For event planner Alexa Larberg, a celebration should feel as good as it looks and the planning should be joyful, too. 

She built Alexa Larberg Party Co. around creating events that surprise, delight, and feel uniquely personal. Her first question isn’t what’s on the menu or how the table will look: it’s how she wants guests to feel when they walk in and when they leave. Whether you’re planning a polished event or welcoming friends into a lived-in home, her advice comes back to the same thing: make people feel cared for.

Hosting Q&A with Alexa Larberg

Q: Where do you start when planning a gathering?

A: I always start with how I want the event to feel. How do I want guests to feel when they walk through the door—and when they leave? Once I know that, the menu, décor, theme, and little details can grow from there. Hospitality isn’t about perfection; it’s about helping people feel welcomed, cared for, and connected.

Q: What’s your favorite way to break the ice?

A: I love something unexpected, slightly shocking, and completely out of context—a longhorn in the front yard, an ice luge during cocktail hour, or a performer who seems like another guest until suddenly they’re not. I love entertainment guests discover rather than something that requires everyone to stop and watch. The best icebreaker is a shared “wait…is this actually happening?” moment.

Q: What would you focus on for a tablescape with a limited budget?

A: Linens. A million times linens. The right linen can completely transform a table.

Q: What advice would you give someone who feels overwhelmed hosting at home?

A: Stop trying to impress your guests and start trying to care for them. Light the candles, put on a great playlist, have a drink ready, and set out food people can help themselves to. Then go enjoy your own party. Your friends are coming to be with you, not inspect your baseboards.

Q: What do you serve when you host?

A: My signature dinner is lemon carbonara with homemade crusty bread and a big, hearty salad—usually with something a little unexpected, like hearts of palm. For dessert, it’s always Ina Garten’s brownie pudding. It’s warm, comforting, a little indulgent, and meant to be passed around the table.

Q: What’s your go-to dinner-party soundtrack?

A: My dinner-party playlist.

Q: What’s your favorite party trick?

A: I take care of the tiny details days before anyone arrives: fresh dish towels in the kitchen, guest towels in the bathroom, a small floral arrangement by the sink, candles ready to light, drinks cold, and music on. Then, when the doorbell rings, I’m done fussing. The rest of the night is about the people, not the party.

Q: What are some of your favorite hosting brands?

A: For kids’ parties, I love Meri Meri and My Mind’s Eye. For linens, I love renting from BBJ La Tavola, and Mrs. Alice is a favorite for tabletop inspiration and layered, collected details. I’m not loyal to one aesthetic, though—I love mixing high and low and finding pieces in unexpected places.

Q: What do you love about Partytrick?

A: I think the Playbooks are genius. If you want to gather people you love but don’t know where to begin, they’re a fabulous resource. They take away so much decision fatigue while still helping you create something thoughtful, beautiful, and special.

Q: What’s the most memorable gathering you’ve hosted or attended?

A: The gatherings that stand out most are the ones I’ve hosted for my own people. I’ve planned and produced a lot of parties, but nothing means quite as much as looking around my own table and seeing the people I love there. If I’m building anything, it’s for them.

Partytrick Take: Real Hosting Takeaways

Alexa’s approach makes the guest experience the starting point, then uses the details to support it. She doesn’t describe one specific event layout or timeline, but her advice offers a useful planning compass: decide how you want the gathering to feel, prepare the practical touches ahead of time, and leave room to enjoy the people you invited.

How can I recreate this hosting style in a simple way?

Choose one feeling you want guests to take away—cozy, celebratory, or delightfully unexpected—and let it guide one or two choices. You might set out a favorite meal family-style, choose linens that change the look of the table, or add one surprising detail for guests to discover.

What is the most important planning decision behind this approach?

Start with the guest experience. That gives you a filter for decisions about the menu, décor, and atmosphere. Then make the arrival easy: put drinks and food where guests can help themselves, get the music ready, and handle small household details before the gathering begins.

What can hosts borrow from Alexa’s approach?

• Plan the feeling before the theme. Ask what you want guests to experience.
• Choose one detail that makes people talk. It can be playful or unexpected; it doesn’t have to be elaborate.
• Get the little jobs done early. A few simple preparations can help you be present when guests arrive.
• Let “welcoming” outrank “perfect.” Your guests came to spend time with you.

Host Your Own Dinner Party with Partytrick

Ready to host your own? 

Start with a ready-made plan instead of a blank page. The Summer Honey Dinner Party and Farm-to-Table Dinner Party Playbooks each include a timeline, hosting tips, and shoppable details you can customize. Playbooks are free with a Partytrick account.

Sign up for free and start planning your dinner.

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