Host a Posh Potluck

Fabulous & Frugal

Throw a Dinner Party on a Dime

Want to throw an upscale holiday dinner party without the price tag? Has your office party been canceled this year because funds have been cut? Don't let the bad economy put a damper on your social sparkle - throw a Posh Potuck instead! Your next elegant evening could be as near as your very own cupboard. We love the very Fab & Fru idea of hosting a Posh Potluck anytime of year, but the holidays couldn't be a better time to celebrate in style. 'Posh' and 'potluck' are not two words which we generally associate with one another. But, put the two together, and you get an incredibly chic evening -- at a bargain basement price!

In fact, Brandi and I just threw a Posh Potluck a few weeks ago at my home in LA. Here's how we did it!

Use What You've Got

Like so many of you, I sometimes forget I have all the makings of an elegant dinner party just waiting to happen! I mean, who doesn't have some hidden treasures lurking around, just dying for a chance to be seen again? I am always looking for an excuse to show off the fabulous cocktail dresses that I inherited from my grandmother, and the bling-festooned jewelry that I never get to wear. And then there's the loads and loads of wedding china which rarely sees the light of day...

So -- if the burden of shouldering all the costs (& the work) of a chic dinner party sounds overwhelming, a posh potluck is just what you need to put elegance well within your reach!

Chicken Wings and Waterford?

All a Posh Potluck involves is having your friends each bring a dish like they would for a normal potluck, but instead of sitting around in your grubby jeans and eating off of paper plates...use all the fancy stuff what you've got! --Meaning: so what if you're just eating neighbor Nicki's famous mac and cheese? If you're eating it off china and drinking Two Buck Chuck out of crystal, it's bound to improve your mood, don't you think?

The Invitations

Don't just send out a boring email to invite your guests. Invite them formally! Paperless Post is a virtual paper invitation that gives your guests the feel of opening a formal invite with wasting paper or spending a small fortune on stamps. The first 25 invites are free, and after that it's just 5 bucks to send out another 30. Besides intriguing your guests, an invitation will also help you organize who's bringing what to the party!

What's for Dinner?

As the host, you don't have to do EVERYTHING by yourself to throw a successful and enjoyable party. However, you need to organize, delegate and set the mood for the evening. When assigning courses for people to bring - be strategic. Besides dusting off the china and creating a formal dining setting, the host should be in charge of cocktails, appetizers and the salad. Assign main courses, sides and dessert to your guests. If you have some seriously kitchen challenged guests on your list, ask them to bring a bottle or two of wine instead.

Prep for Your Posh Nosh

From the clothes to the table settings - it's the pomp and circumstance that will define the night. But don't rush out to buy anything. Turn what you already have into a night to remember. Just looking through my own closets and cabinets I uncovered:

  • One beaded cocktail dress of my grandmothers that I have been dying to have an excuse to wear. (Men, pull out that fancy suit!)

  • One pair of gold, 4 inch heels i haven't worn since my wedding 7 years ago

  • A huge opal ring I look at lovingly in the case but never take out

  • Full place settings of china, crystal and silver - everything from dishes to ice buckets and pickle forks..

  • Linen napkins & tablecloths

  • A crumb scraper (like they use in fancy restaurants)

  • Silver candlesticks

  • Wine decanters

  • Wedgwood wine coasters

  • A few demoralized crystal bowls sitting in my storage shed

Put them all together, turn on some swing music, put on some make-up, and you've got a black tie affair that won't put you in the red!
Dress Code

It's important that everyone commits to the dressy-ness of the evening. So, make sure in your invite clearly states that there is a dress code, and it is NOT optional!

Serve It Up in Style

When your guests bring their potluck dishes, ask them to bring them in china or other fancy serving ware- unless you have enough pieces to transfer their food into. Again, part of the charm of the potluck is that it often involves comfort food. Remember, the food doesn't have to be fancy - just the setting! Don't blow it by having an ill-fitting Tupperware sidled up to your antique Limoges!

Set The Tone

Since some of your friends will likely be thrown into shock by the notion of a formal evening (given that here in LA jeans are generally accepted even at fancy events), be sure to set the tone immediately. Before our guests arrived, we dimmed the lights and greeted everyone with a choice of two cocktails. As they walked in, crystal Champagne flutes arranged on a formal, silver-y tray were filled with Kir Royales (inexpensive Prosecco and cheap-o Creme de Cassis). Brandi also made Mini Manhattans that we served in my favorite cocktail glasses that I inherited from my grandmother - but never get to use. These classic cocktails are affordable ways to set the tone of the night without having to stock a full bar. Plus, their jewel-toned colors made a marvelous presentation sitting on a silver tray when our guests first arrived.

The Appetizers

Brandi and I had a giant platter of three different types of crostinis waiting for our guests as they arrived. These elegant, inexpensive and easy to make apps were a hit as our guests began to mingle, and we set up the dinner buffet.

The Main Event

Brandi and I both noticed that our friends were actually standing up a bit straighter and being a bit more polite than they might normally be... That's what dressing in formal wear and using cloth napkins can do for a gal (or a guy)! Just by pulling out stuff we already had, and inviting our friends to get in on the action, we created an evening that was elegant and exciting for the same cost as it would have been to order in pizza for the zillionth time. But I swear, mac & cheese does tastes better when served from a crystal bowl!

Good (Pot)Luck!

We wish you the best of luck hosting your OWN holiday Posh Potluck, and can't wait to throw our next one in New York. As usual, it really just takes creativity - not cash - to make an event special!