Oprah wearing a hat of feathers and silk roses

Photo: James Merrell

Putting the O in Hostess
At the home of Ivan Reitman and Genevieve Robert Reitman, Oprah greets her friends, wearing a hat of feathers and silk roses.
Shrimp on an avocado, cucumber, and tomato tower

Photo: James Merrell

Impressive Beginnings
What's on the menu? For starters, sautéed shrimp on an avocado, cucumber, and tomato tower.
Oprah's party invitation

Photo: James Merrell

Cordially Invited
"Dress up and wear your favorite hat," says the invitation—which was placed inside a tiny vase of meadow grass and mailed in a tin hatbox filled with Mary Rose roses.
Oprah's luncheon table

Photo: James Merrell

Setting the Table
The luncheon table and chairs get all dressed up. Designer Todd Moore draped square coral-and-chartreuse silk tablecloths trimmed with yellow silk ribbon over a round yellow taffeta underskirt, pinning fresh roses on a bow at each seam. The metal garden chairs are wrapped with striped sheer organza, tied with ribbon around the base of the seats, and have a nosegay of roses pinned on each bow.

Floral design by Beth Goodman, Honfleur; hatboxes, Stray Dog; grass kit and bistro chairs, Smith & Hawken; all fabric, F. Schumacher & Co.
Oprah's party guests

Photo: James Merrell

Hat Heaven
The ladies who will peek out from under millinery masterpieces. Front row, from left: Katy Murphy Davis, Genevieve Robert Reitman, Gayle King, Ellen Rakieten. Back row, from left: Dianne Atkinson Hudson, Catherine Reitman, Oprah, Kate Forte, Maria Shriver, and Dana Newton Utigard.
Oprah's dog Sophie

Photo: James Merrell

Sophie's Choice
Oprah's dog Sophie with an Anne Moore hat.
Oprah's place settings

Photo: James Merrell

A Floral Touch
Napkins are dressed with Paul Bocuse roses, hyacinth, and vine. How it's done: Wrap stems in wire and floral tape (available at any florist), then ring around folded napkins.

Glassware, Jordano's Marketplace
Kate Forte and Ellen Rakieten

Photo: James Merrell

Kate and Ellen
Kate Forte, left, wears a silk rose–crowned hat by Eric Javits; Ellen Rakieten, a wide-brim straw hat by Atmosphere.
Oprah's garden party menu

Photo: James Merrell

Bon Appetit!
Menu cards with handwritten calligraphy by Nancy Voss for Kate's Paperie.
Roses floating in an aqueduct

Photo: James Merrell

Sublime Tranquility
Celebrity and Michelangelo roses from Belle Rose Farm float in the aqueduct.
Oprah's drinks table

Photo: James Merrell

Fragrant Refreshment
At the drinks table, aromatic French lavender encircles the handle of a crystal pitcher and also flavors the lemonade. Floral designer Goodman tucked lemons, lavender, and narcissus around the base of the crystal punch bowl.

Napkins, Sferra Bros.; pitcher and punch bowl, William Yeoward Crystal
Gayle King

Photo: James Merrell

King Looks Like a Queen
A silk tiger lily blooms on Gayle King's green straw hat by Alicia Boon.
Katy Murphy Davis

Photo: James Merrell

All Smiles
Katy Murphy Davis' woven straw hat by Suzanne Couture Millinery.
Maria Shriver, Genevieve Robert Reitman, Oprah, and Catherine Reitman

Photo: James Merrell

More Millinery Masterpieces
From left: Maria Shriver's white straw hat by Eric Javits; Genevieve Robert Reitman's rolled-brim hat by Hat Attack; Oprah's hat by London designer Philip Treacy; Catherine Reitman's wide-brim hat with silk roses and orchids by Eric Javits.
Stuffed Chicken Breast with Root Vegetables

Photo: James Merrell

Elegant Entrée
Lunch's main event is Stuffed Chicken Breast with Root Vegetables.

Charger, Rosenthal; glass plate, Room with a View
Dianne Atkinson Hudson

Photo: James Merrell

A Floral Dress to Match
Dianne Atkinson Hudson's hat (from Hats by Katie) is adorned with a silk bouquet.
Dana Newton Utigard

Photo: James Merrell

Bold and Beautiful
Dana Newton Utigard wears a flutter of feathers by Alicia Boon.
Catherine Reitman

Photo: James Merrell

Good Enough to Eat
Catherine Reitman holds a tiny cake shaped like a hat, a take-home sweet by Napa cakemaker Sam Godfrey.
Flower cake

Photo: James Merrell

Sweet Deception
You're invited to dig in to the "dirt" of this adorable flowerpot—it's chocolate cake and crushed cookies. And please pick the sugar posies. "Everything's edible," says Sam Godfrey, who baked the confections in foil-lined clay flowerpots. No need to try this at home: Choose your own custom cake from Perfect Endings (707-259-0500).

Dessert plates, Rosenthal
Oprah's party favors

Photo: James Merrell

Gracious Endings
Oprah wanted her friends to remember the day with a gift of roses and Stila cosmetics tucked into small hatboxes from Stray Dog. Other take-away goody ideas (just add ribbon): pretty tins of tea by Harney & Sons from Harney.com; CDs of garden-party music from Dnow.com; pots of lavender from OlympicLavender.com; Shepherd's Garden plant seeds from WhiteFlowerFarm.com.