By Simplicio Paragas

Whether it's an intimate sit-down dinner or a stand-up cocktail party, festive food and decor make holiday parties unique. Courtesy of C.S. Wo

Deck the halls with boughs of holly. Or, with magnolia leaves, feathers, gold balls and amaryllis, like Sue and Al Landon have done in preparation for the annual soiree at their Kahala home with Bank of Hawaii board directors and managing committee.

"Our house kind of looks like a ski lodge inside, so I've asked Mel (Chin of Mel's Creations) to keep it rustic," says Sue Landon, whose husband Al is the CEO of Bank of Hawaii. "This isn't a bank-sponsored evening, it's an Al-and-Sue party, and we'll have about 65 guests that night."

Throughout this holiday season, Island residents will invite friends, colleagues, neighbors and 'ohana into their homes to celebrate what's considered "the most wonderful time of the year."

But, what the Dickens do you do if you want to throw a holiday party but don't quite know where to start?

"First, decide if you want an intimate, sit-down dinner or a stand-up cocktail party," advises Diamond Head Market & Grill owner/chef Kelvin Ro, who has catered the Landons private dinner party for the past few years. "Then determine, of course, what you want to spend."

Budget-wise, Ro says the food will often account for 30 percent of the overall expense, with the remaining percentage divided among equipment rental, décor and staff.

Prior to opening Diamond Head Market & Grill, owner/chef Kelvin Ro specialized in off-site catering. Photo by Randy T. Fujimori

"I did this one holiday party at a Lanikai beach home that was way over the top," says Ro, whose specialty before opening his Market & Grill involved off-site catering. "The owner, who is from San Francisco, brought in choke flowers, tents and spared no expense. It was a Beverly Hills kind of party."

Betty Wo's holiday gathering may not have the red-carpet glitz and glamour of a Hollywood fete, but the C. S. Wo & Sons matriarch still uses Ro's services for her Christmas Day family gathering.

"The kids and grandkids arrive around 9 a.m. and we'll have coffee, pastries and fried rice, which everyone loves," Wo chuckles. "We'll then open presents around the tree and have lunch that Kelvin (Ro) prepares. It could be turkey, prime rib or anything that he decides he wants to make."

The Landons also allow Ro to determine the menu for their holiday get-together.

"I'll call him a couple of days before the party and tell him how many guests we're expecting," Sue Landon says. "I trust him wholeheartedly. I expect him to come to my house, wave his wand and create magic."

In previous years, Ro has set up a pasta station, a raw bar, an Island sushi bar, a grilling station and a huge dessert table at the Landon residence.

"I never know what he's going to do until he gets here," says Sue Landon, who has rented tents and tables for the occasion from Accel Party Rentals & Design and scheduled Manoa DNA to provide background music. "For the past two years, all our guests have really enjoyed whatever he prepares."

The same could be said of Tuscany native Francesco Valentini of Valentini Inc. and Fine Food Services. A personal chef to celebrities and the well-heeled, Valentini has cooked for such stars as Richard Chamberlain, Matthew Fox (who plays Jack Shephard on the hit TV series "Lost"), and Al and Joyce Tomonari, to name but a few.

"He's the first chef who comes to mind when I think about catering," says Joyce Tomonari, who has used the services of Valentini on several occasions. "He relates to guests really well and he makes it fun."

His food, too, wins approval from the Tomonaris' guests.

"He's talented and innovative," says Joyce Tomonari in praise of Valentini. "His food is always beautifully presented and, most importantly, he helps clean up after the party."

He also comes equipped with his own tools of the trade.

"Depending on the menu, I'll bring my own dishes, espresso cups, espresso machine and Laguiole knives if I'm serving steaks," Valentini says. "I can do anything for my clients. I can bring my own waitstaff, clean up, set up the bar and even put up their Christmas tree, if they want me to."

However, Valentini leaves the floral arrangements and centerpieces to Evan Morita of Florist Grand.

Specializing in weddings and special events, Morita's designs are creative and offer lots of visual pop.

"We try to complement the room and accommodate the individual's needs," says Morita, who graduated from San Francisco City College's School of Retail Floristry and Horticulture. "Each particular project takes on its own life."

A Diamond Head homeowner, for example, asked Morita to capture a "hapa haole" Christmas theme throughout her entire house this year.

"She wanted a traditional feel, but with a local touch," says Morita, who does the floral arrangements for the Kahala Hotel & Resort. "So we brought in large pine cones from the Mainland and used lots of greens for fragrance, then added local-inspired products like shells and pods.

"It has a traditional look that has incorporated her (the homeowner's) tastes," he adds. "We decorated the home from head to toe, from the bathroom and armoires, to the entry way and dining room table."

In determining his clients' needs, Morita takes into consideration their budget, surrounding ambience and the menu.

"We want to complement the food with the centerpiece of the dining room table," Morita says. "We'll incorporate different materials and colors to match the food being served."

With Valentini's menu, Morita says he would use rosemary and sage as part of the arrangement.

"His Tuscan cuisine lends itself to different herbs and colors," Morita says. "It (his floristry) is like cooking: you can fuse together two different flavors and ethnicities to come up with something that's a visual delight and tastefully harmonious."

Speaking of harmony, no holiday party is quite complete without entertainment.

"Hawaiian trios are the most popular requests we receive," says Kika Matsumoto of Kika Inc., which coordinates live entertainment for more than 3,000 special events a year. "We can secure any type of entertainment, from soloists and bands, to mimes and jugglers, to Paul Anka and Wayne Newton. As long as it's legal, we can arrange for it."

While Matsumoto prefers that potential clients give her more lead time in scheduling an act or performer, she has in the past been able to provide entertainment at a moment's notice.

Literally.

"I remember this one time someone called up and said they needed a Hawaiian trio NOW," she says. "We went into emergency mode and got a trio there within 13 to 20 minutes."

Something to consider when pondering that last-minute gift for that special someone.

Meanwhile, it's not too early to start making your holiday entertaining plans, whether you're decking the halls or just inviting a few friends over for an evening of holiday cheer. HS