Aleah Valley is the co-founder of Valley & Company Events, an event design and production studio she founded with her husband Nick in 2003. They also work with large brands on activations, events, product launches, and styling campaigns! They call the Phinney Ridge Neighborhood in Seattle home and their Valley & Co. HQ (a charming old brick storefront) is just a few blocks away. Aleah loves entertaining, gardening, boating, cookies and baking, and spending time doing all of the above with her kiddos.
How do you like to entertain? What is the vibe (where, feeling, how)?
I love to entertain in natural settings; in our home, on the beach, or in a garden. While it’s my profession to plan more formal events for a living, I love to entertain in a comfortable, yet elevated way. Surprising our guests with delicious treats, welcoming them with beautiful flowers or a layered tabletop, and peppering in our family traditions are all important entertaining notions to me. I also tend to lean into the seasons - spring tabletops are so fresh and vibrant! I love infusing bits of coastal elements into classic and elegant designs, whimsical patterns, and unexpected elements.
What are you serving?
I love to lean into a fun theme for parties. Much like our events, it’s rewarding to see an event take on a look and feel of a moment or aesthetic. For our annual outdoor movie party in the autumn, I love to make kitschy snacks that feel nostalgic. For a holiday gathering, comfort is key but things may feel a little more fanciful. Dungeness crab dip with fresh dill, lobster claws on ice, cranberry and blood orange punch, and glazed ham are staples. For a spring soirée I serve seasonal classics like deviled eggs, tea sandwiches, and elegant tarts. Summertime means crab feasts and entertaining friends and family at our beach cottage, so nautical stripes, coastal influences, and berry cobblers and shortcakes are always on the menu!
What are you sipping?
In the summertime it’s sauvignon blanc, rosé, and fun garden mocktails or cocktails. I love anything with sweet pea tendrils, cucumber simple syrup, or blackberry and lemonade! As we near spring I’m drinking rosé and early spring mocktails - bubbly lemonade with fruity syrup and spritzes.
What are you wearing?
In between the seasons I love to wear soft knitted sweaters in pastel tones with loafers and jeans and playful floral print socks or white Converse low-top All-Stars (I coach my daughter’s softball team!) and big puffy sleeved J. Crew sweatshirts. I am a themed sweater guru - and love my Kiel James Patrick St. Patrick’s Day and Easter sweaters! I’m always donning these big and beautiful freshwater pearl earrings I bought from a jeweler on Maui. Patterned dresses are also on constant rotation in the spring, with kids’ school performances and activities.
What are you listening to?
An eclectic mix; French cafe music, reggae, some Top 40 (love Taylor Swift), and jazz. I also love classics like Van Morrison and Paul Simon.
How do you make your guests feel special? How do you make them feel at home?
Guests are always welcomed with a big hug and something to drink - alcoholic or non-alcoholic. I always point out where food stations are and, if they’re new to our home or studio, the amenities. I also love hand-written notes and sending guests home with a sweet treat at the end of a party.
If you are hosting a dinner, what is your go-to centerpiece?
Often something from our garden, if the season permits. I love a big bunch of tulips, herbs, or even greenery foliage in a beautiful pitcher or vase. We have these enormous grape vines in our yard at home and they make for excellent centerpieces! I also love to fill a large white footed ceramic bowl with lemons, grapes, or oranges for a truly effortless centerpiece.
How do you end a celebration?
By giving guests big hugs and thanking them for a good time. Oh, and I love to send them home with that treat! Whether that’s a home-baked cookie, flowers, or a bottle of champagne, it’s the thought that counts. I always follow up with a hand-written card send via snail mail.
What is your favorite Half Past Seven product to entertain with?
I absolutely love the Starry Night glassware and accent pieces - the champagne bucket is lovely! And the rattan coasters and trays are must-haves for all season entertaining. Great statement pieces that are timeless no matter the time of year!
Let’s play this or that…
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Charger OR Placemat: charger and placemat :)
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Stemmed OR Stem-less: stemmed for indoor, stemless for outdoor
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Red OR White: white!
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Tablecloth OR Bare: tablecloth or a beautiful runner, unless it’s a beautiful worn marble tabletop
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Votives OR Taper Candle: votives in the summer, tapers in the cooler months
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Formal OR Informal: elevated informal!
