Guerdy Abraira Shares Her Top Tips for Planning an Epic Party
The Real Housewives of Miami luxury event planner explains how to host a perfectly over-the-top gathering.
On the Season 4 premiere of The Real Housewives of Miami, Alexia Echevarria revealed that Guerdy Abraira was planning her wedding. "Everybody knows Guerdy in Miami," she explained. "If there's an event that's being thrown here, Guerdy's the one that's doing it."
As Guerdy declared during the episode, she's "the best" when it comes to event planning, and while the Guerdy Design owner's process differs for each client, she has a few tried-and-true rules for creating incredible experiences. Whether it's an over-the-top wedding, a major corporate gathering, or a chic birthday party, Guerdy explained to BravoTV.com how to perfectly plan any event:
1. "Keep It Simple and Keep It Original"
"I think that people try to overdo it and are looking to the left or the right to see what their friends are doing," Guerdy shared. "Whatever you like, pick it. You don't have to go to Pinterest to copy and paste anything. Do you, booboo, for sure."
2. "Don't Take Things Too Seriously"
No matter what the occasion, Guerdy suggested keeping one important thing in mind: "You have one life to live... Just live your best damn life. Stop judging yourself. Stop being judgmental of others. Just be happy." Although she admitted her message may not appear to "apply to party planning," she explained, "it kind of does, because if the hostess is happy," then their guests will be happy as well.
3."Be Cohesive and Pick a Theme"
When it comes to deciding on a theme for your event, Guerdy cautions against being too adventurous. "You cannot be doing western and girly chic, for example. I mean, yes, you can, and that's going to be called fusion, but then you have to know how to do that right," she explained. "So just make sure that you kind of hone in on the particular theme or concept, and then execute it well."
"Don't do too much at a time," she added. "Because you're going to end up mixing messages and themes, and it may not come out the way you think it is."
4. "You Have to Have Champagne"
"Champagne is a symbol of celebration, and so for me, I always have champagne around," Guerdy said. "It's something that I symbolically toast to after a wedding. I always toast to like, 'Here's another one, and now onward to the next.' So it's really kind of an amazing thing."
5. "A Plated Dinner is the Way to Go"
"Food-wise, honey, there [are] so many foods to pick from. But as long as you're having a wedding or any social gathering, [serve] at least a two-course meal," she advised. "Have an appetizer or a salad and then the entrée."
As for dessert, that "can come in any other form throughout the night," but dinner, she said, should be a "proper two-course meal."
Naturally, Guerdy also has strong opinions on how the food is served, and she tends to stay away from anything buffet-style. "We keep everything fresh and à la minute, which means that they're attended by a chef behind them," she said. "They're bringing the food out and also cooking it live in front of you so that you feel like you've gotten the best and the freshest ingredients mixed on-site, versus it lingering on the table."
6. "Be Charitable"
No matter what event she's working on, Guerdy prioritizes helping those in need along the way. "I think that we have to pay it forward, especially right now in the pandemic, the most important thing to me is to know that other people are sleeping good at night, too."
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— Reporting by Jocelyn Vena
