The snow is melting, which means spring parties are just weeks away. Whether you’re hosting a birthday party, a spring soirée or a special anniversary, events involve a lot of planning. So when it comes to questions about invitations, menus, decorations and more, Amy Zaroff, an experienced event planner (pictured above), has some valuable advice.
Zaroff is owner of Amy Zaroff Events and Design, located in Edina for six years until relocating in 2014 to a building in Minneapolis that is home to six other creative companies, most of which are women-owned businesses. She is also founder of A2Z Do it Directed. “We do local, national, corporate, nonprofit, and social events,” Zaroff says. The social events are mostly geared to the luxury market—from weddings to bar mitzvahs. Edina native Katie Schreiber and her husband John can attest that Zaroff’s specialty is personalization. The couple was married at Our Lady of Grace Church in Edina with a reception at the Radisson Blu at the Mall of America. With Zaroff, the planning process was simple.
“She finds out what you’re interested in and designs around that,” Schreiber says. “She puts a little flair on things by making things unique and special to the couple.” But Zaroff and her team don’t just come in and take over. “It’s an involved process; a team effort,” Schreiber says. They make sure the party reflects the couple’s or guest of honor’s personality, which Schreiber calls “their signature and what they pride themselves on.”
More accessible luxury comes in with A2Z Do it Directed, a company that helps guide clients through the planning process and makes recommendations on what might work best for a specific event and budget.
Still not sure where to begin? Zaroff offers Edina Magazine readers a few tips for whatever parties you have planned, personalization included. So grab a pen and start taking notes—your party is just a few steps away.
Host a Spring Celebration
Sometimes you just need to throw a party to celebrate the last pile of snow melting away. If you’re having just a few people over, get creative and invite them with a May Day basket. Fill the basket with spring-inspired treats, or even better, “ingredients for something you’d like them to make and bring to the party,” Zaroff says. Not only is it unique, but the invitation is “engaging them in being a part of the event before it happens.”
When it comes to throwing a party, “don’t overthink it,” Zaroff says. “The best parties are the ones that happen a little last-minute, take place in your home and are a little casual.”
Decorations
“I would say, focus on what you have, and then expand on it,” Zaroff says. Find the unique items in your home that you already own, and turn them into a centerpiece.
For example, if you have a really beautiful bowl you’ve had for years that you would normally use for a salad, take that bowl to a florist like Spruce Flowers and Home and have them put the flowers right in. Using something you have on hand saves money, and it becomes a talking point during the party. “So when somebody says, ‘That bowl is gorgeous!’ you can say, ‘Oh yeah, I’ve had that for years!’ ” says Zaroff.
When it comes to buying new items for a party, Zaroff loves shopping at Target. “It’s so easy to mix and match,” she says. Since Target has designers that create seasonal lines, buying a vase in one color in the spring means the vase that comes out in the fall will likely match the first, creating a whole new look. “Your guests won’t see the same thing twice,” Zaroff says.
Food
When it comes to food, Zaroff says, “I like to take the flavors of the season and incorporate them into the event.” Spring means a colorful menu of fresh produce. Fabulous Catering suggests items like their brilliantly green chilled pea soup followed by a pop of pink with a poached salmon salad.
“You can also use food as décor,” Zaroff says. Carrots with the greens attached and some delicate haricots verts look great together.
If the party calls for cocktails, the choices are endless. Signature cocktails, bourbon and whiskey are all popular right now, so pick a few and go with it. “You don’t have to stock a lot of liquor options, just pick something that goes with the [party] theme,” she says. If you’re not well educated on the subject of cocktails, “just pick up a cocktail recipe book at a store like Patina,” she says. If you’re feeling adventurous and you want some entertainment, she says, hire a sommelier or mixologist for the party. “Then they can do a little education and mixing.”
Entertainment
“I’m a big fan of live entertainment,” Zaroff says. If you’re worried about cost, affordable options exist, and live entertainment might be just the kind of energy the event needs. Go for the unexpected, Zaroff says. “Depending on the type of event, bringing in someone like a psychic … it just makes for fun entertainment.”
If it’s a dinner party, Zaroff says, “I’m a big fan of interactive magic.” Have a magician walk through the crowd during cocktail hour and amaze your guests. “It’s a big hit and it never gets old.”
Music is always a go-to during a party, but step it up with a jazz trio or acoustic guitarist. It can really set the mood for the party and make the whole event run more smoothly. But, Zaroff says, if none of these options are available, these days there are so many great Bluetooth speakers, so you can be the DJ.
A basket filled with ingredients for something you’d like them to make and bring to the party, Zaroff says. Not only is it unique, but the invitation is “engaging them in being a part of the event before it happens.”
The Menu
- Grilled Wild Alaskan Salmon with Spring Sweet Pea Sauce, Pea Tendrils and Watermelon Radish
- Grilled and Roasted Spring Vegetables: Rainbow Carrots, Cremini Mushrooms, Asparagus, Sweet Peppers, Haricots Verts and Fingerling Potatoes Served with saffron aioli and wheatgrass garnish
- Chilled Edamame and Wild Ramp Soup with Ginger, Watercress and Chives, garnished with micro greens
A sampling from Amy Zaroff’s favorite local sources
Linen Effects
612.355.2500
Spruce Flowers and Home
612.767.1011
Fabulous Catering
612.789.4244
Kumquat Mojito
- 48 kumquats, halved and seeded
- 2 cups simple syrup (adjust to taste)
- 3 cups key lime juice (adjust to taste)
- ½ cup orange juice
- 3 cups fresh mint leaves
- 3 cups Flor de Cana 7 year Rum
- 6 cups ice cubes
- 2 bottles of sparkling water (or club soda)
- Sprigs of mint for garnish
- Slices of lime for garnish
- In a large pitcher, stir together kumquats, simple syrup, lime juice and orange juice. Let stand for 10-15 minutes.
- Add fresh mint leaves. Muddle with muddler or large wooden spoon.
- Stir in rum.
- Add ice cubes to glasses. Fill glass 2/3 with mojito mix and top with sparkling water or club soda. Stir and finish with sprig of mint and slice of lime.
Strawberry Rhubarb Mimosa
- 3 cups cane sugar
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups diced rhubarb (fresh or frozen)
- 6 cups fresh strawberries (quartered)
- 6 Tbsp. chopped ginger
- 6 Tbsp. key lime juice
- Chilled Prosecco
- Whole strawberries or key lime slices
- Combine the sugar, water, rhubarb and ginger in sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes until everything is cooked down and the mixture is viscous, but not jelly. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Mix fresh lime juice into the rhubarb mixture.
- In a blender or food processor, add equal parts rhubarb mixture and strawberries. Puree until smooth. Strain the puree to remove seeds.
- Pour 1-3 tablespoons into a champagne flute and top with Prosecco. Garnish with fresh strawberry or key lime slice.
A Birthday Party
Birthday parties are to honor one person, which means “it’s all about the personalization,” Zaroff says. For very little money, you can get personalized napkins, cups, candies, banners and more. And don’t forget that you can make things, too.
“These days you can do anything yourself and make it fabulous,” she says. But she warns against getting sucked in by the beauty of Pinterest. “Remember that a lot of what you’re seeing was a photo shoot,” she says, so don’t expect that what you make will look exactly like what you see on the screen. Do, however, use the website as an inspiration board. “Don’t copy Pinterest. Make it your own.”
An Anniversary Party
These parties should be all about the story of the special couple, so personalize the party. “Invite your guests to send a video message of a story about the couple,” Zaroff says.
In these days of cell phones and email, recording and sending a video can be done with just a few clicks. Have someone clip all the videos together and show the compilation at the event. If technology isn’t something you want to deal with, invite them to share the stories at the party. Either way, the couple gets to see people they care about, and whether it’s a fifth anniversary or a 50th, they can remember how far they’ve come.
