Heather Dubrow's 3 Game-Changing Tips for Throwing a Real Housewives-Worthy Party

We've come to know Heather Dubrow as the smart and outspoken star of Real Housewives of Orange County who lives in possibly the most insane mansions in franchise history, but this reality star is moving on and exploring her other passions. One of which we've seen in action numerous times on the Bravo reality show: entertaining. Heather just launched a new video series on evite.com entitled Celebrate with Heather Dubrow. In it, she shares the many pearls of wisdom she's gleaned from years of planning and hosting successful soirees.

"One of the reasons that I want to do this show is that I want it to turn partygoer into party thrower," Heather told us in a phone interview. "I think there are so many people out there that feel like, 'gosh. I can't entertain. I don't have the money or I don't have the space or I don't have the talent to do something like that.' . . . But what I want to try to help everyone do is not get overwhelmed and realize that you can throw a party on any budget in any space. You just have to know how to do it."

We asked Heather for her best entertaining tips for party-throwers on every budget. Check out her sage advice below.

Worried guests won't mingle? Heather has a tried-and-true way to avoid social awkwardness. "I always make sure there's place cards, because good or bad seating can change the entire party," she says. "I'll have place cards even if I'm doing a party for three couples in my house. You need to have the right flow at the table." Heather explains that this includes arranging guests accordingly, so, for example, a guest who doesn't know anyone is seated near a talker and those argumentative friends with opposing political views are seated apart.

If it's a cocktail party, Heather says you should put the same thoughtfulness into making introductions. The secret to getting two guests to converse, she says, is for the host to point out their connections; for example, when introducing people, mention that they both have daughters who love to ride horses, they both recently traveled to Asia, or they're both originally from the Midwest.

Heather says that the secret to becoming a serial hostess is to make it as easy as possible for not only your guests but also yourself. "There's nothing worse than having a party and having to work it so hard that you don't enjoy it, because then you're never going to want to entertain again."

Heather's solution is to plan ahead and get extra pairs of hands. "I do love to have help. I like servers. I like service. I like help," she says. If staffing your party is too pricey, Heather says it's worth it to reallocate a small chunk of funds from the food or decor to put toward having someone there at the end to help with clean up. "If you're going to hire someone, hire someone to help you clean up. That's always the best." And if that's not an option, she says plan ahead for an easy cleanup. For Summer events especially, she's a big fan of disposable serving ware. "We try to use disposables. It's so much as easier when you go to clean up. Use recyclables but use disposables."

Throwing a party can get expensive fast, especially if you're hiring caterers and waitstaff and decorating every inch of your home. Luckily, Heather has a great money-saving tip: DIY service stations. For a kids party, this means a putting out buckets filled with ice, waters, and soft drinks. At an adult party, Heather suggests, "putting out buckets with beer in them or a make-your-own tequila bar — a margarita bar with all the fixings out already . . . you can make it really beautiful by putting all the different juices in different jars. It's actually very colorful and pretty."

These DIY service stations work triple-fold to save you the expense of hiring a bartender or server while also being beautiful enough to decorate the party, and saving you the host from having to run around asking, "Hey you need a drink? Can I fix you a plate?" Heather suggest getting all the components ready ahead of time, down to precut slices of lemon, limes, and oranges. Then, the day of the party, you can admire the beautiful displays while people serve themselves. And you enjoy the party.