Party Ideas
Restaurant Party: Orchid Originality
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Orchids turn “ordinary” into “original” at this flower-strewn restaurant table.
In these busy times, gathering at a special, favorite restaurant is such a convenient way to way to celebrate small-group occasions. Perhaps it’s your mother’s 67th birthday, and the family wants to treat her to a special night out … or an old friend is back in town, and a reunion is in order… Or, perhaps you’re treating your five best girlfriends to a special lunch…
It’s great to hold these kinds of events at a favorite public dining spot. Yet, it can also feel a bit impersonal. Never fear! With an extra few minutes of preparation, some very simple home-brought upgrades, and advance permission from the maitre d’, you can turn your restaurant gathering from ordinary to extraordinary.
Imagine your guests walking in to find themselves seated not just at any old table, but at a gorgeous, flower-strewn Celebration Table blossoming with Orchid Originality. Each and every guest will feel incredibly special and so will you! And it’s so simple to do!
This can be as simple as a casual email, note or phone call, or as special as a hand-delivered orchid in a pot, with a note inviting the guest(s) of honor. Since most restaurant gatherings of this nature involve eight people or less, you are probably envisioning a small get-together where everyone knows each other. Mostly family – but today’s families can be made of friends!
Contemporary – yet warm… Neutral enough to work anywhere, in virtually any restaurant setting… Orchids are the “IT” flower right now!!! And putting several stems in a nice, tall, round vase couldn’t be simpler. This tall orchid vase, flanked by two smaller cylinder vases with unscented candles, can all be found at your local Michael’s Craft Store. If your party extends beyond a table for 8, you will want to think about adding more vases.
As a runner, I used one of my favorite craft products – Floral Wrapper from Michael's Art & Crafts or your favorite local store. 
Floral Wrapper is an inexpensive wired mesh fabric with gold undertones and a green accent color (there other accent colors to choose from such as orange and red.) Anything with wire makes you look good! You can twist and weave it down the table however you like. The vases on top will hold it in place. And as you overlap, you will get variations in color. When you purchase your orchids, you will probably end up with more stems than you will need, so pluck off some of the orchid blossoms and scatter them around the vases on the Floral Wrapper. You can also use the orchids as an accent on the napkin treatment. (See How-To).
Remember to call ahead or stop in to work with the restaurant. Let them know what you plan to do down the middle of the table so they can remove anything they typically have in place. And make sure and ask about the linen color -- sometimes they can accommodate a special color request.
Most of all, be prepared: Arrive 10 minutes early. Clean vases ahead of time, wrap them in tissue or bubble wrap for the road, unwrap Floral Wrapper ahead, grab a package of glue dots to secure the napkin wrap, and bring scissors and a lighter.
Decide ahead of time how the check is going to be handled. If it is going to be one check and one payer – a limited menu is a great option. You can type up the menu and then print it on this color-coordinated menu card (Download the Menu Card PDF).
A great party kick-off idea is to pre-order some wine and hors d’oeuvres, so that they are available shortly after everyone arrives. If everyone is paying individually, this could be an expense that you decide to handle.
And check with the restaurant to find out what they do for dessert for special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries.
Celebrating a birthday or anniversary? It’s a great idea to have a photo of the special guest (or guests) of honor in a beautiful frame on the table.
This is simple – but fun. I’m in love with this idea - Personalized M&Ms!
Go to http://www.mymms.com/ to check out all of the options. You can honor the occasion with your own special “edible” words. Download this Gift Tag to go along with the sweets (Gift tag PDF).
