January is normally a quiet month in my world of party and wedding planning. Not this year! When Laura, a former client of ours, called me in December to ask, "Can you plan my 50th birthday party at home?" I was very much IN - especially when she told me that the date was the first week in February - what better way to escape the January blues than to plan a party?
With 6 weeks' notice, the brief was an elegant, music-filled party with food, cocktails and dancing for 90 guests. The biggest challenge was the dancing. Laura's beautiful home is not conducive to dancing, there just isn't the space in any one room. We decided the best option was to use a marquee in the garden. However, because of a low box hedge around the perimeter, the garden wasn't quite wide enough to hold the marquee. Never deterred, we built the marquee over the garden and created a seamless extension of the house.
Clients often worry about using a marquee in winter but they shouldn't, with the right heating and design they work perfectly and, with the right draping, decor and floristry, we were able to create an extension of Laura's beautiful home. The house became a place for talking, mixing, and mingling, all to the backdrop of a live jazz band and the marquee was the place for the afterparty - complete with cocktail bar and DJ.
Thank you to all the suppliers involved in bringing together the party of Laura's dreams.
Academy Marquees