Elegant Affairs offers delectable dishes for the perfect Labor Day soirée.

PLANNING A GREAT FÊTE CAN BE QUITE A TASK, SO WE ASKED AN EXPERT— ELEGANT AFFAIRS’ ANDREA CORREALE— TO OFFER SOME TIPS FOR LABOR DAY SOIRÉES.

With Labor Day quickly approaching, Hamptonites from Quogue to Montauk will be pulling out all the stops to celebrate the season’s end. Andrea Correale has been throwing great parties out East for years with her business, Elegant Affairs. Here are some of her suggestions for putting together an event that guests will still be raving about next Memorial Day.

ALT-BBQ: “Instead of doing hamburgers and hot dogs, try something thematic. Greece is a big summer destination; bring a taste of the islands with Grecian meze, or lamb and chicken shish kebab.” Assembly line: “I always do a corn-on-the-cob bar. Take roasted corn, skewer it, and make different types of flavored butters—lime-cilantro, maplehickory, and Cajun. Offer bacon bits or toasted bread crumbs and let people make their own.”

Bye-bye, Solo cups: “The last days of summer bring a lot of great sales at Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, and Harrow’s, all trying to get rid of chic summer plasticware.” Potent popsicles: “We do a lot of boozy pops—ice pops with a little bit of alcohol, made of Champagne and floated in [a glass of] Prosecco. Or we’ll do watermelon mojito.” Elegant Affairs Caterers, 631-324-9825; elegantaffairscaterers.com

Heirloom tomato salad with basil and Grana Padano crumble, drizzled with aged balsamic and served with a rosemary croustade. BELOW: A table setting by Elegant Affairs for a wedding in Mill Neck earlier this year.

Sautéed Thai chicken with black sesame, served on a bed of crushed roasted peanuts. ABOVE: Andrea Correale with her fruit- and herb-infused water bar creations.