Not just a wedding planner but a party planner too! Last month I had the pleasure of planning a 70th birthday party at a private home in Dorset. This was a really special one for me because I had planned the daughter's wedding at the same location 4 years prior. It felt like coming back to something familiar - but, of course, we put an entirely different spin on the decor. The birthday host is a very fun, colourful character so, when I was asked to suggest a theme, Havana fit the bill (and it also gave me an excuse to get creative with an amazing colour palette and decor pieces). I've wanted to use Maison Margaux linen for so long now and it fit PERFECTLY with my ideas. Thankfully the birthday host's wife and I shared the same love for autumnal reds, ochres and yellows and we landed very easily on a scheme that was bold and bright but avoided gaudy and obvious.
The guests arrived via the pool entrance, greeted with custom made cocktails supplied by Theo Maxfield and his brilliant team. Canapés and cocktails by the pool with the backdrop of the brilliant Yumba band and dancers. Guests then moved into the barn for dinner and more dancing. The barn was transformed to a tropical Havana and came to life exactly how I had imagined it - huge thank you to Miranda Fairhurst and her team as well as Ellie Pryer from Era Calligraphy for the wonderful stationery.
After dinner the party really got started with music from Soul Supreme Band. All captured by Angela Ward Brown, this party has all the ingredients of something epic and I hope it will be remembered for years to come. The best bit was that I was reunited with Sophie and Tom (take a look at their wedding gallery on this website) and their daughter! Yes, they are now Mum and Dad to a beautiful little girl. What an end to an incredible summer season. Now, is it Christmas party time yet?!
