A 40th Birthday under the "Big Top"

I noticed over the last few months I have not had many blog posts featuring events.  We have been really busy with many great, weddings, birthdays and Bar and Bat Mitzvahs over the Summer so I have some catching up to do!  I want to start by sharing a surprise 40th birthday party I planned and designed for a client's wife.  As you will see it was a really spectacular party that went off without a hitch despite some real challenges in the planning process, the first of which was how to erect a 3,500 square foot tent over the pool in our client's back yard.

It took a full week for the crew from Stamford Tent to construct the tent and get it ready for me to create the Las Vegas feel that my client wanted for the party.

With the tent complete, I began the task of creating the atmosphere that my client wanted for this event.  Since a key aspect had to be entertainment, I brought in On the Move Entertainment to help me in creating the perfect feel.  What better way to set the stage for a Las Vegas theme then to line the entrance with showgirls.  On the Move provided gorgeous costumed girls to wow the guests as they came through the covered marquee to the main event.

When guests entered the tent they were truly wowed by the spectacular scene I created around the pool.  Their first stop was the flower wall I installed under the existing pergola. I created the perfect setting for guest photos using this 8 foot wall as the backdrop and accenting it with draped organza and oversized vases dripping with fuscia and white phalaenopsis orchids.  It was a stunning way for guests to start their evening.

Throughout the room I used different, fun elements to create a spectacular overall look.  I brought in unique furniture pieces including chairs internally lit with LED lighting to give them a bright pink glow and some great lounge chairs that I used to create individual vignettes around the room.  

As you can see, the overall look inside the tent was really something to behold.  By filling the pool with 60,000 ping pong balls we actually created a screen that was used for the ever changing light show that was taking place around the tent.  This, combined with the LED lights in the furniture and the sparkling payette linens I used on the tables, certainly gave the room the Las Vegas feel our client wanted.

While the atmosphere was spectacular, we also needed great food and entertainment to make the party complete.  For the food, we chose The Brownstone to bring in a true feast.  From a wonderful seafood buffet to selections of pasta, sushi and meats, there was no possible way for a guest to go hungry at this party.

Of course, no birthday is complete without a cake.  For this party I brought in the wonderful cake artists at Pink Cake Box who really outdid themselves.  I love the way they added the LED lights and sugar orchids into the cake design as the perfect compliment to my decor.  Definitely a job well done.

As I mentioned, the other key to a great event is entertainment.  Not only did On the Move bring in a great band and showgirls, we had continual entertainment throughout the evening with some amazing performances.  One of my favorite was Bubble Girl who acted as a sort of contortionist while in her sealed bubble in the pool.  Certainly a unique experience.

Of course, we could not stop at Bubble Girl.  As a special treat we brought in the renown synchronized swimming company, the Aqualillies.  This was another show stopper as these talented ladies amazed guests with their skills in the pool.

As if all of this was not enough, we brought in a truly talented illusionist to keep guests entertained throughout the evening and treated men, and some women, to hand rolled cigars. Just as there was plenty of food, there was also continual entertainment so there was never a slow moment at this party.

As thrilled as I was with how this party came together, the only thing that really matters is a happy client and guest of honor.  The birthday girl was truly thrilled with the results of her party making for a happy husband.  

I do want to give special thanks for all of the amazing vendors who worked diligently to pull this together and to the talented work of Jennifer and Charles at Maring Visuals for capturing everything on camera.

Until the next Happy Birthday.

Cheers!

Sam's 40th Birthday Celebration!

Hope everyone had a nice weekend and are gearing up for Passover and Easter! Here at Shawn Rabideau Events & Design, we had a wonderful wedding on Friday at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers! We will be sure to post the photos once we receive them! Can't wait to share them with you!

Today, I am so excited to show you a 40th birthday celebration for one of our ultra-fabulous clients Sam! From the very beginning of the planning process to the very end, we had so much fun with Sam and we know that she will be a friend for life! She is such a hard working, caring, and sincere woman who deserved the party of a lifetime! She is an inspiration to us all here at Shawn Rabideau Events & Design and we hope that you enjoy these photos of her birthday bash!

The party took place at an absolutely incredible location  here in NYC, SoHi at the brand new Trump Soho! Located on the 46th Floor of Trump Soho, we knew this location was "the one" as soon as we stepped foot inside and saw the unbeatable views. 

Jennifer, the Special Events Manager, was such a doll and made the entire process a breeze! We could not have pulled off this event without the extra care we received from her and from Leonardo, the Catering Manager. I cannot thank them enough for their hard work and dedication! Also, if you have yet to go to Trump Soho's restaurant Quattro for dinner...RUN don't walk! The food is to die for!

For the decor, we designed the room to have a sleek and elegant feel. The fun lounge furniture and rentals were brought in from Luxe Event Rentals. For this "cocktail style" event, we made sure that there was enough seating for at least half of the guests, but still had a consistent flow throughout the entire room. Nsombi, our head floral and design director, did an incredible job on the arrangements that helped accent the sophisticated feel of the event.

The invitations and all paper items for Sam's birthday bash were created and designed by the talented Ana Dolan of Invitations by Ana. Sam came up with the slogan "I am Sam! 40 I am!" and we took the idea and ran with it! 

We customized the invitations, thank you cards, specialty cocktail, guest book, and ice cream sandwich flags based on her slogan and initials SJP. 

Guests signed this custom book created by Ana Dolan that had each guests photo inside so that they could sign by their photo! A wonderful keepsake for Sam!

Instead of doing the typical birthday cake, we decided to do ice cream sandwiches from Melt Bakery! Julian of Melt Bakery is such a sweetheart and another outstanding vendor that I recommend highly! The ice cream sandwiches were such a hit with all of the guests and we even did an over-sized ice cream sandwich with candles as the "cake" so Sam could make her birthday wish!

 The flavors Sam chose for her passed ice cream sandwiches included "The Minimalist" vanilla ice cream with chocolate chip cookies, "Seduction" espresso ice cream with double chocolate chip cookies, "The Elvis" banana ice cream with peanut butter cookies (one of my personal favorites), and "Kareem" pistachio ice cream with pistachio baklava. For more of Melt Bakery's amazing flavors, check them out here.

Guests danced the night away to tunes provided by the incredibly talented and lovely DJ Mark Z from Total Entertainment. 

Jesse Anders from Fifth Avenue Digital did an amazing job capturing the evening which is for sure something that we will never forget!

Sam's hair was done by Danielle Pfeifer and makeup by Ashley Fox.

Thanks again to all of the fabulous vendors who helped make this event such a success! And Happy Birthday Sam! We hope all of your birthday wishes come true!

Cheers!

Shawn