Island Hotel client appreciation event 2016

I don’t do none wedding events very often.  I have done some parties for past couples and last year I was asked if I could do the Island Hotel’s client event.  they were expecting around 400 guests (think on the night it ended up being closer to 500) and the original theme was glitz/glam and I was to take it from there.  A couple of weeks into my getting a plan going/pulling the vendor team together the theme became ‘speakeasy’.  Hmmm, what to do what to do.

Well the pics here show what we did……… on arrival at valet guests were asked for a password that the GM had email blasted to all attendees about 30 mins pre start time, then they were sent in the direction of the location but there was no signage, only a symbol that was connected to the password at the reader board outside a door by the ballroom.  When they opened that door and most did it not sure if they were supposed to, they saw a dark tunnel that looked like an alley with the neon sign at the end pointing them to the next area where registration was.  Standing in the dark alley was a security guy who asked the password, normally startling the guest!!

I didn’t even think about it, so didn’t have a professional bring a camera, so these pics are all from my iPhone and don’t do the look any justice.  It was really dark and lots of candles.  So as a speakeasy was all about prohibition/drinking something illegal in dark corners, we had a double luge for whiskey drinks, black bars, the  ballroom was draped in black by the hotel av department who did an awesome job, we created some booths/cabanas on one side, and they did the amber uplighting I needed.  Lots of black furniture sitting areas, low and high cocktail tables with black chairs and they entered the room through a mass of candles right onto a black dancefloor that went all the way to the black stage where our awesome band, Full Spectrum who for the first couple of hours played jazzy music, then went into dance mode and got that dancefloor full.  Frank Salas had a photobooth with props that were ‘in theme’ and was very popular.

The furniture came from Signature Party rentals, TMMPRO did the dancefloor and black chiavaris for me, Found had the items I needed to create the mood/alleyway and their delivery guys are really fabulous.  Karla and the EBD team lit many many candles and had really great pieces on all the cocktail tables all over the room, no flowers!!

Kim of the Sugar Philosophers did a wonderful candy/dessert station that as always was beautiful and elegant to look at.  The hotel had fabulous food stations, no one left needing to go and get food that is for sure, and at the exit the guests got to take a split of Prosecco, just to prove prohibition is something we don’t have to deal with, lol.

The GM of the hotel said guests were telling him it was their best party ever, so that was awesome to hear.  Thanks to everyone at Island Hotel for helping me make that happen, it was a pleasure!!!

Till next time

Lisa

http://www.lisasimpsonweddings.com

lisa@lisasimpsonweddings.com

714 305 7112

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Add a comment June 6, 2017
Tags: Island Hotel, newport beach hotel, newport beach wedding planner, OC wedding planner, Orange county wedding planner