Cocktails + Connections – The Knot Magazine

Vintage [vin-tij] was first defined as a noun in the 1400-50 as the wine obtained from a harvest of grapes, especially in an outstandingly good year.

As a recent event trend and an adjective, vintage is often referred to as of lasting interest and importance; venerable; classic.  When speaking in terms of something being vintage in an event setting, a design can be vintage Victorian, vintage picnic, vintage garden, vintage classic, vintage retro and so forth, all of which have been seen on this blog.

What you typically see in a vintage style is soft floral, lace, eclectic, milk glass, and DIY concepts. Words such as reclaimed and rustic are used as describers and has replaced words such as old-fashioned and antique.  What I love most about vintage styles is that they can easily blend with so many other styles.

Case-in-point would be “Cocktails and Connections: The Knot Magazine Corporate Party” I recently had the opportunity to plan.   A modern-style venue with two unique indoor spaces, an interactive kitchen, as well as a garden space, blended well with the vintage style in both design and food.  Even some of the modern dishes, such as the etched martini and champagne diva with her glorious ball-gown complemented the style.

VIP guests were welcomed to an intimate tour and greeted with champagne and crisp ladyfingers with decadent chocolate.  One of my favorite amenities to the venue is the veranda entry area which allows for you to display customized artwork and/or pictures. With eighteen vendors bringing this party to life, this became an amazing area to showcase their company name.

As the party got on its way and the Houston heatwave was upon us, there was nothing better than a refreshing sorbet cocktail to quench your thirst.  Passed hors d’oeuvres of seafood ceviche served in the coolest shot-glass design and espresso duck tempted the taste buds.  Even I, a person not a fan of English pea salad, could not pass up this vintage dish served on classic silver spoons.  To continue the celebration of it being hot (after all we are in a drought) demi cups held chilled melon crunch and spicy gazpacho while a traditional vintage station showcase an assortment of relishes, pickled vegetables, deviled eggs, and mini pork pulled sandwiches.  The interactive  kitchen area offered up the best southern grits with a mini chicken and waffle station, which kept you coming back for more.  To round out the food selections, there was a lemonade stand presented in classic containers with vintage straws and miniature cupcakes.

The venue is well known in the Architecture community for receiving a Houston AIA Honor Award in 2001 (Natalye Appel + Associates Architects).  The venue was designed by a world renowned food photographer, which makes the kitchen a caterer’s dream come true, and the venues alcoves, with hundreds of props stacked from floor to ceiling, allow for the perfect backdrop to not only celebrate vintage design but also great food.  The space was filled with soft floral, reclaimed wood tables, provincial sofas and chairs, and lace linen.  Vintage design is all about the details.  There can never be enough little details. From the long floral table garland, the cascading orchids, the vases wrapped in lace and accented with broaches, to the eccentric furniture, the vendors pulled out all the stops in designing this space for the industry’s best.

My favorite area of fifty-two twenty-six is the outside garden.  I love the garden.  Truth be told, I selected the venue for its outside elements.  Then, it got hot. Really hot.  I knew no one would go outside and enjoy this amazing space unless some thought was given.  So, this is what you do.  Cocktails.  That is important. A sno-cone design made for adults is what I had in mind. I worked with the beverage provider to push the envelope to create adult beverages which could be used in the sno-cone application.  They truly came out tasty.  Then, I needed some ice cold terry cloth towels  passed out by two beautiful models.  Add in some vintage fans.  And, if that wasn’t enough, you put one of the coolest DJ’s spinning some of the hottest tunes and some fabulous design elements, and people are sure to join you around the reflecting pond.  It worked. People enjoyed.

It was an honor to be selected as the planner for The Knot/The Bump Cocktails & Connections Corporate Party.  I tip my hat to the vendors that walked the journey with me.

Event Planner:  Kat Creech Events
Venue:  fifty-two twenty-six
Overall Floral Design:  Always Floral
Large Studio Design,  Bars, Floral and Outside Furniture:  Darryl & Co
Rentals:  A Finer Event
Small Studio Furniture:  Aztec Tent & Events
Linen:  Over The Top
Caterer:  Bailey Connor Catering
Beverage:  ICIT Entertainment
Stationary:  Invitation Solutions
Photo booth:  Fun-Pix
Champagne Diva & Models:  J&D Entertainment
Entertainment (inside):  Acoustic Productions
Entertainment (outside):  LG Entertainment
Lighting and Audio Visual:  Impressive Events
Miniature Cupcakes:  K Cupcakes & Dessert Tables 
Staffing:  Bow Tie Servers
Photographer:  Akil Bennett

 

 

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