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!

Wedding Save-the-Date Announcements

Everyone today has busy schedules which makes it is important to plan in advance to attend an important event such as a wedding, especially for guests who are attending from out of town. A Save-the-Date card is a way to let your guests know the location and the date of the wedding so that they can plan to attend. While they are not mandatory, most couples today send them. A Save-the-Date should include the date and town the wedding is being held in, pertinent hotel and travel information, and can also include a link to your wedding website if you have one. While it is nice to introduce the colors and style of your wedding if you have these aspects decided, it is not necessary. Here are some cute and different ideas for Save-the-Dates...

Destination Wedding Save-the-Date

Picture story save the date

Save-the-Date pen

Photo booth style Save-the-Date

Photo magnet Save-the-Date

If you choose to send Save-the-Dates, they should be mailed approximately 6-7 months before the wedding.

Congratulations Newly Engaged Couples!

If you are one of the lucky people who received an engagement ring for Valentine's Day or over the holidays - congratulations! You are embarking upon an exciting (and sometimes stressful) time. Here's a good plan for getting started:

{Photo}

1. Hire a Wedding Coordinator - Yes, I know what you're thinking....of course she would say this since she is a wedding coordinator! But honestly, a coordinator can be your biggest asset when planning a wedding. They can save you time, money, and help you to avoid costly mistakes. Although a coordinator can assist at any stage of the planning process, you will get the most monetary value out of the relationship if you involve one from the beginning. We offer hourly consultations for couples who need a push in the right direction but plan to do most of the planning themselves. A coordinator is a very valuable investment in your wedding.

2. Discuss the overall style and feel of the wedding. Do you want a formal, black-tie affair, or a casual BBQ? Discuss what is most important to you as a couple and how you see the day unfolding in general.

3. Choose a preferred month for your wedding. Try to keep an open mind with dates, since your preferred venue may not be available for your selected date. Also take into consideration holidays, vacation days and school schedules.

4. Set a budget. There are many templates you can find online. But how do you know how much these items should actually cost in your market? A coordinator is a great resource for this as well.

5. Choose a venue. There are many great venues in Buffalo. Make sure the venue you are considering is within your budget and fits the overall style of your wedding.

Get ready for an exciting ride!

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!

Inspiration Board: Whimsical Wedding

With Valentine's Day coming up, I created this lovely inspiration board with lots of whimsical wedding details. It is fun and girly and very unique. The colors pop - it would be perfect for an outdoor wedding. It is a bold and stylish, yet still soft and so pretty!



{Click on images to view credits}