How We Host: Meet Rebecca Gardner, Sofia Coppola's favourite party planner

Welcome to the latest installment of 'How We Host,' our column devoted to all-things entertaining from those who know a thing or two about having a good time. Next up? Hostess-with-the-Mostest and Houses & Parties founder, Rebecca Gardner.

When it comes to hosting, Rebecca Gardner knows how to make the rules, and, more importantly, how to break them. With her company Houses & Parties, she's planned extravagant soirées that have included everything from mechanical bulls to waiters dressed like aliens. As Sofia Coppola has said, My dream would be to have Rebecca Gardner in charge of the party committee of my life. '

Alongside her French bulldog, Percy, Gardner splits her time between Savannah, Georgia and New York, metropolises that contribute to her events' effervescent blend of southern hospitality and big city sparkle.

Gardner exhibited a knack for hosting at a very young age, from merchandising her bathroom cabinet in anticipation of a visit from an older cousin, to spending up to a full year planning her birthday parties. ‘My seventh birthday party was a fashion show down the side of my parents' house, which was really the driveway,’ she says. ‘My mother tapped a local newscaster to serve as emcee, and I was the bride at the end in white polyester.’

Today, she's essentially a party-planning fairy godmother — no request is too elaborate, whether it's pulling together a surprise party with a secret dance floor to a catered meal for 400 people. ‘I'm usually the one making things complicated,' she says.

Still, she aims to make entertaining easier for mere mortals. This autumn, she launched her debut book, A Screaming Blast, to encourage readers to host more parities of their own. The monograph — which includes a forward by Coppola — looks at 18 of her most elaborate parties spanning from birthdays to weddings, holiday parties to dinners. We spoke with Gardner to dive deeper into the anatomy of a successful party as she unveils what makes a good host — and a good guest.

Wallpaper*: You split your time between New York and Savannah. Does your hosting style differ with each location?

Rebecca Gardner: When I'm in Savannah, I have a lot more space – a proper dining room that seats a lot of people. In New York, I have cocktail parties that have a Holly Golightly vibe, champagne in the bathtub, and pass around the pigs in a blanket. I think no matter where what the environment is, the most important thing is the intent to gather friends, and mix up the crowd, because if your guests are lame, your party is going to be lame, no matter how many bouquets of heirloom roses you have down the table.

I definitely like to create a mood. I avoid overhead lights like the plague, so I would suggest lighting lots of candles, and having beautiful music. The recipe is to have interesting people, flattering light, and strong drinks to welcome people into your little world with graciousness and thoughtfulness.

W*: Are you a relaxed host who pulls it all together at the last minute, or is there careful planning?

RG: Whether I'm planning a party for a client or my friends, I plan like I am NASA and I'm executing the landing on the moon. However, at some point, especially if the party is at my house, I have to let go and let God take over. I do think that a hostess has got to at least act at ease, even if it's a performance because effortless is the look, but effort is the key.

W*: Can you cook?

RG: I'm a B+ cook. Yes, I can cook. But when I'm entertaining friends, I like to make one or two things for a dinner party, and then I outsource the rest. My book has a whole chapter titled, ‘You don't have to make it to make it happen’. I'm a working girl and I don't want to spend my whole day in the kitchen.

I do love Yotam Ottolenghi, and I think his books are a great resource for recipes that are sophisticated. They have a hell of a lot of ingredients, but they don't require something complicated like an organic pea foam or piping hot presentation. As long as you have all those spices lined up like soldiers, it's relatively easy to serve.

W*: What was the first dish you perfected to feed a group of friends or family?

RG: One of the first dinners that I had for my friends was at my tiny apartment in downtown Savannah, and I had a very ambitious Julia Child's menu which included anything complicated and creamy — think of an oyster bisque, beef Wellington, and some sort of spinach soufflé custard — and I got way in over my head. There were pots and pans lined down the floor of my galley kitchen. At one point, I opened a bag of potato chips and everyone drank a lot while waiting for my custard to set. I don't do that anymore. From that, the mantra that ‘you don't have to make it to make it happen’ was born.

W*: Drinks on arrival? If so, what's on offer?

RG: I always serve something strong, like a margarita or an old-fashioned. Bon Appétit has an amazing recipe for this time of year that is Earl Grey Bourbon punch. I think that when you first walk into a party, drinks shouldn't be complicated. Give someone something that they want and make it easy for them to ask for another, but I don't like complicated or sweet signature cocktails.

W*: Go on and tempt us – what’s your go-to menu, from starters to afters?

RG: I'm Southern, so I serve fried chicken. Alongside this I have a really yummy recipe for a wild rice salad that has water chestnuts, dried cherries and toasted pecans, and this really garlicky green goddess dressing which can be served cold. I also roast root vegetables, and serve a green mustardy salad. I think that the fried chicken pairs really well with expensive Champagne. For dessert, I love things that can be passed around, like lemon bars, big fat strawberries or rich chocolate brownies. The idea is to have a high-low menu, a Timex or Rolex, but staying clear of the middle.

W*: What’s on your dinner party playlist?

RG: Oh, God, I am not great with music, so I stick to Pink Martini at the beginning, and then I hope the evening ends with '90s hip-hop.

W*: Who’s your dream dinner party guest?

RG: I think that a young Jack Nicholson would be my dream dinner party date because he is, I assume, charming, funny and a little wild. I think every party needs an element of danger.

W*: Dish the dirt: what should a host never do?

RG: I think that a host should never apologize. If dinner is burned, order a pizza. No one notices the mistakes if the host is at ease and the party is fun. I think that the one thing that could go wrong is that you run out of booze.

W*: What should a guest never do?

RG: My pet peeve is guests that are determined to be in the kitchen. For me, hosting friends is a love language, and if someone continues to insist on helping, clear glasses or load the dishwasher, they're ruining my magic.

W*:What’s the secret to a successful evening?

RG: Flattering light, heavy pours, and an interesting mix of people.

A Screaming Blast is available at rizzoliusa.com and housesandparties.com