Jes Gordon: Holiday Parties

EXCLUSIVELY FOR CHANGEUPMAG.COM READERS: Go to www.twitter.com/jesgordon and make your own suggestion on How to Cheapify a Party. FIVE winners chosen at random will win a copy of Party Like a Rock Star. Lux or less, the party expert is Jes Gordon.

By Jackie Cular

Jes Gordon has been planning parties large and small for over twenty years; the author of Party Like a Rock Star: a celebrity party planner’s tips and tricks for throwing an unforgettable bash even knows how to throw a bash on a budget. Her book exhibits celebrations that are elaborate, simple, expensive, and discount. It offers tips and tricks to cutting corners, setting a budget, and sticking to it—all while still throwing an amazing celebration.

Gordon shares a genius idea for alternative holiday meal planning. In an exclusive interview she suggests, “the potluck dinner! Give yourself some financial relief by letting your guests share their favorite holiday recipes for dinner, or décor items for the ones who can’t boil water.” Many guests will enjoy participating in the creation of the celebration. Often, if there are numerous guests being invited, there will be a greater possibility for leftovers. Everyone gets another chance to enjoy an almost-free meal.

One way to throw a lush party during the winter holidays, while saving money at the same time, is to be realistic. Gordon says, “The smartest thing to do is to keep your guest list strictly to the folks that you really want to be at your party.” She says that allowing hangers-on, extended family, and friends of friends can stretch a party budget way beyond its means. Gordon’s book explains the need for a party budget and insists that once the budget is set, it is also adhered to.

(from Gordon’s book)

A Template for Budgeteers!

1. Venue

A. Location fees (room rental charge, per head fee, plating charge, corkage fee)

B. Home party fees (cleaning costs for surfaces, maid service before and after the event)

C. Bathroom amenities (plunger, brushes, room spray, candles, toiletries, soaps, towels, mints)

D. Dinnerware

E. Outdoor maintenance

F. Trash bags, fire extinguishers, ashtrays, sand buckets

G. Designated parking areas, orange cones, valets

H. Coat-check people

I. Security

J. Air-conditioning, heaters, or fans

K. Portable restrooms

II. Food and Drink *This section can vary*

A. Placed nibblets, hors d’oeuvres, main courses, desserts

B. Cooking equipment

C. Caterer, waitstaff, tipping for servers

D. Food delivery/pickup

E. Alcohol (beer, wine, champagne, hard liquor, juice, soft drinks, bottled water…)

III. Entertainment

IV. Décor

V. Invitations

VI. Miscellaneous Costs

A. Your beauty budget (party clothes, trips to the salon, etc.)

B. Photography, film costs

C. Transportation for the tipsy

D. Insurance and permits

E. Parting gifts

Gordon realizes that many hosts want to indulge their guests with holiday spoils. Her book also features “10 Easy Ways to Cheapify Your Party.”

1. Edit your guest list.
2. Change the date. “If you are renting a venue, throw your party on a Friday night or Sunday afternoon rather than paying the much higher-priced rate on Saturday evening.
3. Keep it short and sweet. “You don’t need to party for a hundred hours.”
4. Go disposable.
5. Find The One. “For decorations, pick one thing you adore and go with that.”
6. Look beneath the top shelf. “For alcohol, you don’t need to buy top of the line.”
7. Buy in bulk.
8. Find workable spaces.
9. Go indoors.
10. Use in-house stuff.

A party just isn’t festive without alcohol, for many guests. This is one area where many party hosts blow their budget. Besides Gordon’s holiday theme cocktails, previously featured here at ChangeUpMag.com, the party planner provides readers with an extensive cheap wines selection. For the bubbly, Gordon recommends, “Freixenet Cordon Negro ($15), Korbel Blanc de Noirs ($12), and Codorniu Napa Brut Cava Classico ($11).” For white wines, Gordon suggests, “Pacific Rim Riesling ($10), Berger Gruner Veltliner ($13), and Juan de Alzate Rioja Blanco ($12).” For a good inexpensive red, try “Marques de Caceres Rioja Crianza ($13) and Big House Red ($10).” Party Like a Rock Star also lists beers and cocktails that won’t bust a budget.

Jes Gordon is currently filming episodes of her reality show, which is set to debut in the Fall of 2010. Her daily sugJEStions and giveaways can be found on her Facebook page. EXCLUSIVELY FOR CHANGEUPMAG.COM READERS: Go to www.twitter.com/jesgordon and make your own suggestion on How to Cheapify a Party. FIVE winners chosen at random will win a copy of Party Like a Rock Star. Lux or less, the party expert is Jes Gordon.