There is an old Chinese proverb: “Make those happy near you and those who are far will come.” Oh, those wonderful pearls of wisdom. So, how does one make others happy at the dining table? This is done by creating delightful cuisine and by establishing bonding relationships. Themes are passage ways to creating bonding relationships. I created a theme called “Pearls of Wisdom.” Simply put clean conch seashells between each guest and pre-make a strip of paper with the appropriated Pearl of Wisdom which is designed for each guest. (That would be two in each shell.) Fill the centerpiece with faux pearls and flowers and let the party begin. As the guests gather at the table, their party “favor” is the individual Pearl of Wisdom. They will pull out their special message and read it out loud. Their wisdom can be their favorite saying or insight. Their wisdom can be their recent advice or strength noticed for overcoming adversity. This event design truly has significant interaction and provides the gift of admiration for each guest without a lot of expense. Another theme that I have created is called the “Who Done It Tempest Brew.” In a clean teapot, collect anecdotes of a fun fact about each guest that the others don’t know. As examples, this could be “Once worked in an airplane factory”; “Once canoed down the Mississippi River”; “Once saved another’s life”; “Once rescued injured ducks for rehabilitation”; or “Once studied to be an astronaut.” Write the individual eclectic tidbits on small pieces of paper and fill the teapot. Pass the teapot around the table and let each guest pull out a biographical insight. The guests take turns reading what they pulled out of the teapot. The fun is that the guests guess who did that interesting task or moment. Talk about an “ice breaker” amongst people who have never met. It significantly opens up conservation through the entire dining experience. Entertaining is interactive and intuitive. For the most impacting and memorable dinner parties set the stage for guests to get to know each other. © Kelly McBride Loft