Stella Artois raised its iconic chalice to the season’s most memorable hosting moments in a “Bon Voyage to Summer” soiree hosted by actress, author and entrepreneur Shay Mitchell in New York City. Inspired by the best of summer, from delicious light bites and summer-summation décor, to Shay’s own personal repertoire of hosting tips – and of course, plenty of cold, crisp Stella Artois – guests were treated to an afternoon sail along the picturesque Hudson River.
With the New York City skyline in the background and Shay at the helm, Stella Artois saluted the season’s most special hosting moments, including Shay’s own personal treats and tricks for a beautiful evening:
Setting the Stage: Shay’s favorite element to party hosting is delivering a wow-worthy tablescape. Over the summer, Shay hollowed out a pineapple and used it as a vase. With fall right around the corner, Shay suggests hollowing out a pumpkin and using that as a vase and a picture-perfect centerpiece. Adding little touches, like warm, gold chargers underneath each person’s table settings, takes very little time, but shows guests how much you care.- Perfect Party Pairings: Shay’s go-to party staple is a selection of her favorite cheeses, meats and seasonal fruit. Her usual charcuterie board consists of one creamy cheese, a cheddar, and something uniquely different like a stilton, paired with several types of prosciutto and salami. Hand-pick some fruit to make it look extra gourmet, like halved figs, grapes, sliced pears and starfruit. Add a dollop of a peppery jelly or preserve, too, for added zest and pair it all with a cold Stella Artois for the perfect savory, crisp combination.
“Everyone knows that I love to play hostess. It doesn’t matter if I’m inviting a girlfriend to the beach for a picnic or throwing a big poolside BBQ with friends, I always try to insert a few special, personal touches to the get together,” said Shay. “Working on the Stella Artois Host Beautifully campaign has taught me that a little goes a long way: make sure you have your essentials, like good food, cold drinks and playful décor, but don’t forget to bake in small details unique to your personality throughout the evening to really make it your own.”
Along with enlisting Shay to curate various details for the end-of-summer sail, the brand also turned to social media to curate crowd-sourced hosting tips from fans across the country. Two lucky contributors were selected to bring their hosting vision to life during the event. Fans can continue to contribute to the conversation by following @StellaArtois and #HostBeautifully.
“With 600 years of brewing heritage Stella Artois is brewed and presented with care and intent making it the perfect choice for any great host,” said Ricardo Marques, vice president, Stella Artois. “We believe that all occasions can be extraordinary, which is why we partnered with accomplished hostess Shay Mitchell who provided her own personal entertaining expertise last night as we bid farewell to a summer of hosting beautifully.”
The “Bon Voyage to Summer” soiree is the culmination of the Stella Artois “Host Beautifully” campaign, a movement to inspire the next generation of hosts to reinstate the ritual and art of entertaining. As a brand synonymous with sophistication and elegance, Stella Artois launched the campaign in May with “The A-Z Guide to Host Beautifully,” a compilation of tips and recipes from a specially curated list of 20 experts in the world of food, drink, design, music, photography, entertainment and style, representing each letter of the alphabet.
From the menu to the soundtrack, seating and table dressing detail, experts educated fans on how to perfect their hosting etiquette through photos, videos, short essays and cinemagraphs. Shay now joins that elite panel of young hosts and hostesses who helped breathe life back into the art and tradition of hosting others.
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