Learn how to throw a legendary party by the queen of party-throwing herself, Elsa Maxwell.
Key takeaways for y’all skimmers:
• Who you invite to your party matters, a lot, even if you don’t think it does.
• The emotional energy attached to the person in charge of greeting has to be the first thing your guests see when they arrive, no exceptions.
• The parties you throw can only be as good as the relationships you build around them. No amount of money can buy a ‘good’ event — only the aura of friendship can create the epic night you’re looking for.
If you want a little more, I got you.
In its August 1930 issue, Vogue introduced “Miss Elsa Maxwell” as “one of the world’s most brilliant party-givers”, also adding in that “her mystery dinner party was a sensation of the London season”.
The idea of creating a successful party is like cooking a special dish for someone you love: the ingredients, the proportions, the music that’s played while you cook should be weighed, measured, and chosen by the hand of an artist (you), and should be taken out of the oven at exactly the right psychological moment — served hot.
Reasons for not inviting someone:
• Because you had dinner with them last week
• Because you owe them a lunch
• Because your Dad plays yahtzee with their Dad in the garage on Fridays
• Because a friend asks to bring a friend
• Because you feel sorry for those “not invited”
Who you invite matters, a lot.
Being a little ruthless is the first attribute I’d consider towards achieving a great event.
Take the example of, a snob. One snobby person at your event can suck the soul out of a few people and they all do one of two things —
They either leave, or keep affecting others negatively.
Tread carefully. The wrong snob at your event might suck the energy out of the wrong person. Somebody you wanted to impress. Especially if they have a title worth knowing about.
The other group who can either make or break your event are the artistic, or creative people.
These types of people are usually full of joy, have unique life experience, or don’t get caught up in the minutae of ‘climbing the social ladder.’
The more stories people can tell, the better.
The more human someone’s attributes, the better.
The more people in a single room, the better.
Avoiding throwing events in large event spaces with lots of rooms keeps the story flowing, and the party going.
Once that dies down. So will your event.
Take Elsa’s “come as you are” soirées, which she sent invitations out at weird hours of the day or night, instructing guests to attend the party in exactly what they were wearing in that moment – complete with faces full of shaving cream and hair curlers still in in some cases.
Think outside the box and remember — WWEMD? (What Would Elsa Maxwell Do?)
A new idea, plus a sense of humour, makes a party – and the boring ones break it. Which principles do you tend to build your events around?