Entertaining, Styled: 'Parties are no Place for Minimalism' – Events Planner Extraordinaire, Rebecca Gardner, Reveals Her Magic Formula For a Wild and Whimsical Celebration

Meet the Woman Behind Houses & Parties

Rebecca Gardner founded her interior and events design company, Houses & Parties, a decade ago, before opening her online store in the same name, selling luxury 'unnecessaries for memorable occasions' in 2020. What she doesn't know about creating incredible dinner party themes and sparkling cocktail parties isn't worth knowing.

In her book, A Screaming Blast: Exceptional Entertaining (Rizzoli at Amazon), Rebecca shares the story of how her passion for parties came about: 'As a girl, I would spend an entire year designing my own birthday party,' she explains. 'My mother was a willing accomplice. One year, I had a fashion show-themed party for all my little girlfriends, and the driveway became a runway, a glamorous local newscaster was the MC, and I was the bride at the end – shining in white polyester.'

Today, of course, Rebecca's events are far more refined, but not without the fun and excess. She does not do anything by halves – in fact she describes herself as 'a professional exaggerator'. Rebecca's 'more the merrier' motto sums up her approach to party planning, and this applies to everything from the guest list and the food to the decor. Her joyfully maximalist events, from 300-person weddings to intimate gatherings, are a melting pot of excitement, frivolity, and most of all, fun, with plenty of surprises thrown in for good measure (think inflatable out-of-this-world entrances to miniature zebra ornaments peeking from under the floral displays). 'I wanted to bring elements that make for a raucous good time to a market that was already full of beautiful tabletops,' Rebecca explains.

Here she reveals the secrets to her abundant and expressionist aesthetic and how to host a party that ensures everyone has a 'screaming blast.'

Pop Art Plates, Luxe Linens and Over-sized Tablecloths

'My party ethos applies to all events, and honestly, I think that any time that we gather, even if it's for a simple Sunday lunch with people you love, it's a party,' shares Rebecca. In her book, Rebecca reveals her tried and trusted resources for the best in the industry – a little black book of sorts – from where to buy amazing marzipan fruit (Fortnum&Mason) to the most beautiful double-face satin ribbon.

'Right now, my favorite plates are the Lexington plates by Haviland and Parlon (at Gracious Style). They're modern and have a thick Chartreuse rim with a little gold edge,' shares Rebecca. She says that they look 'almost like Pop Art on their own' but also work well mixed with something more formal. And while this acidic greenish yellow may not seem like an obvious choice for a party, Rebecca explains 'chartreuse is a twisted color. It's what I call a dirty pastel – a weird and unexpected color – you can mix it with pretty much anything you have and make it fresh.'

When it comes to glassware, the Latticino tumblers by glassblower, Tracy Glover, at Houses & Parties are a favorite of Rebecca's. 'She makes two styles – the tumbler and a goblet – and I have them in all different colours as they're fun to mix and match,' she explains.

'And nothing says "I don't care" like a paper napkin,' exclaims Rebecca. 'Great table linen should be important to everyone – it's paramount.' She favors beautiful appliquéd linens. 'We also have our own Houses & Parties linens that are made in Madeira in shoppable collections, so you can buy a party, soup to nuts,' Rebecca explains. 'And I also love those French-style linen napkins with chunky monograms that you see at the fairs.' These embroidered napkins from H&M Home capture the look perfectly. In fact, she's thought of everything for the discerning party host, including tablecloths which are big enough to cover a long table setting, and even hide the unsightly legs. 'They cover all sins,' she says.

An Abundance of Simple But Delicious Food to Surprise and Delight

When it comes to the food, Rebecca is realistic about what is achievable, particularly when catering for a large group. 'Even if you have the most established, experienced caterer, they're never going to be able to serve a meal to a lot of people as if it's a restaurant, so, please don't serve Dover sole,' she says.

For Rebecca, it's about quality food that's manageable on a large scale and just giving your guests something good to eat, such as family-style dishes that don't have to be served piping hot. 'I love anything Ottolenghi (try the recipes from his Essential Ottolenghi Book Set from Amazon), so when I'm planning a menu for a party that's not in a restaurant, his recipes are really easy for anyone to make, as long as you have all those spices lined up, like a mad scientist – once you get your science station together, the craft of the cooking is quite approachable,' she adds. 'The recipes are substantial and delicious and sophisticated in flavour, but not hard to create.'

And this elevated simplicity extends into dessert, too. 'It's so fun to have little nibbles or friandise,' she says. 'There's a Parisian chocolatier called La Mer de Famille, which has the most wonderful novelty candies, beautifully packaged. So even if you just serve coffee and chocolates, you have a fabulous dessert.' And her hack if you're serving cake? 'The best cake is a grocery store cake. I like to mush in some fabulous candies, like the ones from Marchesi 1824, to make it feel like a party piece.'

Set the Tone and Don't Forget the Lagniappe (the Little Extras)

Another mantra of Rebecca's is 'low light, strong drinks.' Candlelight is a non-negotiable, 'but I avoid scent like the plague,' she says. 'If you're serving food, that's the only thing you want to be able to smell'. She likes to mix a variety of tall candlesticks and short votives, 'so you have flattering light at all heights. I dim the lights, like a panther's cave,' she adds.

Rebecca studied at Savannah College of Art and Design, before going on to work there, creating events and designing interiors, which is when she started collaborating with artists and artisans to commission specialist pieces – something that she brings into her work today. 'A real signature of Houses & Parties is that we make things that no one else has,' explains Rebecca. 'We work with our clients to create little worlds, just for them.'

The last thing Rebecca does is to add lagniappe (pronounced Lanyap) – a Cajun word meaning 'a little something extra' – the finishing touches and flourishes that really make her parties stand out from the crowd. 'This could be teeny little ceramic insects peeking through flower blossoms. It could be some of our Houses & Parties hand-marbled party crackers, which are full of crazy party tricks and prompts, like: 'do your best Mick Jagger impression, or giant diamond earrings and tulle opera gloves.'

Another example of lagniappe could be really beautiful, wrapped candies, just scattered on the table as if Santa dropped them there, or fortune cookies. 'Any little surprise that you can tuck onto the table'.

When questioned on what she wants her guests to feel at one of her parties, Rebecca concludes, 'I want them to know that this 24 inches was created just for them, with book ends for conversation, that they're meant to have fun – put on those diamond earrings, open their party crackers, drink a lot of wine and enjoy themselves,' which I think sums up her lively spirit of fun, wonderfully.

Essential Buys for a Screaming Blast of a Party

In our Entertaining, Styled series, we spotlight tastemakers known for their effortless hosting style. Each feature opens the doors to their rituals of getting party-ready – from the linens they lay to the music that sets the mood and the finishing touches they swear by – with resources from their little black books of expertly-sourced designers and brands, so you can recreate the look at home.