Share A Peak Experience A winter gathering inspired by alpine charm creates an atmosphere that’s warm, elegant and delightfully unhurried. Winter has a way of sharpening the appetite for gathering, and a mountain resort offers an irresistible cue for how to do it with style. Picture your Bergen County home on a snow-lit evening with generous tables and interiors that balance crisp freshness with enveloping warmth. An alpineinspired get-together emphasizes texture, glow and contentment. It’s an event where guests arrive ready to kick back with great food, sublime sips and conversation that’s as ingenious as a snowflake. “Après-ski is a fun but also inherently upscale theme in that it’s based on a vacation,” says Lauren Simon, founder of Mahwah-based Little Pink Bow Parties. “The theme lends itself to the guest (and host) feeling like they’ve escaped into a winter getaway. The trick is to make sure you lean into whatever theme you choose and really transform the space.” Entertaining expert Stephanie Nass would agree. As revealed in her latest book Swing By: Entertaining Recipes and the New Art of Gathering (Rizzoli New York, 2024), she transformed a space and brought this theme to life, adorning tables with moss coverings and evergreen branches while serving hearty food and drink. With thoughtful décor and an exciting menu to boot, an alpine soirée is a spirited alternative to the usual winter party, one that invites everyone to feel both sophisticated and relaxed.
BERGENMAG.COM
BERG.0226.entertaining 2.indd 44
44
FEBRUARY 2026
1/12/26 10:50 AM