6 Dream Estates Great For A Party Slideshow

This ipe wood and stone terrace at Courteney Cox's beachside Malibu home is just the place to host a sunset cocktail party. Start with cocktails on the terrace overlooking the Pacific. Guests can help themselves to food and drink at the nearby outdoor bar window (modeled after the windows of food trucks) of the neighboring screening house (where films might be shown). When it gets chilly, head to the teak and steel lava rock fire pit to warm up (and maybe roast marshmallows). 

What bride wouldn't want to meet (and wed) the man of her dreams under that arbor? 

According to Architectural Digest, "the residence was about family and fun, not fame and flashbulbs," for Liz. It was her escape from the glitter and glam of Hollywood, a casual and authentic retreat for her and her family. While she filled the house with expensive carpets and fine Impressionist paintings, the lush grounds surrounding the four-bedroom ranch are unforgettable. With a series of outdoor "rooms," ranging from bamboo-lined eating areas to grassy flower borders overlooked by a koi pond, it's a dreamy location perfect for an outdoor wedding for family and friends.

In Sex and The City, Carrie's closet-sized West Village apartment (and growing collection of designer clothes, Manolos, and Louboutins) left her with no room to entertain. Yet, in Parker and Broderick's light-filled Bridgehampton home, the front porch was designed with gatherings in mind. There, sandy feet and beach pails take the place of high heels and designer duds as comfort and relaxation rule. It's just the place to host a themed birthday party for your child — or adults-only dinner party for 20.

This modern, all-glass, four-bedroom, 20,580-square-foot-home built in 1967 in the star-studded Trousdale Estates area of Beverly Hills was the residence of the handsome Burt Reynolds. Complete with a home theater with seating for 30, it's just the place to host your own movie night, film-critic style.

Before the movie, start the night off with cocktails and finger-friendly appetizers in the all-white foyer with jaw-dropping views of L.A. and the Pacific. Just don't serve red wine or sangria, though — if you end up having too much fun, you'll be fighting a hangover and stains all the next day.

Whether you're hosting a baby shower, bridal shower, or just another ladies luncheon for your friends, the dining room in this sleek, 25-foot-wide, five-story townhouse formerly owned by Uma Thurman along Manhattan's Gold Coast is just the place for entertaining. The Asian-inspired bamboo and stone back garden is perfect for serving your guests Champagne cocktails in warm weather (as is the elegant and deep parlor room inside) before sitting down for lunch in the luxe drape-lined dining room (with both a fireplace and views of the back garden). Too bad it recently sold for a whopping $12 million (down from its $14.5 million asking price).

Featured in the June 2011 issue of Architectural Digest, the Osbournes' 11,000-square-foot estate is an eclectic mix of shabby chic décor and fine European details like silk wall coverings and Venetian mirrors — definitely not what you'd expect from the former front man of Black Sabbath. With robin's-egg-blue drapes and upholstered seating, the dining room is relaxed yet refined — just the place for a celebratory meal with close friends and family. Though if you take the party out onto the patio by the pool, your guests can't be disappointed with a view like this.