The inspiration we need to decorate our autumn dinner party
Leaves are changing, the pumpkin spice candle is burning, the days are getting shorter and we’re craving a good dinner party with family and friends to make the most of the cozy evenings. And oh, did we mention our favourite hostess? A couple of months ago, we came across Esselle and we have been waiting in anticipation to start planning our fall dinner party ever since.
Esselle offers expertise when you are planning your dinner party, whether it’s colours, settings, food or decorations, the team at Esselle will transform any event to a magical wonderland. Cozy up in your cashmere jumper that has been dying to escape from the back of your closet and jump right into your first get-together of the fall season.
You might think… “Where do I even start when planning a dinner party?”
“Give yourself enough time to plan. Start with the basic: What’s the occasion? What kind of food do I want to serve? Then think about the appropriate décor that suits the occasion and food. Oh, and don’t forget to prepare good music!” Sandy tells us.
Sandy is one of the two co-founders behind Esselle and together with Sherry, the duo work hard to give every event that special spark and warm feeling. We learnt that it was destiny that brought the idea of tableware and dinner parties together. Both Sandy and Sherry loved attending and throwing dinner parties (what girl doesn’t?), but never thought that a business would come out of it. A certain Thanksgiving dinner party back in 2012 sparked the idea and inspired the two friends to come together and continue the journey of styling and planning the décor for dinner parties.
With the festive season right around the corner, we at Your Coffee Break couldn’t wait to sit down with the two ladies to learn more about their creations and get some insider tips on what every girl should think about when prepping for that big get-together: the dinner party.
“We recognize how much time it takes to prepare a beautiful tablescape, so we created the hostess box with a modern hostess in mind and want to make the party planning effortless for her,” Sherry says.
Esselle’s famous ‘Hostess boxes’ are one of the most popular and they are the perfect way to get started. They include essentials such as a table runner, straws, napkins, place card holders, a centrepiece, tissue pom poms, a tea light candleholder and confetti. Each hostess box has a unique style and personality, so the names of them are fitting to the age of each design and theme. A favourite right now is Felicity, which is designed for a gold and white wintery holiday party.
The duo provide reusable items in the hostess boxes to be gentle to the environment. Sherry and Sandy make sure they include handmade or vintage pieces in the boxes, which makes each box individually unique. The small details in each hostess box are what make the perfect tablescape for each intimate dinner party.
As far as vintage go, we are loving the small touches throughout the decor and this is what makes Esselle stand out amongst others.“We love mixing and matching modern and vintage pieces, it adds a certain charm to the table,” Sandy tells YCB. Both Sherry and Sandy love to go vintage shopping, especially on a cool, rainy Autumn day and it’s by far one of their favourite weekend activities when they are not working. Their love started with furniture and then slowly went into unique tabletop pieces.
A great table décor is just as important as being a good hostess for the night. After all, the hostess is the superwoman. But what makes the perfect hostess? “I think that a good hostess is thoughtful, but more importantly, she is able to enjoy her own party with her guests,” said Sandy. A hostess who is able to relax and chat with her friends after planning a whole party should be applauded. That is hard work, but well deserved in the end. By throwing dinner parties, you are creating an experience for your friends and family, so when everybody is laughing and enjoying themselves, your job is done.
Just like the décor does, delicious, nourishing food brings people together. The smell of a good homemade meal when you walk into a friend’s party is enough to make any party a success. It creates conversation, an instant bond, and who doesn’t like some home cooking? After all, fall is our favourite time of year for eating; “Food is everything! Growing up, my family would sit and have dinner together every single night, and it was the best time. Everyone was so busy during the day, eating was the only time all of us can be together and talk. I think food tastes better when shared, too,” Sherry says.
Dinner parties are a great way to just sit back and remember that life is pretty darn good, and there’s no reason not to celebrate with food and wine! And you don’t need a special occasion to put together a table full of delicious comfort food for your loved ones. Whether it is a huge dinner party, or something a little more intimate, the décor and food are best around when shared with your friends and family.
For more information, please visit: www.essellesf.com
Photo courtesy of: Open Door Cinematography, Vintage Ambiance & Nona Design Studio
