Our Cozy Fall Housewarming Party

This post was sponsored by Dr. Oetker Virtuoso Pizza. Thank you for supporting
the sponsors that help make The Sweetest Occasion possible!

Approximately a million years after closing on our house (or, you know, five months), we finally had a chance recently to host a sweet little housewarming party for a handful of good friends. We were thrilled to be able to team up with my good pals at Dr. Oetker Virtuoso (formerly Dr. Oetker Ristorante) to invite some of our best buds over for an afternoon of munching on delicious gourmet frozen pizza alongside a couple of great appetizers and cocktails, of course. (A few of our friends were even game enough to ham it up for the camera, too. Thanks, guys!) Dr. Oetker recently evolved their much-loved Ristorante pizza to introduce Virtuoso! After a year of research and much thoughtful consideration, they were passionate about choosing a fresh new name and brand new look that together give you a better glimpse at what’s in the box. Namely, best-in-class, premium quality pizza. The same amazingly delicious thin crust, gourmet toppings and flavor combinations, with a cool, sleek new look. All in all, it made for the perfect excuse to celebrate so celebrate we did!

Because we’ve been so busy and we decided to have everyone over somewhat last minute, I wanted to keep things easy and casual, but still special. Pizza, two quick yet seriously crowd-pleasing appetizers, a killer cocktail and really simple decor. For me it’s always all about the presentation! Delicious frozen Virtuoso pizza becomes a thing of beauty when served up on a wooden tray. Antipasto skewers (the world’s simplest appetizer ever) look super chic when lined up along a long white tray. Cocktails? Make a big pitcher in advance and let guests sip from cool mugs or glasses. A big vase of flowers, a few pots of mums on the front porch and we were good to go. Entertaining shouldn’t be about stress or overly complicated set up. It should be about gathering with the ones you love and celebrating life. That’s why this is my very favorite kind of party!

For those of you who, like me, have become huge Dr. Oetker fans, no worries! Virtuoso is the same exact pizza you’ve come to know and love, it’s just packaged up in a fresh new way. The amazing flavors (like Seasoned Chicken, Pepperoni & Ham, Mozzarella & Pesto, Mushroom, Tomato & Goat Cheese and Pepperoni Pesto) are made with the same fresh ingredients and paired with Virtuoso’s signature thin, crispy crust. Just 12 minutes or so in the oven yields you a pizza that’s practically perfect in my book. You can find Virtuoso at loads of local grocers or check out the store locator to find out exactly where it is sold near you – or put in a request with the manager at your favorite store!

When we first walked into our house, way back in February, we knew it was going to become a hub for all of our friends and family to gather. A few months, several impromptu gatherings, a bunch of backyard barbecues, one cozy little housewarming party and an upcoming holiday season later, and we could not be happier to have that dreamy vision coming true. We’ve celebrated everything from various wedding festivities with my sister to Baby E’s baptism and soon we’ll be celebrating her first birthday and hosting our first Thanksgiving in this house. We can’t thank Virtuoso enough for helping us toast this home we’ve come to love so much already! Stay tuned because in a few days I’ll be sharing all the awesome recipes from our party. Your party recipe box is about to thank you.

[Art direction + styling by Cyd Converse | Photos by Alice G. Patterson for The Sweetest Occasion.]

This post was sponsored by Dr. Oetker USA LLC. I received compensation for this post, but all opinions are my own. Read more about our editorial policies. For more recipes, tips and entertaining ideas, follow Virtuoso on Facebook!