Throwing a dinner party can be easy and stress-free -- if you have a personal chef, a team of maids, a floral designer, and a personal shopper. Fortunately, for the rest of us, there is a way to entertain simply and stylishly.

When the editors asked me to throw a party for a few friends and let the magazine photograph it, I said, "Sure." As senior photo stylist at Cooking Light, I design sets for a living, so this was my moment to shine. Besides, through the years, I've learned how to make a party that's creative, easy, and fun for everyone -- especially for me, the hostess. It all breaks down into three rules.

1. Stick with what you know.
Start with a menu to equal your capabilities. In other words, if you've never made homemade lobster ravioli, don't start the day of your party. Instead, expand on dishes you are already comfortable making.

For me, that means pasta. With this menu, I replaced my usual fettuccine with broad pappardelle noodles. It was still just pasta, but the change gave the dish a more elegant foundation. The simple addition of olives, capers, prosciutto, and a few other flavorful ingredients completed the transformation.

I balanced the simple entree with an impressive dessert and a zesty soup. Follow our suggestions, and you can make most of these recipes (or at least parts of them) the day before.

2. Less is more at the table.
A casual table setting will set the tone for the affair, put your friends at ease, and make your life simpler.

Begin with the centerpiece. If you're creating your own floral arrangement, either keep it low (so guests can look across the table at one another) or narrow (so they can see around it). And consider the alternatives to flowers. Bowls of fruits or vegetables are beautiful and cost-efficient, especially since you can always use them in tomorrow's dinner.

If you're serving buffet-style, the dishes, flatware, and linens can be set out well before the celebration. So can a side table with appetizers and drinks that guests can serve themselves. At my party, I filled mix-and-match bowls with stuffed olives, nuts and berries, and I lined up rows of bottled water, wine, and glasses. I also set up an old metal folding table for the appetizer and dipping oils. To capitalize on the rustic feel, I kept the food as close as possible to its natural state, leaving the tops on the carrots and radishes for the fresh look I wanted.

3. Be flexible about location.
Use a room of your house other than the dining room, such as the living room. Or head outside. I decided on my back deck for my casual alfresco affair. Be creative and open to possibilities -- that, I think, is the real key to a fun evening.