Throwing a party? Learn the Pie way

When it comes to birthday parties, I can name only a handful of people who (in my opinion) truly get it right. In Manila, one of them is Pie Alvarez, who loves hosting celebratory parties for friends’ milestones or holidays like Halloween and Chinese New Year.
Here are a few elements she nails that we can all learn from:
1. A good invite sets the tone of the party. It’s sent in advance, so you know you weren’t just an afterthought. Invites reflect the theme of the party, so you already know the mood. And then there’s always the theme! That way, people know what to wear, and since they get the invites early, there is actually time to prepare.
2. Pie’s parties always come with games. Guests genuinely look forward to this because it’s a fun and different way to socialize with friends. Oh, and the prize is always something worth fighting over.
3. The venue, usually her home, is also fully on theme. So every party feels like a different experience.
4. The crowd is edited. Sure, not everyone may be equally close, but somehow there’s a certain comfort with one another. I think it’s important to feel “safe’ in a gathering, and mixing crowds can be tricky, but Pie gets it right.
5. Food and booze? Always overflowing.
6. Music? Always playing for those who want to dance.
The host? She gives the best hugs and always makes her guests feel appreciated. Even if it’s such a blast, anyway.
Last July 16, it was Pie’s 38th birthday party, and this time she closed down M Dining. The theme was, “Come as your best Tita or Tito of Manila.” At this point, we’re all kind of there. But everyone came dressed as an iconic local version. You can try and guess who you think people dressed as but one thing is certain: It was the best night for these titas and titos to drink, laugh, and amazingly, not have any issues with each other. That night, there was only peace and love. Of course, only Pie could’ve pulled this off. Cheers Pie!