Here's How Darcy Miller Personalized a Celebration for Martha's Milestone

The launch of Martha’s 100th book, Martha: The Cookbook, was definitely something to celebrate! I wanted to honor my friend’s achievement with a lunch that was as unique as she is. The way I see it, whether you’re throwing a party for someone or just having a few friends over, you want the event to be memorable and personal. And that’s especially true when you’re hosting a gathering for THE entertaining expert, Martha. I always tell my Celebration Expert clients to focus on the feeling of the celebration, and everything else will fall into place.

Most parties have the same ingredients: guests, food, décor, and whatever other extras matter to you, from music to favors. What makes each party special is how you choose to fill those categories. Having worked with Martha for over 30 years, I was there for the launch of many of her books. For this lunch to celebrate her 100th, I wanted a meaningful afternoon for her. It was not a big party, just an intimate lunch with a few friends who have been by Martha’s side for decades. Here are the five ways I personalized Martha’s milestone book lunch at my home.

The People

The best thing about a milestone is sharing it with the people you care about. I wanted to throw Martha a small, relaxed lunch with longtime friends and colleagues she’s been close to for decades.

That included Kevin Sharkey, the executive director of design for decorvow, and Susan Magrino, Martha’s close friend and publicist. Of course, my husband Andy and I were there—it was actually Martha who introduced us back when I was the editor of her Weddings magazine, and he was her lawyer!

The Food

Normally, I personalize the food at a party by serving a person’s favorites if it’s their birthday or other food that is meaningful to them—maybe it’s cuisine that reflects their culture or hometown or from a place they recently traveled. I knew exactly what to serve in the case of Martha’s luncheon in honor of her book. Since it’s a cookbook filled with her recipes, I chose a few: leek and fennel soup and her classic salad Nicoise.

For dessert, I picked up items from Carissa’s, a bakery in town, because both Martha and I love supporting small businesses like local bakers.

The Décor

Another thing Martha and I have in common? We love decorating with fruit and flowers. With Thanksgiving coming up, I wanted to lean into the fall season, so dahlias were the perfect choice—a gorgeous fall flower—in an unexpected palette of soft pink, peach, and cream.

I always like to put individual vases down the center of the table to create a tablescape—no complicated centerpiece necessary! In between, there were gourds, small pumpkins, bowls of nuts, candy, leaf-shaped cookies, and other autumnal snacks.

Seasonal Touches

I love to celebrate the seasons, and Martha is famous for her farms and gardens. To reflect that side of her, I filled the house with pumpkins, gourds, stone fruits, and fall flowers. The soft palette of oranges and blush pinks is sophisticated but still feels like fall.

The Favors

My signature Celebration Expert chocolate bars, covered in wrappers featuring my artwork, are a sweet takeaway that is always a hit. As an illustrator, one of my favorite things is drawing portraits of my friends.

For this lunch, I turned a drawing of Martha—holding her new book, which also features a portrait of her!—into a chocolate bar wrapper. I placed the Martha-wrapped chocolate on each person’s plate, and they took them home so that the table decor could also double as a favor.

Between the flowers, the food, and the friends, the lunch was just so Martha. Looking for ways to personalize the afternoon made planning fun and easier; variations on these ideas would work for any party, from a birthday to a baby shower. And in the end, it was so much fun that I can’t wait for her to hit another milestone—here’s to her 150th book!