Last weekend we coordinated an 80th Birthday in Southampton for one of our long time clients.
As we needed a gigantic space, (to accommodate a seated dinner for 500 guests) we constructed a clear span tent on a beautiful horse farm.
We enlisted the expertise of Van Wyck & Van Wyck, one of the top party designers in the country to help us conceptualize the look and feel of the party. The client’s son is a set designer and an accomplished artist and was very instrumental in all the design elements which he collaborated with us on to incorporate all his father’s interests.
In the cocktail section of the tent we hand painted a massive chessboard and backgammon board on the floor. We had mannequins and live humans on the chessboard, see photos. The spectacular mirrored bar was custom made as well as the chess clock/dj booth that actually worked. We built a porch, mini tennis court with all the acroutements, net, bleachers with cushions, an umpire chair from The Meadow Club. A string quartet was the background music for cocktails and Bono sent a bagpiper as a birthday present to serenade the guests into dinner. The dinner area of the tent was all white with an imperial table that sat 90 guests, (birthday boy at the head). The two sides of the dinner tent were custom banquettes and all the tables were different configurations. The client wanted a simple, clean tent and a fabulous dinner. Bo Bech, one of his favorite chefs, came in from Denmark and designed a meal of his favorite foods such as Grilled Nova Scotia Lobster and Braised Breast of Milk Fed Lamb with Olivier Cheng Catering.
We flew in a famous second line band from New Orleans, the Soul Rebels, and after dinner they marched down the dinner aisles and got the guests up and ready for some dancing to DJ Ray Jarrell back in the cocktail tent, which was now a lounge, dancing and Dessert buffet area. Later in the evening the Indiggo Twins performed a few numbers.
Please click on thumbnails for larger view
Setting Up
Ready for guests!
Photography by Emily Gilbert, Cutty McGill, and Christina Pan
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