Make a Scene
What do you remember about the most fab house party you’ve ever been to? Guarantee it wasn’t how the table was set. For us, it’s about the feeling, the attitude, the vibe. It’s all about setting the scene.
At Feste, we love to set the scene. Heck, we love to make a scene. And we come by it naturally.
My father was a wildly creative man who was stuck in 90s corporate America and all its heteronormative trappings. He’d grown up deeply Irish Catholic, and the bawdy openness of his Italian in-laws was a culture shock. But he had two outlets--local community theater and hosting events. We used to tease him about his “party mode.”
The day before a party you could find him doing everything from completely re-floor planning our home to hanging new wallpaper to stealing cornstalks from the neighbor’s farm in the dark of the night—what’s the statute of limitations on corn theft? A legendary recounting has him up at dawn secretly repainting another neighbor’s facade because he felt it was too shabby for company to see.
It was where he could express himself, show his taste and creativity. He treated each event as an opportunity to transform and storytell. I was his devoted side-kick. My mother and sister would hide in the kitchen from the décor-mania, making endless iterations of whatever elaborate dip was en vogue in 1990-whatever. But I would be at his side—polishing silver, ironing napkins, writing place cards, trimming wicks, and, yes, stealing flowers from the garden.
My father had an endless supply of party paraphernalia—candles, games, sparklers, ice buckets, décor, seasonal accents, vases, and even a large outdoor light projector to the chagrin of our neighbors. But at any moment, he was ready to set the scene. He believed firmly that the best designs were about mixing heirloom with hand-made, foraged field flowers with finely made festoons. He knew that the best events were full of activities as much as they were full of beautiful things. And he was committed to the idea that the amazing piece you used for a Halloween front porch could be transformed into something equally appropriate for a casual brunch table. I used to love to look into our closets and see everything on the shelf, tucked away and just waiting for the next moment to get together.
In the months leading up to the launch of Feste, when we were working on how to make getting together easier, how to simplify this process, I kept coming back to that closet. Our goal is to offer that experience of opening your closet and having everything you need, regardless of the occasion, ready to go.
We’re excited to offer you our solution, that multisensory je ne sais quoi, neatly tucked in a box through our hero event kits: We like to call them Scenes.
We’re not going to have a birthday box or a Halloween box, because at our hearts, we believe that you can and should be able to use these scenes for multiple events, no occasion necessary. We think about them much more as personnas, as characters, than events. That way you can pick what vibe works for you and use it for lots of different occasions.
Just as my dad used those same candlesticks for every event from a birthday to brunch, we believe that the key to making events more sustainable is to use, reuse, and reuse again the things you love and mix in fun new elements as a detail and layer.
So what are these scenes?
Well, we have The Scene: Give a Glam. This is the scene to be seen. The party we’ve all been waiting for. Plus, didn’t you always want an excuse to buy a disco ball?
We recommend this for everything from a brunch bacchanalia to a groovy séance to a late night dance party. Just add a sprinkle of Bowie-esque face glitter, a dash of bold disco vibes, and a whole lot of goodies (did someone say dessert bar?), and you’re good to go.
Then we have the over-the-top The Scene: In the Name of Decadence. Decadence isn’t just saved for dessert with this scene, because more is absolutely more.
We love this for a raucous afterparty, dining al fresco (who cares that it’s cold, bring a faux fur, and pop the champers!) or even just elevating that take-out you’ve been eyeing on GrubHub all week. Mix with your Nana’s china, throw on some completely unironic Lionel Ritchie, dust off that dinner jacket—go big and stay home.
And my personal favorite, The Scene: There’s No Bar like Home.
Perfect for that Gin and Titanic Party you’ve been planning. Just add a ton of citrus, your favorite bar staples (our sober curious team in the office is also always raving about Ghia!), and a few friends, and you’re ready to shake it up a little. Ok, maybe a lot.
Our scenes come in an incredible, use -again, keepsake box—perfect for storing all your products again for your next gathering. Don't worry, there's room to tuck in your favorite twinkle lights and vintage linens so you'll have all your party essentials in one place.
Also included are our hand-picked beyond the box tools for hosting and having fun—tips, tricks, custom playlists, menus, and curated inspiration—accessible from your private scene experience page after check-out. Check out the details below to learn more!
There’s a Maya Angelou quote that stays with me—“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Truly, is this not the essence of what it means to be a good host? To be empathetic and thoughtful about how your guests are feeling? To consider the experience people are having and to want them to leave having felt considered and having had a great time?
That’s a scene we want to be a part of.
Cheers,
Brenna
