'The Bachelorette'

Last season, we were so disappointed when that loser Jason let the charming and special Jillian Harris go. Not because we thought he was making a huge mistake but because we wanted Melissa for ourselves. Luckily, it all worked out perfectly for everyone involved, and the lovely Ms. Harris gets to turn the tables and choose from a gaggle of guys while searching for Mr. Right in the fifth installment of The Bachelorette, airing Mondays on ABC. So if you're as excited as we are to find this gal her Prince Charming, call your single friends -- it's time to party!

Setting the scene:

One of the nicest things about this show is its subtlety -- you know, the enormous mansion with movie-set porticos and never-ending vistas. So go uber-dramatic in one section of the room -- we'll call it "the rose room" -- with columns, ivy, velvet draping every third piece of furniture, dozens of roses and dramatic lighting. This area can also double as a dance floor, because you don't want to pick a mate without seeing his or her moves. In fact, that's partially what this party should be -- a mixer for singles. Just to keep with the theme, try to make each single girl feel like Jillian, replete with debatable-sized nose and a Vancouver mailing address. The rest of the room should be decorated in an homage to Vancouver: Canadian flags, issues of Conde Nast Traveler -- which voted it "Best City in the Americas" for 2004-06 -- and Olympic rings, as it plays host to next year's Winter Olympics. Add a flair for the dramatic and have a round of speed dating for all available singles following the episode.

Attire:

To quote ZZ Top, "Every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man." So if you want to impress, everyone needs to think cocktail attire.

On the menu:

Unless you're Mickey Rourke or Kim Basinger in "9 1/2 Weeks," no one wants to see anyone eat, so go with finger foods such as brioche-crab melts, oven frites, potato halves with smoked salmon and dill, and plenty of champagne.

On the hi-fi:

Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) by Beyonce, Love Stinks by the J. Geils Band, I Want to Know What Love Is by Foreigner, Fallin' by Alicia Keys, The Look of Love by Dusty Springfield.

The showstopper:

It stands to reason that if Vancouver produced one Jillian, there might be more hiding down by the water. Why not move this party to British Columbia and look for love?

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