Entertaining At Home: Hosting Tips From Tina Ocampo, Celine Lopez, And More

Describe your entertaining style? How do you entertain at home?

My style of entertaining is always creative, comfortable and experiential. I always have the intention to awake the senses of my guests whenever they are at home.

What is the theme of your set-up?

I went out to my garden and saw this native clay cooking device I just bought from our recent visit to La Union. I thought of repurposing it to become an interesting container to fill with ice and keep the bottles of wine and champagne at a refreshing temperature. I chose a spot in my garden with prolific summer flowers cascading down to dress my bar so I don’t have to go out and buy cut flowers in the market.

See Also: 5 Things We Miss About La Union

What are your favourite tabletop accessories?

Single vintage silver candle holders that are slim and elegantly designed.

What music do you play?

I love playing French music but what I truly enjoy listening to are the happy sounds people make when they laugh... or the sound of a sigh that brings curiosity... or a single excited voice ready to share a story to earn wisdom. I believe these are all music to everyone’s ears.

What type of cocktails do you usually serve? What’s your favourite?

To be honest, my husband and I are not big fans of cocktails; but we do follow the rules of serving good bottles of wine paired with the food we are serving. My favourite? I stick to French Merlot or sparkling water—lunch, dinner and cocktails. Boring but classic.

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Founder of Gypsy Rosé

Describe your entertaining style? How do you entertain at home?

My home is super casual. My friends come over just to chill because there is something healing about this place. We usually have champagne with pizza or small-batch beer and takeout sushi. I used to like to host complicated dinners but it’s just not who I am anymore. It’s almost impossible to do when you have a baby.

See Also: Where To Order Sushi, Sashimi In Metro Manila

What is the theme of your set-up? What’s the ambience you want to achieve?

I’m a gypsy at heart and I like to move around. However, I’ve been in my flat for seven years now and that’s the longest. My objects travel with me wherever I go. So I change things up a bit with no specific theme in mind. I love looking at them and remembering the beautiful memories that come with them.

What are your favourite tabletop accessories?

Candles for life.

What music do you play?

Lots of music from my teenage years and my 20s.

What type of cocktails do you usually serve? What’s your favourite?

Gypsy Rosé all the way baby! I also like doing simple cocktails with quality spirits and Fever-Tree mixers.

Read also: Katrina Razon On The Beauty Of Nature And Her Travels In The Maldives

Founder of Por Do Sol Luxury Swimwear and Resortwear

Describe your entertaining style? How do you entertain at home?

I prefer intimate and casual get-togethers.

What is the theme of your set-up? What’s the ambience you want to achieve?

Warm and casual surrounded by beautiful things.

What are your favourite tabletop accessories?

Flowers, lots of candles, interesting objects and coffee table books.

What music do you play?

I have playlists but I let my friends play their own so they feel comfortable.

What type of cocktails do you usually serve? What’s your favourite?

Aperol spritz, margaritas, martinis.

HR executive, wife and mother of three

Describe your entertaining style? How do you entertain at home?

I’ve always enjoyed hosting at home whether it’s for a special occasion or for no reason at all. My style is simple but full of attention to details. I am quite hands-on when it comes to entertaining and prefer to do it myself rather than hire a caterer.

What is the theme of your set-up? What’s the ambience you want to achieve?

My husband and I invited two guests over for a get-together that started with pre-dinner cocktails. Since we rarely have people over, I wanted to offer an assortment of drink and food choices to last us the entire night. We lit scented candles and played music for that relaxed vibe.

Often, I like to start with a cocktail then move on to wine or champagne for dinner. I usually entertain in my living room which has a bar, dining area and lounge set up so we just stay there and move from place to place as the night progresses.

What are your favourite tabletop accessories?

Definitely flowers. I also like to play around with textures and colours so I mix up my tablescape by adding hard and soft natural materials. For dinners, I use name cardholders and do seating plans to make sure guests are surrounded by people they can make good conversations with.

See Also: Tatler Home Design Tips: Are Dried Flowers Worth The Investment?

What music do you play?

We usually play bossa nova lounge or any of the chill playlists on Spotify. The music tends to get faster as the cocktails flow.

What type of cocktails do you usually serve? What’s your favourite?

My top two cocktails are the dirty martini and the negroni. They taste great, are easy to make and have a good kick.

Over the lockdown, I’ve discovered the inner mixologist in me and developed a love for mixing cocktails. It was refreshing to learn I could concoct something since I can’t cook to save my life!

Mompreneur at Noah and Nara, Perla Manila and Love and Mama

Describe your entertaining style? How do you entertain at home?

I am a maximalist at heart. I love taking inspiration from nature and making my entertaining environment at home a nurturing one. I always make sure every detail of my family’s or loved one's needs is met. For me, it’s also a reflection of who I am on the inside. I like to pay attention to details. I love colour, layering textures and even making ordinary things like Coke bottles or buko juice have a touch of some fun and flair. It’s all about creativity, improvising and just having fun with it. I also have no rules ... I open my china cabinet of curiosities from all my travels, trinkets on my shelves and I just let my imagination do the work!

What is the theme of your set-up? What’s the ambience you want to achieve?

I just started my New Mama home and lifestyle venture called Perla Manila and I wanted it to be a reflection of my home and what I truly use on a daily basis. We have Iraca Palm placemats from Colombia that are handmade by skilled artisans. We have mother-of-pearl inlay handmade works from India. We even have wicker items that add more warmth and texture to any part or your home as well as abaca and nito placemats that are locally handmade too!

For my setup, I immediately thought of doing a Pinoy theme, with fun bukocktails, gin pomelo and of course, Coke rum with calamansi.

As for the canapés, I opted for Pinoy Pica Pica that would take you back to your childhood. Squid balls and fishballs were served as well as puto, sapin-sapin and even pitchi-pitchi!

Then as for dessert, I wanted mini chocolate and ube cupcakes with Filipino toppings. I served some palabok, isaw, puto bumbong to name a few and little cupcakes!

As for the ambience, there was a touch of Filipino and the tropics. By using birds of paradise, orchids and bougainvillea for my flowers, the table just became more vibrant. Topping it off with my fave wicker candlelit pagodas that I wrapped with sampaguita flowers all around, giving that wonderful aroma that is distinctly Pinoy! By far, this was the most beautiful improvisation I have put together for this setup.

See Also: Where To Buy Tropical Home Decor—Aranaz, Perla Manila, And More

What are your favourite tabletop accessories?

Anything and everything really! I love the unique things I collect when I shop locally and from my travels abroad. I used vintage Saint Louis Crystal wine glasses from the Les Puces antique markets in Paris. Local abaca fibre placemats from Kassa by Karen Santos. Bamboo frames and risers from Brazil.

For my place setting, I used both an Iraca Palm and abaca placemat to layer together and a selection of botanical and tropical merienda plates. My very own Goldie bamboo flatware was also a great accent as well as my obsession: fun monogram napkins. These are my buko Pie monogram linens from Cabbana Workshop.

Lastly, my ultimate fave are candelabras. There is just something about a well-lit table and in this set-up, I used my brass banana leaf candelabras for the bukocktails area and on the pica pica spread are little dining table lamps, which is soon to come to my Perla Manila home line with a very special collaboration with another local brand, Flora Magica.

What music do you play?

I love playing Alina Baranz during sunset and cocktail hour and some classics like Marvin Gaye... all on Spotify, FYI!

Read More: Have You Tried 'Only You' by Spotify? Discover Your Unique Streaming Patterns

What type of cocktails do you usually serve? What’s your favourite?

Personally, I like tequila, a good martini or an old-fashioned. But if something lighter, then it would be a glass of my fave Cote de Provence Rosé or a glass of Sancerre wine.

For this Pinoy-themed setup, I opted for my local faves like a refreshing gin pomelo or the classic Coke rum. Simple yet fun and yummy!