Social Studies founders Amy Griffin and Jessica Latham
Often having to pull off last-minute dinner parties in their busy lives, Jessica Latham and Amy Griffin hit a jackpot idea. Now, they share their knowledge with other party hosts in the form of Social Studies, their buzzy, new event planning concept.
The company provides a delivery and pick-up service of party materials such as menus, place cards and decorations, including flowers, vases, candles and more. Customers can also purchase Flair boxes and Occasion boxes filled with extra materials, such as balloons and banners, or even bocce sets and Polaroid cameras, to make the event even more of a memorable experience.
“I had several small children at home and a lot on my plate, so I often found myself calling Jess in the middle of the night to beg her to help me pull off a dinner at my house,” Griffin says. “We realized that we had a great business idea on our hands when I got emails and calls the next day asking how I managed to create such a special, intimate event at home.”
Social Studies does not limit its options to a simple dinner party but provides a plethora of occasions to celebrate. The Halloween Hero package ($30 per person) features spooky gourds and black florals, and the Christmas Chintz ($50 per person) dazzles with gold candlesticks and boughs of holly. “We want Social Studies to give people a reason to celebrate anything,” Latham says. “It could be a simple dinner for friends and family, or it could be a special occasion like a baby shower, an engagement party, the office holiday party or a 30th birthday.”
The White Out tablescape ($40 per guest) includes organic ceramic plates, a linen runner, a magnolia garland, striped napkins, textured glasses, white-stemmed gold flatware and gold candlesticks.
After choosing a party theme, the host can then record how many people will be attending the party, and Social Studies will deliver the necessary materials a day or two before the scheduled date. Once the party is finished, they will pick up the materials the following morning. As of now, Social Studies delivers materials to New York and the Hamptons with plans to expand nationally in the future.
“There’s no stress of having to go out, pay to reserve a private table or spend hours going from store to store to buy items you may not use again for just one occasion,” Griffin says. “Social Studies elevates the idea of everyday entertaining.” $30-$50 per person, social-studies.com
Photography by: Tory Williams
