Party Time: Where the Wild Things Are 1st Birthday

Last month we had the pleasure of planning a birthday bash for an adorable little boy that was turning 1!

For the theme his parents chose one of his favorite books, "Where the Wild Things Are"

The decor was inspired by both the classic children's book by Maurice Sendak and the more recent movie.

We were lucky enough to have the party at The Sonoma Grille in Williamsville, NY.  They do such a great job, it is always awesome to work with them.  

 We chose to do the room in two shades of green with pops of orange in the hanging pompoms and the centerpieces.

For the seating tables we used a moss crushed shimmer linen, with a complimentary lime linen on the bistro tables tied with a moss shimmer bow.  To give the room a "wild" feel we decorated all the stations with vines, leaves and branches.

Balloon Masters made these amazing balloon trees with hanging Max's that almost touched the ceiling!

For the centerpieces we used lime green Sixlets in hurricane vases and added bright orange Gerbera Daisys and Tulips.  They really stood out against the dark green linens.

The hosts wanted their guests to mingle and have a good time so we found some entertainment for both the adults and the kiddos, and we asked Terry's photo Studio to document all the fun.

The pictures below are courtesy of Terry.  

The beautiful cake from Muscoreil's was placed on the table with the blue punch waterfall.  All of the stations had custom signs by Distinctive Occasions inspired by lines from the book. 

There was even a boat.

The magical Bill Butski strolled around the room and entertained all guests, children and adults alike.

And Christina Reilly set up shop and had a line the entire evening for her caricatures! 

Favors for all the children were small boxed Where the Wild Things are puzzles.  Next to the favors is the wishing tree where the guest left personal birthday wishes for Yasin.  What a nice thing for him and his parents to look at in the future or use for a scrapbook!

Like perfect hosts they were the last ones to get their caricatures drawn.  What a great souvenir! 

The adorable guest of honor very politely digs into his smoosh cake.  We hope you had a happy birthday Yasin and we wish you many more!!

Party Time: Movie Themed Baby Shower

We recently planned a baby shower for parents-to-be, Lauren & Brad.  I was trying to figure out a way to still make it cute but incorporate the men.  So I decided upon a movie themed shower, starring, of course - the baby! 

The theme was introduced with this fabulous invitation, designed by Sarah at Belletristics.

Guests enjoyed treats from a popcorn and candy bar.  Flavors included strawberry, caramel, hot pepper, vanilla butternut (this was the most popular!), root beer & more!

In keeping with the theme, guests drank soda out of paper coke cups with straws, and the room was decorated with floral popcorn containers and movie themed decor.

Flowers by Johnny did a wonderful job with these creative, fun flowers!

The cake, designed by Ohlson's Bakery, was designed based upon the invitation. 

I wanted to keep the games to a minimum, but did have a game called "Give the Baby His Bottle", in which other men challenged the dad-to-be in a drinking contest (milk out of a baby bottle of course!).  Needless to say, this game took a bit of time and patience!

Favors were popcorn & soda flavored jelly beans in these adorable "Ready to Pop" containers!

Congratulations and best wishes Lauren & Brad - you are going to be great parents!

Party Time: The Ice Ball

We are so lucky that we have creative clients who want to throw awesome parties! Our private client came up with the concept of "The Ice Ball" in 2008 - a pro-Buffalo bash for mainly young professionals on New Year's Eve. We worked with him to create a winter-themed event incorporating ice sculptures, winter decor, interactive entertainment, music, drinks, and lots of fun! This past year's event was the second annual, and it was held at the now closed Statler Towers. In fact, The Ice Ball was the last public party held at the venue. Guests enjoyed an optional dinner preceding the party in the Rendezvous Room, and then moved into the Golden Ballroom for a party with close to 600 people. Distinctive Occasions LLC managed and decorated the entire event. Here are some photos from the evening by Terry Vine Photography:

By far, the coolest thing we have ever had the opportunity to do at an event took place at Midnight. We placed 6 giant confetti cannons around the room prior to the party. In fact, we hid them under high tables that guests used during the night. At Midnight, our staff wheeled them out and shot over 80 pounds of white confetti with sliver snowflakes into the air.

Here is a video showing the fabulous confetti white-out effect...

We had never attempted a special effect like this before, but it went off without a hitch and was the hit of the night. Special thanks to our staff members who had to spend the first few minutes of 2010 under the table operating the air tanks!

Party Time: Roaring Twenties Party - Part 3

Today I wanted to share the final set of details and photos from our client's roaring twenties themed birthday party that was designed and coordinated by our team at Distinctive Occasions.


In addition to the fabulous decor and thematic elements detailed in previous posts, we added some fun, interactive elements incorporating actors and dancers.


Upon arrival, guests were required to give a password that was included with their invitation to a costumed actor through an opening in a real speakeasy door that was built to look like it was part of the wall.

{Photo by Knight Studio}

Guests were then "interrogated" by an actress gathering "dirt" on the birthday girl. Their interviews were videotaped and played back live on the TV later in the evening.

During cocktail hour, a costumed cigarette girl floated among the guests passing out these red glitter chocolate bonbons and fake cigarette holders. These bonbons are so yummy and sparkly!

{Photo by Knight Studio}

During the party, there were two mini "shows", where professional dancers in flapper costumes danced the Charleston and a medley from the musical "Chicago". They also danced with the guests and taught them some dance moves from the period.

{Photos by Terry's Photo Studio}

And what Roaring Twenties theme party would be complete without a police raid? Towards the end of the party, we had costumed actors acting as policeman try to break up the party. We even rented a "bubble light" that flashed when they arrived.

It's always great when we have the opportunity to carry a theme through every aspect of the party. From the invitations to the decor, to the interactive elements, the music and the thematic elements, this party was infused with 1920's style. I think this is a party our special birthday girl will remember for a long time to come!

Confetti: Unique fundraising idea

Last night, I volunteered at the first ever Handbag Happy Hour event to benefit AIDS Community Services. The event was held at Salvatore's Italian Gardens, and I am sure it was quite a successful fundraiser. Ladies of all ages from across the region attended and had the opportunity to bid on new and previously loved designer and distinctive purses. There was a silent auction and a live auction. The live action included purses donated by Susan Lucci and Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, and these were very popular! There were many generous companies and individuals across Western New York who donated purses and raffle prizes to make the evening a success. I haven't been to Salvatore's in a while, and was impressed with their appetizers and presentation in general. On the way out the door, ladies had the opportunity to pick up even more purses at bargain prices ($5-$20)! Needless to say, everyone left happy and with some new goodies.

This was an awesome idea for a fundraiser (wish I had thought of it!), a great way to bring women together, and I am sure that it will be very successful for years to come.

Party Time: Roaring Twenties Party - Part 2

Today I am excited to share some more images from our client's fabulous Roaring Twenties themed birthday party. All of the decor was created by Distinctive Occasions exclusively for this party. Handmade pillows trimmed with boas, jewels and beads abounded in the lounge area, red votive candles were trimmed with fringe and gems, pearls encircled the floral arrangements and the candles, beautiful rhinestone broaches adorned the tuxedo tablecloths and the chair covers, and fringe curtains covered the windows in the lounge area.

We obtained an old fashioned bathtub and filled it with ice to hold champagne bottles - giving the birthday girl her own version of bootleg liquor!

Upon arrival, guests were able to pose for souvenir photos in front of a vintage Pierce Arrow car (colored black and red of course!) we rented for the occasion. On the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, the birthday girl's name was illuminated in lights. There was no question who the star of this party was!

Floral arrangements by Flowers by Johnny utilized roses, lilies, ostrich feathers, pearls and beads - they were stunning and added so much to the event.

{All photos by Knight Photo Studio and Distinctive Occasions}

Stay tuned next week for the final set of details from this fun themed party!

Party Time: Roaring Twenties Party Part 1

We recently had the pleasure of coordinating and decorating a Roaring Twenties themed 40th birthday party for a private client. This was a fabulous affair where the host required all the guests to dress in themed attire. Guests entered the party through a real speakeasy door where they had to give the secret password to a costumed actor in order to enter.

This will be the first of a few posts showing the details and decor of this party which was held at Sonoma Grille in Amherst. The client stressed to us that most of the guests had been in this room for many celebrations, so it was important to transform the room in order to impress them. I thought it would be fun to start by showing you the before and after photos of the room. Here are the before photos of the Reserve Room...

And the after photos...

The windows are such a focal point of this room, and they define the space and give it a particular character. I immediately knew that in order to truly transform the room in a spectacular way, I had to change the windows. We chose to create these fabulous white and black curtains to cover every window in the room - this design element really created a "wow" factor.

{Event photos by Knight Photography}

We added black fringe to the ceiling lights, and red uplighting and red moving lights gave the room the feeling of a dark, smoky speakeasy. A black & white dance floor was placed in the center of the room, and all the decor was in black, red & white. We sewed white boas onto the bottom of black tablecloths, and used slinky black chair covers that echoed the style of the curtains and enhanced the twenties feel. It was truly a dramatic room transformation.

More photos of this party to follow in the upcoming weeks!

Confetti: The Wake Wins an Outstanding Event Award

Last February, we coordinated The Wake - an annual fundraiser for the Irish Classical Theatre Company. The event recently won an outstanding event award for 2009 from the Buffalo Niagara Event Professionals! This was the first year Distinctive Occasions had the privilege to be involved with the event. Thanks to a fabulous committee, dedicated staff and volunteers the event was such a success!

Over 500 people turned out on a cold February night to bid a raucous, Irish-style farewell to our dearly departed friend, Aidan Doogood. Tickets included wine and beer, food, live music by Penny Whiskey and Stone Row, and interactive entertainment. A funeral procession led by a bagpiper kicked off the evening’s festivities, complete with Irish dancers. The deceased’s coffin was processed out of a hearse parked outside the entrance. “Mourners” participated in the “Reading of the Will” (live auction) the “Estate Sale” (basket raffle), and mingled with with Aidan’s bereaved “family and friends” (local actors).

This was an outstanding event because all of the elements aligned in a seamless way which led to its success. The theme of the event was carried through in every aspect of the evening. The marketing campaign, the choice of venue, the activities, the food & drink, the entertainment, and the décor all supported and enhanced this unique theme. The venue, the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, fit the event perfectly. The building, with its expansive space and stained glass windows actually looks like a church. The marketing campaign by Crowley Webb created buzz and anticipation, setting the tone for the event. Posters featured cartoonish depictions of Aidan’s “family and friends” who were then played by actors at the event. Beer coasters were distributed to local pubs and taverns offering discounted tickets, and the website cleverly incorporated the dark humor of the event. Attendees arrived expecting a great party, and they were not disappointed. The unique nature of The Wake encourages interactive participation, and attendees participated wholeheartedly. They served as pallbearers, gave toasts, danced, and sang songs to the departed, all under the direction of Father Malarkey who presided over the event. There was strong community involvement from local businesses, who gave both monetary and in-kind donations. Buffalo’s own Flying Bison Brewing Company brewed a signature oatmeal stout, Irish Tears (“Stop yer cryin’ and drink.”), especially for the event. The Gourmet Store created delicious Irish themed foods, and used clever names such as “Deadly Dessert Bar” and “Blarney Stone Bruschetta” for the food stations. Décor included Irish beer bottles used as vases with farewell messages to the departed written on them. The fresh approach taken by the committee helped draw new attendees and encouraged a festive and spontaneous atmosphere. This was the fifth year The Wake was held, and revenues increased despite the economy. It was well organized and well run, and attendees celebrated in true Irish fashion.

Don't miss this year's party to die for! Save the date for Friday, March 12th, 2010 at the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum. For more information, visit www.PartyToDieFor.com