Tips For Hosting A Cozy Emmys Viewing Party

Fall officially starts this Sunday. (Single tear.) What better way to kick off the season of nesting than with an Emmy Awards viewing party? It’s not too late to invite the gang over for some fashion policing, red-carpet stalking, live tweeting and friendly betting on TV’s finest—all made more special with event-specific snacks and cocktails. The key is to keep everything light and easy. The Emmys are the first in a long string of Hollywood awards shows, and if you pull off this soiree, expect everyone to come back for the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards, the Oscars…Below, everything you need to know to make this year’s Emmys one to remember.

Stock your coffee table with the latest tabloid and industry magazines like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter so your guests can keep up with their favorite celebs during commercial breaks. Send friends home at the end of the night with their favorite issues.

Photo: @styledemocracy

Martinis and old-fashioned cocktails nod to TV’s golden era (and to Mad Men,which is up for its final 15 Emmy Awards on Sunday). Serve these classics with dinner, but for dessert, get in the autumn spirit with a red wine-spiked hot chocolate.

Photo: @basilhaydens

Skip the TV dinners and serve your guests elegant versions of night-in favorites. Set up a popcorn bar with plain popped kernels and lots of spices and sweet toppings to customize them, like honey, cayenne pepper, lime juice and sea salt. Keep soup simmering on the stove--something seasonal like roast parsnip and pear—that will both feed your friends and fill your home with a yummy scent.

Photo: @tkowkat

You may be in your own house, watching TV, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look gorgeous doing it. Slip into super-soft sweats and add cashmere slippers to convey the look of the pampered hostess.