An Unforgettable Joint 50th Birthday Party in a Marquee

An exquisite joint 50th birthday party where meticulous planning, detailed event design and a celebrity chef made it a birthday party like no other!

The Brief

Our clients, Anne and Alan gave us a simple brief. They wanted to create an unforgettable, informal, yet elegant party for their joint fiftieth birthday celebration.

Event Planning & Management

88 Events were responsible for the entire party planning, from the initial design stage through to full event management over the weekend. This included the styling of the event from 88 Events’ hire collection and the booking, co-ordination and management of suppliers.

88 Events were heavily involved in the logistics of the party. Some examples of what we organised are:

• Airport transfers from Inverness for all guests
• Accommodation for 170 guests
• Special requests e.g. baby facilities
• Weekend information letters for all guests
• Coaches to and from party on Saturday
• Coaches to station for all guests on Sunday
• Exclusive train ride on steam train
• Airport transfers back to Inverness airport
• Taxis / other transport requirements

Elegant Event Styling

The party took place in the breathtaking surroundings of our clients’ home in Boat of Garten in the Highlands.

The entrance to their home was lit with dramatic flaming flambeaux. The garden and patio sparkled with magical lanterns and nitelights in the trees, on the paths and on the steps. Guests were offered champagne on arrival and enjoyed the mild September evening until called to dinner in the marquee below.

The colours selected for the table styling reflected the breathtaking Scottish scenery that surrounds the venue and created a rich, welcoming atmosphere within the marquee. We made bespoke linen for the event, covering the tables in sumptuous plum faux silk, and the chairs in apple green faux silk. The immaculate flat tack off wall linings in buttermilk complemented the tables perfectly.

A mixture of heather coloured charger plates and fine bone china were used to serve and present the meal, and drinks were served from stylish contemporary glassware.

Twinkling nitelight trees and fresh country flowers in pewter goblets were centred in lines down the dramatic long tables. Cascading, hanging baskets created interest on the ceiling, while vintage terrariums overfilled with stunning flowers and greenery created backdrops at either end of the space.

As always, a lot of time was invested in working with the lighting levels to create the perfect effect. The lighting rig also included high specification dance floor lighting.

Party food

On arrival guests were offered champagne served in classic champagne saucers and invited to help themselves to a bowl of food from the dining room table, which included hot and cold treats such as smoked duck Caesar salad with garlic croutons and traditional haggis, neeps & tatties.

As guests gathered to chat and enjoy the mild September evening in the garden they were called for a delicious dinner of loin of venison with mouthwatering accompaniments in the marquee below.

Dancing the night away

Following dinner, a fantastic band led the guests in traditional ceilidh dancing and popular modern dance floor fillers. Guests were thrilled with a stunning fire sculpture depicting the names of the birthday couple. A DJ then played into the night until the party ended and the guests got one final surprise!

Fireworks

To finish off the evening’s celebrations guest were called outside for a spectacular fireworks display which ended with the number 50 going up in flames!

Sunday brunch

The following day, the guests enjoyed an exclusive train ride on a steam train as the 88 Events team set about transforming the marquee into an informal relaxed setting for a barbeque. The tables were dressed with crisp white linen, coloured gingham runners and fresh cut flowers.

Celebrity chef, Nick Nairn wowed guests by performing a cookery demonstration, which was relayed on a large plasma screen to ensure all guest were able to enjoy it. We even made sure that the golf fanatics amongst the guests didn’t miss out by linking up the plasma screen to show the Ryder Cup coverage!

Throughout the afternoon a trio of musicians preformed a swinging jazz set keeping the “Sunday afternoon” vibe on the go!

Capturing the moment

Throughout the weekend a photographer was on hand to capture the essence of the celebration through a mixture of formal photography and unobtrusive creative photography.

The verdict

Following the success of such a memorable party, 88 Events was thrilled to hear that our clients’ daughter Fiona had gotten engaged and because of the fantastic job 88 Events had done at her parents’ 50th, she wanted us to organise her wedding!

This is what her father said about both the party, and the wedding:

“Last year’s birthday party was wonderful. It met and then exceeded my expectations. Our guests thought it was splendid. Your attention to detail, flexibility, calm under pressure and professionalism were outstanding. The whole was a sum of many parts, you choreographed them beautifully.

Having said that, I am now struggling to find the vocabulary appropriate to convey my gratitude for Fiona’s wedding. My one and only daughter got the best wedding I could imagine or provide, and the lion’s share of appreciation goes to the 88 Events team.

If the birthday party was just great, the wedding was five times better. With my warmest thanks and very best wishes”

Alan McFarlane