The final installation in our Easy and Elegant Entertaining series is all about the party details. We created a woodland-inspired themed dinner party and are sharing all of the details with you. One thing Furniture Row’s Regional Visual Merchandising Manager, Greg Utsinger, stresses is to not worry about things being perfect. “Don’t make things so complicated you can’t enjoy your own party.”

 

 

The Details:

1. Special invitations for guests offer a hint of the elegant evening to come.

2. A coordinating printed menu placed around each napkin adds a touch of sophistication. It’s the little details that can make an event more elegant,” Utsinger says.

3. Slightly spicy homemade Winter Bark made with white chocolate and cranberries is the perfect favor for guests to take home.

4. Place card holders made of tree limbs paired with silver accents tie the winter woodland theme together.

 

 

Cranberry Punch [Official Recipe Here]:

• 1 quart White Cranberry Juice
• 2 cups Unsweetened Pineapple Juice
• 2 tablespoons Almond Extract
• 1 (2 liter) Ginger Ale
• Frozen whole Cranberries for garnish

Combine all the ingredients in a punch bowl. Garnish with frozen cranberries.

An added touch of rosemary sprigs and cranberries around the cake’s base continues the woodland theme, according to Utsinger, who admits he helped put “easy” in easy elegance by making this dessert ahead of time. While he says the cake’s buttercream frosting can harden as it cools overnight in the refrigerator, “the great thing is that you can take it out and set it on your dessert table before the party begins, and by the time guests are ready for dessert, it’s perfect.”

 

Like this article? Read more about Easy and Elegant Entertaining with these articles:

Easy and Elegant Entertaining – Part I Simple Stylish Gathering

Easy and Elegant Entertaining – Part II Party Checklist

 

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