By Judi Jordan
Your Oscars® invite got lost in the mail…AGAIN?? As the red carpet is rolled out are you feeling a twinge of Oscars® Envy? You are not alone. Of the 6,000 Academy members and nominated artists only 3,401 privileged persons get seats at the official Oscars® at the Dolby Theater–and less than half of those guests receive the ‘royal invitation’ to the sumptuous Governors Ball. If you are not one of those lucky 1,500 guests, you can still have a blast!
The Academy and Latin Heat bring the party to you with an exclusive ‘scoop’ on the dazzling details of the years’ most fabulous, star-studded party, AND we even provide the actual recipes from the party that you can whip up for your A-listers.
Transform your Oscars® viewing party into a real occasion inspired by the Oscars® amazing event designers, floral genius, gourmet wizards, libation luminaries, and invite impresarios! Guests will be impressed that you have inside access to what is being served and seen inside the Governors’ Ball before it even begins! Create excitement with your own version of the ‘party of the year’—with your own version of the décor, dining, and drink secrets for the most glamorous, unforgettable Hollywood-at-Home fiesta for your movie-mad friends and family.
The gorgeous theme for the 2014 Governor’s Ball raised the bar for ‘at-home’ entertaining; the intimate atmosphere invites the “Stars under the stars” to mix and mingle amid romantic textures of deep aubergine, rich chartreuse and Italian leopard tapestry, all framed by dynamic, vertical garden walls. Floral designer Mark Held www.marksgarden.com reveals “This year, the stars in attendance will be surrounded by a virtual garden of gorgeous flowers.” The ballroom’s entrance will be flanked by two 18-foot high tableaus filled with windows displaying alternating vignettes of Oscar® statues and floral arrangements. The ballroom will be surrounded with cascading walls of vertical fresh floral gardens and live greenery gardens, featuring thousands of blooms of roses, orchids, kale, and hydrangea with ferns and exotic vines, separated by green velvet draping and accented with white birch trees.
The lush ‘Night Garden’ feeling oozes with seduction—we’ll advance wager that some of those morning-after TMZ rumors of Oscars® night romances might be actually be true!
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For your Oscars® At Home, Set the Stage:
This years’ color palette created by Event Designers, Cheryl Cecchetto and Gary Levitt of Sequoia Productions, is an exotic combination of deep purples, lime green, tangerine orange and copper. The floral design is brilliant and mysterious — and accessible—roses, hydrangea, moss, birch, and wisteria are easy to find at your local flower market. Table covers of taffeta in these deep shades are sprinkled with just a touch of glitter—and lamps are wearing floral ‘collars’, a perfect way to avoid table clutter and add that ‘ah factor’.
Oscars® silhouettes in black will look great in your windowpanes and tell your guests they have ‘arrived.’
Envelopes with the categories for vote casting make it easy to tally—the envelope makers www.marcfriedlandinc.com show UP CLOSE what the ACTUAL Oscars® WINNER ENVELOPES LOOK LIKE.
You can make a WINNER envelope for the guest who correctly guesses the most wins.
John Legend, nine-time Grammy® Award-winning singer-songwriter, will entertain at the Governors Ball, but you can make your own mix of music, inspired by the nominated films.
Next: If you cannot be there in person, be there in SPIRITS! Serve your guests the specialty cocktails that George, Jennifer, Lupita, Angelina, Brad, Ellen, Jared, Chiwetel, Matthew and Joaquin and the other 1, 490 guests at the OFFICIAL Oscars® AFTER-PARTY—THE GOVERNOR’S BALL are drinking!
When the Awards are complete, 1,500 Academy guests will proceed to the Governors Ball, where more outstanding Sterling wines will be paired with the culinary creations of Chef Wolfgang Puck.
Greet guests with a range of wines and/or a signature cocktail. Scotch or Bourbon based cocktails are reminiscent of old Hollywood, and right on trend. Try a Blood & Sand, first created in 1922 for a Rudolph Valentino movie of the same name. Or for the very latest in cocktails, jump on the coconut trend and offer guests a Coco Light Martini (recipes below).
Own the Oscars® Bar This year the Governors Ball is going very glamorous. This year, the stars will be greeted by their choice of Sterling Vineyards www.sterlingvineyards.com Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Chardonnay, Carneros Pinot Noir, and Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, exclusive Thienot www.thienot.com Champagne will be served as well, so a glass of bubbly is a nice beginning to your Oscars® at Home.
Sip the same cocktails as the stars:
Coco Light Martini: Combine 1.5 oz CÎROC® with 1.5 oz unsweetened coconut water, 1 oz pineapple juice, .25 oz fresh limejuice in martini shaker with ice. Shake and strain into coupe glass. Garnish with lemon twist.
Baileys Glamour Shot: Add 1 oz Baileys Vanilla Cinnamon, .5 oz Goldschläger Cinnamon Schnapps to a cocktail shaker with ice, shake well and strain into a chilled shot glass rimmed with edible gold flakes.
Johnnie Walker Blood and Sand: Shake .75 oz Johnnie Walker Black Label, .75 oz Sweet Vermouth .75 oz orange juice, and .75 cherry Herring well with ice, pour into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with orange peel.
FOOD: It is a long, fabulous show this year and with all those delicious drinks — food is really important. As the Ball’s lighting is shady and romantic, light but richly satisfying food is ideal. Wolfgang Puck has assembled the most popular recipes from all of the twenty Governor’s Balls he has catered–plus a few new creations –to make a crowd-pleasing, mouth-watering selection. Tuna Tartar is a breeze to prepare and his warm dishes served in small ovenproof dishes, Mini Chicken Pot Pie with an airy, flaky crust and truffle scented gravy, Mac and Cheese, Mini Burgers with Aged Cheddar, Baked Baby Potato with Caviar, Wild Salmon with Ginger and Almonds are a selection to consider.
Desserts are OVER THE TOP! Chocolate Oscars® are a tradition—this year they get a coat of GOLD! Sprayed with edible 14K gold leaf mixed with lemon juice, they are almost too expensive to eat! Instead go for the chocolate-dipped strawberry cheesecake pops, or the funky chunky chocolate popcorn, recipe included – and a tall ‘Hollywood ‘cake constructed from layers of brownies, and icing. Set up a dessert bar – and offer Baileys and coffee or a delicious “glamour shot”for people to enjoy dessert during the commercial breaks
Lastly, do not forget to be responsible host and set out water and other non-alcoholic beverages!
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