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The Holidays Alfresco

Photos 29Issue DECEMBER 2020
The Holidays AlfrescoThe Holidays AlfrescoDinner in the garden of 107 Tradd Street, currently for sale through Carriage PropertiesTara Guérard, owner and creative director of Tara Guérard SoiréeHandblown champagne glasses by Charleston enterprise Estelle Colored Glass are labeled with name tags to prevent accidental swapping.Ask guests to take COVID-19 tests 72 hours before your event, advises Guérard, who offers masks and custom-made packs of “SANTAtizer.”Guests pull on gloves to keep a game of Dirty Santa (aka White Elephant) clean.The Holidays AlfrescoThe classic Christmas tipple, eggnog, feels utterly luxurious when homemade and served on a platter of gold and emeraldHaving sanitized their hands and wearing masks, guests pour their own drinks. The embroidered napkins are available in the BEETLE + SOIREE pop-up at 70 Queen Street.Ellen Cohn Robinson, principal event designer for WEDHanukkah’s blue and white palette is accented by silver, as well as gold, in the welcome bags, which offer local Bittermilk hand sanitizer and festive masksRobinson hung the family’s outdoor lanterns over the adults’ dining table, candlelit and shimmering with mercury glassThe Holidays AlfrescoThe children’s table is outfitted with pouf ottoman seats, disposable plates and cups, and personal dreidels.This year, the kids will play the traditional game solo rather than sharing a common “pot,” notes Robinson.Potato latkes in mini cast iron skillets are served with applesauce.The meal begins with matzo ball soup and roasted beet salads.To create gift tags numbered for each day of Hanukkah, start by using a program or website to translate each of the words “one” through “eight”; Robinson used Google Translate. Copy and paste the text into a computer file and print it on paper of a heavier weight, such as 32-pound (a stationery shop can help you select the right one). Cut out each tag and tie it with ribbon.It’s safest for one person to serve everyone from the dessert table. This party’s guests chose from sufganiyot (traditional fried jelly doughnuts), rugelach, black-and-white cookies, and chocolate chip challahThe Holidays AlfrescoMelissa Williams, owner and creative director of A Charleston BrideGuests are greeted by Birds of America face masks, booklets for recording resolutions, and—of course—hand sanitizer, in a handsome amber bottle.Each household sits at their own table with the sides they made served family-style. The host wore a mask and gloves to grill pork chops for all.The Holidays AlfrescoA beverage dispenser becomes a handwashing station.The guests mix drinks from mini bottles of Bourbon and ginger ale and ......play croquet while staying distanced.As for the resolution books, says Williams, “The host passes out the same ones each year, so everyone can add their new goals.”

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