Lucas and Schroeder's secret to success may be their flair for providing clients with “rich details,” like the time they made custom guest towels and cocktail napkins for a small party. SarahSofia, the name of their Menlo Park-based business, has two components, according to Lucas. Chiefly the pair design events for individuals and corporations. They also help people fill out their “entertainment wardrobes” — essentials such as flatware and linens for year-round socializing.

What should a client expect from a good event planner?

An in-depth interview, because an event needs to be individualized. Be clear on the steps that must be taken; a timeline is very important. Also, be sure to have a contract that spells out everything, including insurance for everyone.

What's an example of unrealistic expectations?

A sense that you are the only client. People who expect things to happen instantaneously need to just trust their planner. If they're not able to do that, they're not well matched.

How far in advance should a planner be booked?

For a large formal event with invitations, four to six months. For a destination affair, about eight months because places and vendors need to be booked. For a dinner party, about a month and a half.

What makes a good client?

Our favorites are the ones who are good communicators, who are open and honest about the way they entertain. The more we know about them, the easier it is for us. Also those who are willing to take a risk.

— Crystal Chow

HILARY HELFRICH knows how to party! For Hilary's 18th birthday, her parents, David and Julie Helfrich, hosted a super soiree at Spago (Wolfgang Puck's restaurant in Palo Alto, California) on August 10 that rocked 'til the wee hours. Hilary's birthday is actually in September, but since she was participating in the Menlo Charity Horse Show, it was the perfect opportunity to celebrate with her riding pals. Event planners Sarah Lucas and Carmen Sofia of SarahSofia took over the entire restaurant and transformed Spago specifically for Hilary's style - vibrant, warm, and colorful! The 165 guests were greeted by parking valets with "Welcome to Hilary's Celebration" before they entered Hilary's world via an arch-way hung with a giant H made of flowers and then proceeded down a walkway lined with candles and waiters offering colorful trays of cocktails (some sans spirits for the youngsters and abstainers). With the three sides of the restaurant open to the California evening, guests rotated between art-fully transformed spaces - a nightclub created in the bar with a chocolate velvet fabric wall, sleek and dark to complement the warm glow of hundreds of candles and flowers; a buffet area with a 3-foot-tall numeral 18 made of flowers hung between stations laden with fun food, from Chinese to a dessert station featuring chocolate-dipped strawberries with an H imprint; and a huge lounge with fabric-covered walls and white leather furniture. Vibrant purples and acid green flowers spiked the decor, including a wall of hedges lavishly loaded with dahlias. Guests had a blast watching a flat screen television with a looping slide show of shots of Hilary and her friends at the horse shows, as well as taking their own group shots inside a photo booth that held up to eight people and allowed those outside to watch. The leggy, blonde, and beautiful Hilary made a dramatic entrance in a black Suburban, disembarking in a great Pucciesque Milly dress, and was escorted into the party by her father. DJ Matt Marks had the crowd dancing and primed for the highlight of the night - the presentation on the outdoor patio of Hilary's spectacular three-layer periwinkle cake covered with white daisies - and everybody sang to her! The dance floor got serious then, and by the midnight hour waiters brought in watermelon grenades to cool off the hot scene! As guests departed, they were presented with gardenia-scented (Hilary's favorite fragrance) Seda France candles in beautiful pagoda boxes, and in their cars, hanging from the rearview mirror, was a lovely handwritten card from the thoughtful and gracious birthday girl that read, "Thank you for celebrating with me. Love, Hilary." Guests included: Ted and Jack Helfrich, Nick Haness, Mallory Olson, Shelby Wakeman, Hannah Goodson-Cutt, Chelsea Wilkinson, AUyssa Rapp, Taylor and Hunter Siebel, Kendra Arnold, Adrian Dixon, Jennifer Stillman, Lydia Johnson, Alison Baileys, Karl and David Cook, Carly Bechtel, Matt Sereni, Tori Montgomery, Natasha Merbeck, Callie Layland, Scott Badder, Megan Edrick, Tarni Bell, Roark Luskin, Marjorie Goodson-Cagle, John Bragg, Doug Dolezal, Mark Bone, Hannah and Nicoletta Heidegger, Joe and Lisa Thorpe, and Jenny Davis.