by Emilee Perdue | November 5, 2024
Every Day Is a Party With Seri Kertzner
Professional party girl Seri Kertzner dishes on her hosting must-haves and top tips for throwing the hottest holiday celebration.
For Seri Kertzner, event stylist, business owner and professional partier, every day is a celebration. From throwing extravagant soirees in New York for brands such as L’Oréal Paris and Maybelline New York—not to mention the wrap party for Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story”—to opening her first brick-and-mortar storefront in Ponte Vedra Beach, where she and her family have lived since 2020, Kertzner’s life is raining confetti. And even though it looks like effortless fun, this party girl has spent the past decade working hard for what she wants. “A lot of people will look at my life and say to me, ‘You’re so lucky,’” Kertzner, 45, told Flamingo while giving a behind-the-scenes tour of The Social Society, her new party goods and gift store. “And my husband’s always like, ‘You’re not lucky. You make your own work.’ When I want something, I just make things happen. I’m a doer.”
Kertzner’s make-it-happen approach is present in every detail of The Social Society, from the personalized water bottles reading “Dylan’s 12th birthday” to the Rifle Paper Co. oversized number balloons to the mural in the back office that reads, “Work hard, party harder.” Flamingo recently caught up with Kertzner in her new retail space to talk about soiree essentials, hosting tips for the holidays and the best party she’s ever thrown.
You were inspired by dinners with your grandmother when you were a child. What were those like?
SERI KERTZNER: I was very close with my grandmother. She died just a couple years ago. She was 100, so she lived an amazing life. I called her my Bubbe. She was a Holocaust survivor. I haven’t talked about her in a while. She was an amazing woman, and she would host Friday night dinners every week. I had another grandmother who I was very close with, and they would both host. Every week we would gather and they would set the table, and it was all our family and our cousins. It was matzo ball soup and chicken and potatoes and salad. I love to host because that’s ingrained in me. I host all the major holidays like Thanksgiving and Rosh Hashanah and Passover. I love doing it, and I go all out. I do flowers, I do name cards and it’s a big deal. It’s just the nicest way to gather family together.
What are the key elements that make a party stand out?
SK: It’s attention to detail and making your guests feel comfortable in your home. If you host and are stressed, your guests are going to be stressed. I think it’s really important to plan in advance and have everything you need on hand before everyone arrives. If you’re doing the cooking, make sure everything is well-prepped and you’re not running around sweating in the kitchen. Pretty plates and party crackers that you can set at everyone’s place so they have something fun and engaging to do when they sit down. The cups, the utensils, napkins, fresh flowers. All of that goes a really long way.
What is one way you host over the holidays?
SK: Every Christmas we do Christmukkah (with friends). We combine our two traditions between Hanukkah and Christmas. We do it at their house because they have the big Christmas tree. I bring over my special electric frying pan and make latkes, and then we do a gift exchange. This is an almost potluck-type dinner, where you’d have the cute paper plates, the Christmas crackers, the kids are there, and it just feels very comfortable and relaxed and fun and thoughtful.
How do you create a chic holiday atmosphere with minimal effort?
SK: Candlelight is really nice over the holidays. Soft lighting, festive music and being prepared. Being able to put out a plate that’s festive, that’s shaped like an ornament or a Jewish star or red, white and green tableware that you can bring out at the last minute. If you have a fireplace, it’s always nice to turn on the fire. It’s nice when you decorate inside. I don’t celebrate Christmas, but I love decorating for Christmas. We’re going to sell these holly balls. They’re inflatable ornaments. They’re so fun; you can just have those blown up and styled around your house.
How can our readers host with confidence?
SK: Being prepared is the best advice I have. Key essentials to me are cups, napkins, cocktail plates, candles. It’s really nice to have a pretty set of matches on hand for lighting candles. Being prepared with your gifting helps with your hosting so you’re not thinking, “Okay, I now have to buy 14 gifts for my family members and friends, and I haven’t done that, that’s stressing me out.” After Thanksgiving, make your list and get that all done, get it all wrapped. That becomes decor, having gifts wrapped under the tree.
How do you minimize party cleanup?
SK: With disposable party wear, throw it all in the garbage. Except for your Party People cups that I made, because those could be reused. I really love disposable party wear. Some of it is biodegradable that we sell. Some of it is recyclable. People aren’t hosting with disposable items every day, so to be able to do that for the big holidays just makes your life easier. It’s a much faster cleanup, it looks pretty and you’re not slaving at the sink for hours after. I don’t like having to then go clean up in the kitchen, and it feels like the party breaks up. If you’re setting the table with disposable items that you can toss into a trash can after, and continue with your night.
What is your favorite party you’ve thrown?
SK: We got to do the wrap party for the “West Side Story” movie for Steven Spielberg. That was like a time to pinch myself. That was crazy, and it was such a success. It was such a cool party, and everyone was so lovely and such nice people to work with.
What’s your favorite cocktail to have on hand?
SK: When you’re stocking your pantry and fridge, you should always have prosecco on hand around the holidays. That’s just so easy and inexpensive. I keep tons of juices: cranberry, orange, pomegranate. I cook a lot at home, so I always have fresh herbs in the fridge. Around the holidays, I always have rosemary, prosecco and a splash of cranberry. Put in a sprig of rosemary. Keep some frozen cranberries in your freezer. They act like ice cubes—amazing and easy and festive.
What items should every host have at all times?
SK: A serving tray. Cocktail napkins. Don’t ever put out food without cocktail napkins. People are going to need them for their hands or to put (food) on there. And then glassware. I’m a huge fan of real glassware from Ikea. It’s like $1 a glass, but they have such cool glasses in unique patterns and shapes. If it breaks, then you don’t feel bad about it.
What’s your favorite way to celebrate the holidays?
SK: I have traditional parties with certain people. One is our Christmukkah. We do that every single year. Another tradition is with my staff. We do a gift exchange that we take very seriously. At every one of these traditional parties, I make my latkes. Everyone loves my latkes. It’s got a whole serving bar. There’s sour cream and chives and all different kinds of toppings. Other than that, the holiday season is a time for me to travel with my family. The first half of December are my party weeks. My birthday is also Dec. 8. The last two weeks are (spent) traveling with my family. Last year we went to South Africa. This year we’re going to Japan and Thailand.
Seri Kertzner shared her tried-and-true latke recipe for the holidays
If you could throw the entire state of Florida a party, what would it be like?
SK: To me, this truly is the Sunshine State. When we moved into our house, the backyard was just grass and I completely built it out. I put in an outdoor kitchen, a lounge area with couches and a TV, a pool and a mini golf area. I can’t tell you how much we host in that backyard. If I could have the entire state of Florida in my backyard, it would be a backyard barbecue. You’d be playing golf and throwing footballs in the pool. We’d have the Jags game on. We’d have great food, great drinks, great music. I’d put out speakers. I’ve got stunning lighting back there. It would be fun in the sun, and then the sun goes down, and you’re under the palm trees that are lit up beautifully under the stars. That would be my dream party for Florida.
