This Businesswoman Considers Hosting Parties At Home Her "Happiness"—Read About Her Entertaining Tips

 

They say people with creative outlets are more likely to be successful. While this businesswoman's job already allows creative freedom and expression, NicePrint Photography's Charisse Tinio still makes sure she channels her creativity in other aspects of her personal life. No wonder her drive to attain more success never wanes—she makes sure to balance her hectic lifestyle with activities that encourage her to take a step back and follow her passions. 

With her primary business, NicePrint Photography, being the go-to photo and video team for celebrity milestones, Charisse's calendar is always full with meetings and photo shoots both here and abroad. Still, no amount of busy-ness can stop her from taking a break and surrounding herself with her family and friends by hosting intimate gatherings at home. Entertaining at home is one of the things that make her happy; it relieves her of stress and inspires her to keep doing the things she loves. Even just a simple dinner at home, she tries to make it special by whipping up her own dishes and setting the table with personalized elements.  

 

 

"I remember clearly how my mom loved hosting parties in our home and in our Baguio vacation home," shares Charisse, who realized her love for entertaining at the young age of 10. "I believe I got it from her."

When she got married and finally had her own home, she just couldn't resist but heed her call to become a hostess. An extrovert, she's always had that ability in her to gather people and entertain them. And when she does invite people over, trust that she will treat you and make you feel at home with dishes she prepared and cooked herself.

Charisse tells Metro.Style, "Some people tell me, ‘Char, you’re so busy, bakit sa party 'di ka na lang kumuha ng caterer? Bakit ikaw pa 'yung mag-style ng table?’ I always say, because it makes me happy. So that’s my outlet. That’s where my creativity really comes out. S'yempre kahit naman sa bahay, you wanna be creative. I really personally do our table setting and I personally cook our food."

 

 

With her years of experience hosting parties at home and in their rest house, Charisse has gathered entertaining tips that are both practical and stylish. Scroll down to read about them:

 

[photos]

Photos courtesy of Charisse Tinio

 

 

Take your time researching and shopping for the right entertaining essentials and accents.

There are a lot of themes for you to choose from—from tropical, rustic, Japanese, Mediterranean, etc.—and achieving each theme requires the right elements. Do your research, so you can make sure to get everything right down to the smallest details. Scour several department stores, shops, and online stores to complete each and every décor in your table setting. Be resourceful. 

"I love themed parties, so I really take time to research about each party I will throw and really take time, too, to buy the right plates and décor and cook dishes that are thematic."

 

 

 

Make Pinterest your best friend.

In relation to the first tip, with social media readily available now, there are lots of inspirations that can be gathered online. As for Charisse, Pinterest is her go-to. Charisse adds, "Always research on the party theme that you want to do. Pinterest is my best friend! Then I build the setup slowly by choosing the right plates and cutlery, then I play around with different table napkins and rings!"

 

 

 

Go for personalized touches.

Nothing can make a guest feel more at home and welcomed than by seeing a personalized card on the table with his or her name on it. This also shows just how much effort the host or hostess put into the tablescape. "Putting guest names on each plate is something I really like to do. Either I write their name on a vegetable (once I put their names on a red bell pepper, see below) or use and print their photo as their place cards or go a bit rustic by writing on a piece of leaf using metallic pens. The possibilities are endless. But it’s a sure way of making your guest feel special when they see their personalized names on their seats," Charisse shares.

 

 

 

Create a statement centerpiece.

It is the center of attraction in any tablescape, so it needs to make for a good focal point. Take note that it should go well with the rest of the theme, and that it shouldn't be too tall so as not to block the guest's view. For Charisse, beautiful floral arrangements never fail to set the mood of the tablescape, so she would sometimes even go all the way to Dangwa to buy fresh flowers to include in her table setting.

 

 

 

Opt for home-cooked dishes.

It is indeed convenient to simply hire a caterer for your parties at home, but so long as she has enough time, Charisse would always prefer to do things herself. She enjoys cooking and baking, so she makes sure to do so every chance she gets. 

Charisse shares, "I do all Filipino dishes sometimes with Kare-Kare as a staple dish. I sometimes do all Japanese, where we make tempura from scratch. Or, a Mediterranean-European cuisine, and I would always have a grazing table of cheeses and cold cuts—I even have my own raclette griller machine! Sometimes I also have a “do it your own pizza party,” wherein I set up a spread of all the possible toppings one can put on their pizzas, and we bake them in my own pugon in the garden. I also enjoy having a teppanyaki party, wherein I set up in the garden my teppanyaki grill and I sauté and cook the food as the guests arrive."

Among all the dishes she prepares, she says her guests' favorites are her truffle pasta, risotto, parmesan chicken wings, homemade caldereta, mechado, adobo, and ensaymadas.

At times, Charisse also turns to reliable suppliers to provide food for her parties. Her go-tos are Raclette Manila or Grazing Manila, Juan Carlo catering, and Lily and Rose or Nadia Montenegro for food trays.

 

 

 

Serve the right alcohol.

What's a party without alcohol? Serving alcoholic beverages makes a party more fun. This element is specially important for Charisse, whose businesses include Margarush, a margarita slush mobile bar. "I have my own gin bar with all the condiments and spices which my friends really enjoy. I also make really good margaritas," she says.

 

 

 

Play good ambient music.

Music can make or break the mood of a party. If you can, match the music with the theme of your party. A wrong playlist can easily turn off guests. Charisse shares, "Music plays a crucial part, too! It may be canned music, or at times, I would hire an acoustic duo to set the mood for my party!"

 

 

 

Invite the right mix of people.

It is the goal of any party to bring people together, and as such, you need to make sure that these people would have fun with each other's company. You'd want your guests to live your house with good memories and a few new good friends. "Make sure that the group of people you invited is the right mix. They don’t necessarily have to come from the same barkada but it would be nice to bring together people who share the same interest," Charisse advises.

 

 

 

With the festive holiday season coming up, Charisse is already thinking of ways how she can throw a memorable feast for her family and friends. She hints, "I plan to do a really festive tablescape for Christmas with whole ham at the center and all kinds of cheeses. Red and gold are the standard color tones I use during Christmas; they just really make everything look more festive. I also plan to use a lot of candles and try to make our noche buena setting more dramatic with just candles as light."

 

 

Photos courtesy of Charisse Tinio