This summer, gather your favorite girls and guys and have an elegant affair of your own without breaking the bank. With your favorite swimsuit in tow, turn a typical pool party from drab to fab! Below, Andrea provides tips and tricks to throw a low cost bash in style.
Tip #1 – Save Money on Food with a “Daytime” Party
According to Andrea, having a party during the daytime versus at night will save major bucks. “When it comes to the food, people’s expectations are usually much higher at nighttime events,” says Andrea. Typically “PM” parties require more appetizers followed by dinner and dessert. “You can get away with less expensive food and less of a spread at a day time poolside gathering,” Andrea continues.
Tip #2 – Lights, Candles, Action! Save on an Inexpensive Décor
Create a show-stopping and festive backyard presentation with simple and inexpensive decorations and accessories. “Lawn chairs and table clothes are great, but don’t shy away from stored away Christmas lights, colorful tea candles and paper hanging lanterns,” says Andrea. It’s the small things that add grandeur and charm to any party! These stylish decorations will cost under $30 and you’ll have them ready for the next bash!
Tip #3 – Arrange Your Own Tunes
Who says you have to hire a professional DJ to keep the party going? Instead of shelling out hundreds of dollars, create a playlist of your favorite summer time tunes on your iPod and connect it to speakers. Voila! A DJ sure to play the tunes you and your friends want to hear for the cost-efficient price of…zero!
Tip #4 – Bottoms Up! Establish a Signature Drink
Every party should have a signature drink, but that doesn’t mean it has to be an expensive one. Impress your guests with large bell glasses filled with red wine Sangria. For an extra flair, insert the Sangria recipe into a colorful picture frame next to the Sangria. Don’t stop there! Make Sangria ice-cubes by placing one, canned mandarin orange slice in each compartment of two ice cube trays. Fill each with red wine and freeze. Serve with Sangria. Supplement the Sangria with bottles of sodas and beers.
Tip #5 – Skip Filet Mignons and Grill Skirt Steak Instead
Don’t break the bank on Filet Mignon and Porterhouse steaks at your backyard bash. Skirt steak is a fabulous choice and costs at fraction of the price of the higher end favorites. Skirt steak is a thin cut of meat, making it great to marinate and cook on the grill, as it soaks up the seasoning very well and cooks quickly. It's one of the most flavorful steak cuts, but also one of the tougher ones too, which is another reason why it's so great to marinate. Decadent marinades make skirt steaks exceptionally delicious when grilled.
Andrea Correale created Elegant Affairs, a full-service, off-premise catering and event design firm which is considered one of the best on Long Island, Manhattan and in the Hamptons. Since its inception more than 15 years ago, Elegant Affairs has served over 1400 events a year with razor sharp attention to detail.
Elegant Affairs has satisfied some of the world's most discriminating palates such as L.A. Reid, Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon, Brooke Shields, Russell Simmons, the Trumps, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey, the Stillers, Bebe Neuwirth, Kelly Ripa, and Kim Cattrall, to name a few.
Elegant Affairs has been featured on VH1's The Fabulous Life of the Hamptons, The Real Housewives of New York City, and MTV's True Life. Besides being a celebrity caterer, Andrea has worked with budgets big and small to plan fetes ranging from million dollar weddings to an intimate dinner party for ten. For more information, please visit: http://www.elegantaffairscaterers.com
