Summer Fun

Feeling hot, hot, hot? Entertaining during these steamy summer nights can be effortless if you keep things simple. Lazy Hostess asked Maya Kalman of Swank Productions for her tips on planning a beach inspired pool party where the pool is optional!

With some original ideas borrowed from one of her recent corporate bashes, Kalman shows us how to channel our inner child and have some fun, even on a budget or in the city!

Go With Brightly Colored Décor
For this party, we used hundreds of beach balls (of all sizes from 5” to 24” rounds) as our general inspiration. If you hang them in clusters, it makes a great visual and sets the “fun” tone of the event. Table clothes were rented in a rainbow of colors from orange and yellow to blue and green. Striped umbrellas were placed indoors as well as outdoors on old-fashioned picnic tables.

Use Everyday Items as Accent Pieces
Beach pails come in all sorts of sizes and colors, which can be used for flowers, drinks or ice. Beach towels can be rolled up and used as bolster pillows or laid down overlapping on the floor like a rug. Fresh citrus like oranges, lemons and limes are inexpensive and reusable decor items. Limes look chic in tall minimalist vases with single blooms.

Serve Classic Summer Favorites
Always a crowd pleaser, we served mini burgers decorated with pickles on top. If you have a larger budget, serve steamed lobsters and clams. A raw bar is a great option for a buffet. We set up rows of shot glasses filled with chilled Bloody Mary’s next to the oyster bar. Watermelon can be marinated with flavored vodka by cutting a hole in the watermelon, pouring vodka inside and letting it soak in. All you need to do is slice and serve for a cool, refreshing treat that has a kick.

Give Kids Stuff an Adult Twist
Give you guests a dose of nostalgia by bringing in items from their youth. We found these faux fireflies in mason jars that reminded us of our childhood. Surround each glowing jar with some amber votives and you have an elegant and interesting centerpiece. For something really kitsch, set up a do-it-yourself snow cone station, which can be rented from Party Rental LTD or purchased from Snowie with all of the different syrups and cones. Add a splash of alcohol for the adults!

Play Childhood Games
Part of having fun is getting your guests to goof around. Water guns, bubble blowers and even a piñata can get everyone in a playful mood and create some great photo opportunities. If you have a backyard, try a game of Bocce Ball or set up a make shift lawn in your apartment with a strip of AstroTurf from Home Depot.

Opened in 2001 by Maya Kalman, Swank Productions (231 West 29th Street, Suite 605, 212-643-3211 x111) began as a boutique wedding coordination company which, over the past eight years, has evolved into planning different types of social occasions and corporate events. Voted “Best of the Best” Event Planner NYC by the Knot Magazine in 2007, Swank Productions has clients including CBS, Bloomberg and Bride’s Magazine.

PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy of Swank Productions

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