“I am constantly inspired by the world around me—fashion, flowers, jewelry, travel, design, gardens and architecture, and I found myself constantly combining these inspirations into various types of parties with family and friends,” says hostess Stephanie Booth Shafran, whose first book You’re Invited: Classic, Elegant Entertaining came out last month. “My husband and I have a large blended family and we entertain frequently and I wanted to share these experiences to inspire others, as I find entertaining at home a wonderful gift to all.”
And you will definitely be inspired by this 240-page, gorgeously photographed book, which showcases eight different parties—a charity lunch, a pool party—with ideas on colors, menus (with specific recipes to match) and ways to make the party special and seamless.
Her top tip? “If you are having fun, your guests will have fun! Be gracious and welcoming…the tone is set the minute the guests walks in the door, so I prefer to greet guests and make them feel welcomed and excited for the evening ahead,” she says.
