One of the benefits of working in this industry is getting to meet exceptionally talented, effortlessly cool people. Take freelance photographer Tessa Neustadt, for example. She excels at her craft and has the portfolio to prove it. Tessa recently signed the lease on a new studio in downtown Los Angeles – a converted warehouse with large windows that allow the California sunshine to flood in. What better way to celebrate than host a party? Tessa invited her nearest and dearest to the space for food, drinks, and merriment… using TinyPrints for the paper goods and even sending guests off with a thoughtful gift. Catch our interview below, or click through the slideshow for a closer look!

Your studio is beautiful. Where is it located? 
I just signed the lease on my studio about a month ago, it’s right by the 4th Street Bridge in DTLA. It’s a little bit of a no man’s land at the moment, but the Annenberg family just bought some of the warehouses surrounding us and the whole area is going to turn into a place for viewings, galleries, and artist events. What the Arts District was originally going to be! I feel so lucky to have found this space, there are at least 20 other studios in the converted warehouse I’m in and the owners are very community oriented. It can be pretty difficult and isolating at times being a freelance artist, so its nice to have found a studio that can not only give some structure to my work life but also give artists a sense of community.

When you’re not hosting holiday parties, what’s a typical day like at the studio?
Well – I currently don’t have a lot of furniture so it’s a lot playing loud music and dancing/sliding around in my socks. Once it’s up and running it will serve as an office space for Cody (my studio mate) and I to do boring grownup people stuff like write emails, but also a full service photo studio with a seamless, lights etc. I kind of want to shoot a dog book!

We’re into it! So, the party is gorgeous. What was your inspiration for the decor?
I wanted to throw a winter holiday party, but as some of you may know its been [in the] 80s here in Los Angeles. So I went for a laid-back, California vibe. I stuck with the more traditional colors of green, white, and gold and went for pops of pink instead of the typical red.

We love it! The paper goods are also gorgeous. Did you design them?
All of the paper goods are actually from TinyPrints and customizable, I wish I had designed them myself! I’m obsessed with the invitations! The light blush color and the gold matched the tablescape perfectly. Menus are clean, bold and graphic – I can’t get myself to throw them out they’re so cute! The wrapping paper is great too because it’s not holiday specific, but throwing in the eucalyptus branches helped make it feel wintery.

Tell us about the menu! What was your favorite dish?
Oh definitely the ravioli! Goat cheese ravioli in a lemon garlic sauce with shredded cabbage, kale and brussel sprouts – so tasty! My friend Kim who is a food blogger / menu consultant did all the catering for me!

Hosting can be tough. What are your top tips for a great party?
Relax!! Far too often I go to events where the host is too stressed out to actually enjoy the party! It seems silly to put so much work into something and not get to reap the benefits. People are either going to have a good time or they’re not: stressing out about ice cubes, music selections, etc. ain’t gonna change anything!

I also like having little gifts for people to take home. Wasn’t that the best part of birthday parties as kids – the goodie bags?! I took photos from my friends Instagrams and had them printed into these really cool acrylic photo blocks from TinyPrints for them to take home.

To see more of Tessa’s work, click here.