (descriptions of each type of popular wines), but the party planning ideas are fun and, in my assessment, useful. For $17 on Amazon, it's like a very pretty party planning magazine.

[T · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy from the publisher via a Goodreads Giveaway.

Your typical celebrity "lifestyle" book. It's basically Goop-lite meets Pinterest. If you have oodles of spare time and enjoy being a hostess (or host), then this would probably be right up your alley.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Lauren, but this book felt like a blog post with beautiful photos. There wasn't any real world advice in here for normal people who are on a budget. If you have a lot of money and want throw parties using "vintage" items as she describes then this your book!

[Daniela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a lot of party tips. It gives you full details of does and don’ts for each type of celebration. But I think some ideas are un real because of the recipes and the costs. The photography is just delightful:

[Al Swaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I have always been interested in event planning and this was such a fun read, it makes me want to plan a party! If you love party planning, cooking, and crafting, you will absolutely love this!!

[Marshall Rivers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. As an inspiring Event Planner, it has taught me so much I need to know. It's given me the tools I need to continue with event planner. Lauren has served as my quiet event planner mentor. I hope she begins a YouTube soon, so we can get more visuals on her party planner ways soon.

[Stefanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Pretty pictures but unless I win the lottery there's a good chance I won't be planning any of her ideas, unless I scale it back.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice pictures with good tips