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$50 party budget
THE INVITATION: Evite; free at www.evite.com.
THE SIPS: Yellow Tail pinot grigio and cabernet sauvignon ($5.99 each) at Trader Joe’s (1317 Beacon Street, Brookline, 617.278.9997).
THE BITES: assorted mild cheeses and crackers from A. Russo & Sons (560 Pleasant Street, Watertown, 617.923.1500).
THE DÉCOR: snowflake beverage napkins ($2.95), available at Crate & Barrel (140 Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston, 617.742.6025); fresh bunches of Peruvian lilies ($4.99/small bunch; $7.99/large bunch) from Star Market (699 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, 617.876.1450); wrapping-paper table runner ($6.50/ roll) from Posh on Tremont (557 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.437.1970).
When you’re putting together a party on a very tight budget, being resourceful is your best tactic, says Rafanelli, whose party-throwing resume includes events he’s produced for the likes of the Clintons and Denis Leary. “Before you go out and buy anything, you should always open up your closets, your cabinets, and see what you already have and what you can reinvent,” he says. Whether it’s a white cake plate or silver trays to accent the snowflake cocktail napkins we chose, incorporating pieces you already own is a simple way to accessorize without shopping.
Another tip? “If your budget’s $1 million or $50, the best starting point is a color or motif,” Rafanelli suggests. In our case, he recommends taking the wrapping-paper table runner one step further and using the same inexpensive print to cover serving trays, “and maybe you should wrap your front door in it,” he jokes. To add a design element to the cheese-and-cracker tray, Rafanelli suggests retro-vibe butter crackers in a butterfly shape, like the ones your mom used to serve.
And since guests almost always ask what they can bring, politely suggest a bottle of white wine and use some of the cash you allotted for drinks to buy a bottle of vodka. “You can make easy vodka snowcones with crushed ice,” Rafanelli notes.
