Party Confidential

by Lara Shriftman, Elizabeth Harrison, Jeff Vespa (Photographer)

The stars of the UPN show "Get This Party Started" provide an all-access pass to some of their most exclusive and creative A-list events. Packed with imaginative tips and suggestions, "Party Confidential" is sure to inspire unique and extraordinary get-togethers of all kinds. Includes food & drink recipes. 250 color photos.

Genres: Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published November 3, 2006

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

[Sarah Gibson]

I find it extremely difficult to take this or any book this author writes seriously, especially after reading that her entire life is a complete fraud (and people who went to HS with her concur - instead of being a self-proclaimed 'debutante' who kept a horse at her country club, drove a Mercedes, and had a CEO dad of a natural food company, she grew up in Jacksonville, went to a public school with no horse and no Mercedes (unless we're calling Acura Integras by a different name). The only truth she can claim is that she is a professional liar who has managed to fool a lot of people that she had any type of talent for anything, but now is a washed up single mother who had to move back to her humble roots in Florida with her tail between her legs.

[Geraldine Navarrette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you ever want to host a stress free party but didn't know how to start, what to order, and of course how to budget for it? Then count on Party Confidential to save you from the faux pas DON'TS and help you with the fete accompli DO's! This book is packed with tips and insightful ideas to help you get through the planning, execution, and the thank yous with any kind of party! Party Confidential will be your absolute life saver... I know it!

[Geraldine Navarrette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aside from all the pretty celebrity pictures, I must say that all the tips and suggestions are very necessary to keep in mind when hosting your next soiree. I loved that they included a drink and food recipes index. I too can have a taste of David Copperfield's Black Magic Martini!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually thought that this book was helpful, My favorite section was a series of tips about how to exit a party gracefully--especially if you need to leave early.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aside from the D list celebs and hyper-Hollywood cheesiness, I did find some helpful hints in here.