It was the perfect summer day at Maple Shade, the historic Hamptons home of KDHamptons founder Kelli Delaney Kot and Dr. Mark Kot. Hosted by KDHamptons, the Luxury Lifestyle Diary, LUX Lifestyle Magazine and Bed Side Reading, the exclusive “Books, Bubbly, and Blooms Garden Party” was held on July 2, attracting invited Hamptons influentials, tastemakers, writers, and passionate readers who came to celebrate the holiday weekend. A dynamic group of selected authors signed their hot new summer reads, and guests toasted with Kelli’s favorite cocktails while being served artisanal summer bites.

The consummate Hamptons hostess, Kelli is known for always adding a fun party trick to all of her gatherings. Guests swooned over Kelli’s jaw-dropping BLOOM BAR filled with over 1,000 fresh cut floral stems from Island Time Farm of Shelter Island. Farm owners Kelci McIntosh and Chris DiOrio arranged beautiful custom bouquets sweetly wrapped in burlap and sealed with a pink pin for each guest to take home – a flower lovers dream. Weston Table Founder and CEO Dianne O’Connor curated the BLOOM BAR design to look like a French flower market. She included 19th century copper jugs and watering cans, a collection of vintage items, and a European Wicker Basket Garden Wagon filled with an explosion of vibrantly-colored blooms to create a bit of South of France magic in the Hamptons.

The event was hosted in the Kot’s gorgeous blooming gardens which featured charming conversation tables and sitting areas styled with Weston Table decor including French table linens, Arte Italica Scalloped Pitchers filled with layers of peonies and pink Chinese forget-me-nots, and pastel pink and white Mosser Glass cake stands that served as pedestals for locally-made Sundae Donuts and sensational Oishii strawberries. Dianne O’Connor noted that, “Kelli’s spectacular gardens and perfect catering created an enviable summer in the Hamptons’ Fourth of July weekend event that will be remembered for its beauty, good taste, and flawless elegance.”

Twenty authors were selected by Kelli and Jane Ubell of Bedside Reading who places books by the bedsides, poolsides, firesides and in the hands of VIPS through their partnerships with luxury and boutique hotels. Their clients include traditional, hybrid and indie publishers as well as self-published authors.  Bedside Reading believes that authors need help. They offer visibility and discoverability through their unique system of partnerships with five-star luxury hotels and destinations. Authors enjoyed showcasing their latest books while guests enjoyed hearing exclusive details about the books directly from the authors!

HERE’S THE LIST OF OUR AMAZING AUTHORS

• • The Fin Tastic Cleanup by Laura Mancuso
  • I Wish I’d Known/Shine by Sarah Vie
  • Kobe Manatee Climate | Change and the Great Blue Hole Hazard by Robert Scott Thayer
  • Karma Under Fire by Love Hudson Maggio
  • Praesidium by McKinley Aspen
  • The Fairmounts by Valierie Nifora
  • The Baker’s Man & The Necessity of Lavendar Tea by Jennifer Moorman
  • On a Rooftop in Beijing by Maggie Paredes
  • Child Bride by Jennifer Turner
  • Equestrian Life in the Hamptons by Blue Carreon
  • Lady Be Good by Pamela Hamilton
  • Butter Side Up & Jane’s Jam by Jane Enright
  • Underwater Daughter by Antonia Deignan
  • Trust Your Intuition by Robin Pollak
  •  How to Love Yourself by Rachel Madorsky
  • The Finer Things by Lauren Erickson
  • French Holiday by Sarah Ready
  • VEG Forward by Susan Spungen
  • Village Beaches by Philip Andrew
  • North Bay Road by Richard Kirschenbaum

Guests toasted with Harry and David Sparkling White Wine which has a textured creaminess and light citrus flavor that complements just the right amount of crisp minerality, making this wine perfect for a warm summer day in the Hamptons. Harry & David’s award-winning wines are made with grapes primarily sourced from Oregon’s many micro-climates situated in the rich Umpqua, Rogue, and Willamette valleys, as well as the Pacific Northwest.

More party tricks included serving mouth-watering Oishii Strawberries which are the summer hit of TikTok and Instagram. These “Omakase” and “Koyo” supermodel strawberries are vertically grown and can be delivered to your door through FreshDirect.

Kelli’s gifting table for guests included luxurious beauty products from Biography as well as the delightful sets from Kelli’s favorite tea company, Tea Forte. Tea Forté’s new limited-edition Jardin Collection offers an assortment of organic teas in the prettiest packaging curated in collaboration with The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG).

We were elated to see everyone enjoying the holiday weekend and celebrating at the much anticipated Books, Bubbly, & Blooms event! To see more great images from the event, visit our exclusive photo album HERE.

Written by: Emmanuela Panepinto

Images by: Eric Striffler