We’re taking a brief pause in all-things-wedding this morning to show you an utterly smashing birthday party in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The party and all the details were choreographed exquisitely by Courtney Arnold and her amazing team at Stellar Events. She’s shared her thought process and what it took to transform this traditional golf club space into a fresh and elegant dinner party venue. And no, your eyes are not deceiving you ~ lucite chiavari chairs. L O V E
Images courtesy of Scott Piner Photography
From Courtney … When I was approached by Dr. Brown to create a surprise 60th birthday party for his wife, Patti, I was thrilled! Then he said there are three things you need to know… first the party is in three weeks (wowsa!); second her favorite colors are pink and green; and third, the party will be at Eagle Point Golf Club. The first bit of information would scare most, but that was nothing compared to items two and three. For those who are not familiar, Eagle Point has a beautiful, traditional clubhouse – exposed beam ceilings, a wooden bar, a brick fireplace guaranteed to rival any put in its way. However, the carpet is kelly green and navy blue tartan plaid. Do you remember Patti’s two favorite colors; the only colors I was given to use in the decorating palette?!
Although my favorite color is white, I’ve never been afraid to use color. Color can alter one’s mood in an instant. Color can create warmth, joy, calm … the list goes on. Color, for this event, was going to set the stage for a fun, upbeat and unforgettable party! The first order of business was to find a way to either marry the tartan plaid carpet and my color scheme or to use enough color and design elements to draw your attention away from the carpet. I decided the best way to approach this was the latter.
I started with bringing in warmth and a touch of the modern with the lighting. My team designed and produced custom made drum shades that were four feet high and four feet in diameter. They were covered in sheer ivory linen to allow light to filter through and provide a glow to the room. By creating this large, visual effect, it drew the guests’ eyes to the ceiling where they were treated to beautiful exposed beams and soft, glowing light.
From there the real challenge began. When using a strong combination of colors, such as green and pink, I try to ask myself “Who is this event for and what is its purpose?” I’ve used pink and green for many a birthday party; however, the parties were for children under the age of five! I wanted to bring a level of sophistication and a little bit of swank to this party. For this reason, I chose to use shades of pink with emphasis on the darker, heavier shades as opposed to pale pinks. I also chose a fresh-from-the-garden green instead of bright or lime green.
The most surprising part of putting all the elements together was the linen. When using pink and green, my first thought would normally go to neutral linen with minimal, if any texture. The thought behind this is the flowers will “pop” and guests can really be “wowed” by floral color without anything to compete with it. However, the more I played with the colors, I kept coming back to a linen full of color and texture. In doing so I was able to mix color and texture to give guests an abundance of wow factor!
To finish off this bold look, I infused the last bit of modern with Lucite chivari chairs, glass chargers and splashes of mercury glass. These subtle yet major accents allowed the color to be the most prominent detail. Walking into the room, one instantly felt elated and couldn’t help but smile. Being surrounded by so much color made everyone realize they were in for a night filled with fun instead of another stuffy dinner party.
>Dr. Brown made sure all of his wife’s favorites were attended to. From the décor and the food to surrounding Patti with loved ones and special performances by the School of Performing Arts – this was a night they will all remember! Many thanks to the vendors who made this party a success – Eagle Point Golf Club, High Performance Lighting, Party Suppliers & Rentals, Cloth Connections, Flower & Four, Scott Piner Photography & Stellar Events.
Our thanks to Courtney for sharing and to Scott Piner for providing the images. We have more from this dynamic duo coming up in just a bit … {sneak peek of Jeanie and Jimmy’s wedding, from Stellar Event’s blog}
Photographer: Scott Piner / Event planning & design: Stellar Events / Rentals: Party Suppliers & Rentals / Lighting: High Performance Lighting / Specialty Rentals: Stellar Events / Cake: Flower & Flour / Venue: Eagle Point Golf Club / Entertainment: School of Performing Arts, Winston Salem, NC