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Planning a large party can be intimidating, with endless to-do lists, choices to be made and details to be ironed out. Deciding to host that party in your own home can instantly increase the anxiety factor, though such parties are often the most memorable for both guests and hosts. Why, then, would Mt. Airy residents Steve and Lee Laden decide to open their large home for the tenth year in a row to more than 50 incoming Cornell freshmen and their families for the Philadelphia area Cornell send-off party?

“ We love hosting this party each year and seeing the quality and enthusiasm of the incoming class. There’s an excitement in the knowledge that in a mere two days, these students will be arriving on campus to begin their college careers,” says Steve Laden (Cornell Class of ’57).

“ Inviting others into your home gives your party a sense of warmth and intimacy that can seldom be replicated in a public space,” explains Brad Baker, president of Baker Creative, the Wyncote firm which maintains the Ladens’ three-acre property. Baker donated his event design services for the Aug. 16 event in celebration of his daughter’s acceptance into Cornell’s Class of 2009. (Both Baker and his wife are Cornell graduates. In fact, they met there.)

Entertaining at home as the Ladens did calls for a different type of planning than a traditional event demands. Forethought needs to be given to presenting your home in its best light and arranging tables and décor for the optimal flow of traffic, helping to ensure both your guests’ enjoyment and their safety. Approaching the planning from a team perspective can help you do this effectively and efficiently.
At the outset, bring together those consultants who will be involved in making your party a success – this will probably include your caterer, landscape designer (particularly one specializing in special events) and perhaps even a florist and musicians. Working together, these professionals can help you determine traffic patterns and lighting. And they can draw attention to issues you might not consider, such as widening a pathway to ensure that bridesmaids’ dresses won’t touch wet foliage ... or smoothing bumpy terrain to protect guests wearing high heels.

“ I always walk through the property with the owner and the caterer encouraging the client to view their home from the perspective their guests will have at the party, whether that will be sitting outside in a tent or standing around a buffet table indoors,” says Baker. “Only in this way can we creatively highlight the property and camouflage work areas, such as caterers’ stations.”

Some of Baker’s favorite techniques include using arbors and trellises to screen undesirable views; adding low voltage lighting around entryways, pathways and steps to enhance the mood and keep guests from losing their footing; and giving the party area its own definition through the impression of walls and ceilings created by boxed arrangements and other natural décor. Whether inside a tent or out in the open, this prevents the entertainment space from being dwarfed by surrounding trees or a large home.

Baker encourages clients to use live plants to achieve their desired result. At the Laden party, for example, he placed large, one-of-a-kind planters that he designed to feature Bonsai-style trees surrounded by flowers in Cornell's traditional red and white. The use of live plants allows for affordable variety and drama. Imagine how far huge planters with banana trees, ginger plants and hibiscus can go toward setting the stage for a tropically themed pool party. Bringing in plants of sentimental value can also enhance an event for the host and guests. Baker once filled planters with Japanese Maple trees for a party, paying tribute to a grandmother who had always enjoyed a Japanese Maple growing in her front yard.

“ With live plants,” says Baker, “you get something that can become part of your landscape or your home décor permanently, which is meaningful, respectful to nature and cost-effective. For tabletops, we often create beautiful arrangements of bonsai azaleas, impatiens, begonias and miniature roses, carefully hiding the original containers from view with Spanish moss, ribbons and other accents. Once the party is over, we can plant those flowers outside, leaving behind a lifelong memory of our client’s special day.”

If you are considering a home event, follow these tips from Baker to help ensure your home looks picture perfect the day of your party: