Customer Reviews

Fabulous Parties: Food and Flowers for Elegant Entertaining

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Fabulous Parties is indeed fabulous. The entire book is a work of art. I just love leafing through the pages and looking at the many beautiful images. This book is pretty enough to sit on my coffee table, yet practical enough to use as a reference guide for elegant entertaining. It shows how to create the appropriate theme for that special occasion. The creative and artfully done floral displays and table settings are inspiring. The floral and food combinations can each stand alone as a work of art; when put together, they are magnificent. The colorful images are presented alongside the appropriate menus to create the whole picture. I look forward to trying the many delectable, yet easy to follow, recipes. I can't wait to show my friends how special THEY are when they come to one of MY fabulous parties.

The authors may indeed be well-known and their talents well-loved, but for me I ended up returning the book. I found their table settings way too over the top and way too difficult for the average person (even an above average person) to replicate. And one-third of the table settings were too tall (some rather ridiculously so) for seated guests to see each other around. And as far as inspiring I wasn't happy with the photography, it seemed off somehow. The enjoyment of their style or lack thereof in my case, is just a matter of taste, and mine happens to run the other direction. It reminds me of scrapbooks and photographs- while they may be beautiful the people/photos can get lost amid too much artwork and the same for this book, the flowers, food and place settings get lost among all the clors, glamour and abundance.It does include a lot of delicious sounding recipes.

I dont get to buy many Party Books, but this one caught my eye immediately so I "went for it". Oh, I was so NOT disappointed. It is so, so beautiful. I am going to buy a couple more for my friends who love parties and flowers. I am also going to do some of those recipes which I feel will be great hits. While I might aspire to some of those fabulous flower arrangements, if I can't do them, that's okay.....the spirit is there and I am excited by the ideas. In short, it's a beautiful, helpful book.....I love it....and that luscious cover even makes my coffee table look very oooh la la.!!!! Thanks Peggy, Richard, Mark....whoever you are! signed sylvia dunbeck ps...can you do my next party for me???????

EVERY TIME I LOOK AT THIS BOOK I SEE SOMETHING NEW.
I HAD TO CHECK THIS BOOK OUT BECAUSE SOUTHERN
ACCENTS MAGAZINE REVIEWED IT, AND RECOMMENDED
IT. THEY WILL BE MISSED BECAUSE THEY DON'T APPLAUD
EVERY ENTERTAINMENT BOOK OUT THERE. GREAT IDEAS,
AND RECIPES. I FEEL THIS BOOK IS TIMELESS. I DON'T
UNDERSTAND THE OTHER REVIEWS ABOUT "OUT OF DATE"?

THIS IS A BOOK YOU WILL COME BACK TO OVER AND
OVER AGAIN. NOT JUST BEAUTIFUL PICTURES, GREAT
RECIPES, BUT WONDERFUL IDEAS, FOR BOTH INSIDE,
AND OUTSIDE. I'M KEEPING MY COPY, AND GIVING
MORE FOR GIFTS. IF YOU LIKE BEAUTIFUL THINGS,
AND ARE NOT INTO THAT MINIMALIST NOTHING ON
THE TABLE LOOK, YOU WILL ADORE THIS BOOK. IT'S
A GREAT RESOURCE. CHEERS!

Friends who know that I love to entertain gave me this book - Fabulous Parties! This is one of the best books I have in my personal collection. The recipes are simply delicious and very easy to make. The floral arrangements provided me with a lot of inspiration about how to create my own stylish centerpieces. Knowing that Mark Held, Richard David and Peggy Dark have created gourmet menus and event decor for numerous Hollywood stars, well, I was just thrilled with all their advice! Fabulous Parties is the best present for people like me to love to entertain or for folks who are interested in learning about the art of floral design. This book is easy to follow and is a treasure trove of usable information. Fabulous Parties is the perfect gift for birthdays, weddings, Mother's Day or anyone who wants to learn how to host an incredible event! Cheers!

I love a good cookbook especially with lots of fabulous photos! This is a great book. The recipes make your mouth water and are easy enough you may actually make them (as opposed to the "too fancy" books with pretty pictures but long laborious creations). The photos are beautiful as well. If you love entertaining, or just to fancy things up for your family sometimes, this book will inspire you with food & decor.

I have many books on the subject of entertainment and parties, and this book is simpily fabulous.The photgraphs are simply sumptuous and the recipes absolutely user friendly.
The pages are with filled wonderful witty recipes and the creations are out of this world.
I have bought this book as gifts for my friends and all enjoy it tremendously.
It is a terrific gift for all those who enjoy friends, parties and beautiful things..

great book! wonderful ideas, great receipts, great images!
elegant/brillant ideas for every occasions. if you like organizing parties, arrange flowers etc. this book is perfect for you. hundreds photos to look at

I absolutely love this book. The photos are great and so are the recipes. I enjoyed looking at the authors' creativity because it inspires my own. I know I won't be duplicating many of the table settings because (as someone already pointed out) they are very extravagent and I dare say expensive. Still, it helps me to see the possibilities of what I can do on my own scale. This book is truly one of the best available on entertaining.

Its not just that this book is filled with beautiful photos of fantastical floral scenes and delectable foods, but there are many elegant and unique ideas that it helps you to recreate, the full experience of which cannot be fully captured in photos. Additionally, I've been through a lot of recipe books, and there are many exceptional, party-appropriate recipes in this book that I have not seen anywhere else. If you buy only one party book this decade, make it this one!