Dina Manzo Speaks On Entertaining And Her New Show "Dina's Party"

ShelterPop.com:

The event designer and former housewife of New Jersey has teamed with HGTV for show on party-planning. We sat down with her to chat about the new series and got some pointers from her on how to entertain on the fly.


Dina Manzo might be most recognized for her brief stint as one of the ladies on the Real Housewives of New Jersey, but she's a lot more. Manzo, a designer who runs the event-planning firm Design Affair has put together lavish dinner parties and soirees for some of the most fashionable A-listers coast-to-coast. Now she's coming out with Dina's Party, a series about throwing glamorous parties on the fly, which premieres on HGTV this Saturday at 10PM/9 central.


Manzo took some time out of the busy schedule to talk to us about the show, the emotional men on it, and how to entertain...the right way.


1. Were there any memorable homeowners that you worked with on your new show?
They were all wonderful but I was lucky enough to do some parties for some personal friends. The pilot is for one of my very best friends who's moving to Dallas, TX. It was his surprise going away and he had no idea. I put it together with his partner and he had no idea at all! When I have a connection with the person, that's when it's the most amazing.


2. What's your favorite part of every show?
The reveal. It's when I finally get to surprise them and people can't even believe it.
Especially the men involved...they got quite emotional about the reveal.


3. What was your favorite party theme in the show?
There was a Vegas episode that was lots of fun. It was a birthday party for a gentleman who loves Vegas. Being married with children, it wasn't as easy for him to get away so we brought Vegas to New Jersey. And one of the things we did was recreate the hand-blown chandeliers in the hotels and hung them above the dinner table.


There was also an episode in the Hamptons when I was actually on vacation during month of July, and they tricked me into throwing a party there. It was for a socialite who's used to the red carpet soirees but we gave them a homegrown Hamptons for something a little different.


4. Funniest moment?
Well it wasn't a funny one, but one of my favorite moments was at the surprise party for my friend. He walked in and had no clue and everyone was crying.


The weather in New Jersey has been insane, from hurricanes and tornadoes coming through. And throughout the pilot there was a blizzard. It's like I've gone through every weather that you can think of. Looking back, it's funny now but not at the time.


5. Was there anything unexpected that came up for you as an event designer?
We had three days to make phone calls and set up everything up and throw the party. Usually I have around 6 months. I have to say I was surprised that I was able to pull everything together.


6. We're quickly approaching the holidays, which is when a lot of entertaining takes place. We'd love some of your tips. First off, how do you get people to RSVP to one of your events?
I'm totally against an Evite. It's so impersonal and you see everyone who's declined. Invitation by snail mail is old fashioned, but that's unexpected and it gets people excited about the theme of the party. I usually put together a little sneak peak arrangement to include in the mail invite to give people an idea of the decor and it gets people to want to see what the party will be like. Just remember to send your invites out 8 weeks in advance so you're the first one that gets to their door because if you're too late they'll have committed to something else during the holidays and all the other events.

RELATED: 'Dina's Party' premieres tomorrow. See our Q&A with the new HGTV star