Newsletter Archive

Summer is approaching and wedding season is upon us! Recently, I have had the honor of attending a few lovely weddings, and I was inspired to share a few wedding guest reminders. What one word is considered inappropriate to say to a bride? Traditionally, “Congratulations” is never said to a bride! Why? It implies that the bride won the groom, when in fact, the groom should be congratulated for having the bride accept his proposal. So, you may certainly say “Congratulations” to the groom and extend your “best wishes” to the bride, along with your sentiments of happiness and joy for her. It is always appropriate to extend your “best wishes” to both the bride and groom. When should you arrive for the ceremony? Arrive early, up to 20 minutes before the appointed time on your invitation, or earlier if you know the wedding party will fill the church. This

Aligning your flatware on a table is a detail that is often overlooked. The traditional rule of thumb is to have the bottom handle of each piece of flatware line up perfectly alongside each other. They are to rest approximately 1″ to 1 1/2″ from the edge of the dining room table, and never more than 2″. Occasionally, you may see the top of each piece of flatware lined up instead of the bottom handles. The only piece of flatware that can be askew is the oyster fork! In royal households, the butler is most serious about the accuracy of aligning flatware, often using a measuring device. When using a table cloth, I use a 1″ ruler to align the flatware from the edge of the table. If there is an inlaid wood design on a table, it too can serve as the guideline for placing your flatware evenly. I

Soft lighting is an important aspect of entertaining because it enhances your guests’ visual experience by creating a dreamy, mystical and almost magical ambiance to interiors. Candlelight and soft, dimmed light, impart an enchanting mood that your guests will experience in the evening. The artwork, food and decorative details suddenly transform from the expected normal, bright daylight (which creates harsh shadows), into a more captivating and romantic encounter. Everything and everyone look more attractive with soft, diffused lighting! When renovating or building a house, remember that you can never have too many dimmers installed. Use them to your advantage! For lamps, install forty to sixty watt soft light bulbs in lamps, or have a three-way switch to lower the light of the bulb. Soft pink bulbs in lamps offer exceptional light to anyone seated nearby- an entertaining secret, which ladies seem to adore. At dusk, my chandelier lights are a

As a young bride of twenty-one, Mummy shared with me that you can enhance any dinner with candlelight! This exceptional tried and true advice is applicable to anything from weeknight leftovers to formal dinner parties. There is something charming, romantic, and even magical that lit candles can bestow upon any cuisine served. This is applicable to wherever you are dining, from a picnic table to a palace. Traditionally, candles on a dining room table are lit only when it is dark, or after 6 in the evening. Candles may be present on the table at any hour of the day, but are not lit until then. In other countries such as Germany, candles can be lit on the table any time of day, even for breakfast. If you’re tempted to use colored candles, do so, but be privy to the fact that for formal dining, only white or off white candles

When you are hosting a dinner party to honor a guest, it is always a lovely gesture to have a decorative theme as part of your dining room table ornamentation. Whether it’s a slight nod to your decoration (like a favorite color or variety of flower that you know the guest of honor adores), or a well-executed theme (such as cuisine and coordinating decorations), this gesture will make your guest of honor feel most appreciated — and the other guests will enjoy your efforts as well. Recently, my husband and I hosted a birthday dinner in honor of a dear friend, Tita, who lived in Taiwan as a child (I lived there as well).  She holds a doctorate in Asian Art History, taught at Yale University and Trinity College, and sits on several museum boards. So, you can probably guess what the theme was that evening, right?  Before the dinner, we

Do you need to sing for your supper? Oh yes, indeed you do! Whether you can sing a musical note or not is beside the point. The point is that, as a guest, you are being treated to dinner, or whatever it is that you have been invited to. Your hosts go out of their way to entertain and nourish you with their gracious hospitality, food and drink. A proper guest knows how to acknowledge and show gratitude by being engaging and conversational with the other guests, as well as polite and appreciative. In essence, that is “singing for your supper.” In return for the reward of receiving an invitation, it is up to you to be attentive, captivating and contribute to the evening. Your gift, which you are giving to the hosts, is to be a charming guest, and a person that others are attracted to for conversation and joviality. Nothing is worse