The Finishing Touch — Weddings, Events, Design, Paperie

Having a former bride come back to us to plan another event is one of the greatest compliments we can get. This was just the case when Jim Mullan, the father of our Bride Jennifer, came to us asking us to plan a surprise 60th Birthday Party for his amazing wife Maria.  The party was held on Saturday, July 18th at Calcada Restaurant in Newark.  Jim's Daughter, Jennifer wed her Groom Eliu just a couple short months ago in the Dominican Republic and we were honored to help them put together a fantastic beach ceremony and reception. As Maria's tastes in decor are just as eclectic as Jennifer's (check out her wedding photographs at our photo gallery!) we knew that Priscilla from our Event Design team would create a design nothing short of unique.

Preparations for this once in a lifetime event started a few months ago with the search for the perfect location.  Once Misha took Jennifer to Calcada Restaurant, they both knew it would be the perfect location for a Summer soiree in Maria's honor. As Calcada was a blank palette it allowed the team's imagination to flow with tons of great ideas for decor.

On Saturday, Misha, Candice, and Priscilla arrived at Calcada to decorate the outdoor space. Teal and Marigold table clothes covered the tables. Each table had its own unique centerpiece. Some tables featured fishbowls with floating flowers and candles.  Others featured centerpieces of gorgeous Yellow Mokara Orchids and Mango Calla Lillies.  One unique element of the table design was the gold lumineres featuring photos of Maria and her family.  The tables were also decorated with cards printed with modeling photos of Maria and the city they were taken in.  The bar and buffet was decorated with celadon vases in various shapes and sizes and cards featuring funny, famous aging quotes.  To complete the look, bright colored circular and square lanterns covered the tent ceiling and illuminated the restaurant.

As the guests prepared for Maria's arrival at 7:30pm, Candice was constantly receiving texts from Jen regarding their whereabouts. As soon as Candice got the text that said "Here!", the DJ, Dave from In the Mix Entertainment prepared to play Maria's favorite song, "La Vida Es Un Carnaval" by Celia, and Melissa the photographer stood by ready to capture the moment ~ and you can see below that she did so perfectly.

Shocked would be an understatement of Maria's reaction. Overwhelmed with emotion, Maria had no idea what was yet to come. The night began with tons of great food made by Calcada. Eating, dancing, drinking, and catching up with old friends was the perfect way for Maria to celebrate her 60th Birthday. A couple hours into the evening, the guests sang “Happy Birthday” and a beautiful cake, with a traditional Mola design printed onto it, prepared by Wyckoff Bakery, was served to the guests. The cake was delicious and was a perfect way to incorporate Maria's culture.  

All the guests had a great time celebrating with Maria and her family while enjoying the beautiful summer night. At the end of the night each took home a personal photo favor with a photo of them and the guest of honor, which was provided by Melissa the photographer. The night was a complete success and we were honored to be a part of such a special occasion. Happy 60th Birthday Maria!

All the Best,

Misha, Candice &, Priscilla