“I wanted to create a fantasy of ‘city summer’ for my friends,” says Benz of the occasion, which included guests Cuba Gooding Jr., Eddie Ross, Andrew Bevan, and Kelly Framel. “I also wanted plenty of lounging around and socializing throughout the house and garden where people could be surrounded by as many fresh flowers and greenery as possible. My Brooklyn neighborhood is just far enough outside of Manhattan that people feel like they’re in the country, so keeping the dream of a classic American picnic feel was important.”