Alison Events Backyard Birthday Bash

Here are some photos by yours truly of a birthday party we helped to coordinate for our client's 40th. The party was held in the couple's backyard in Sonoma with breathtaking views overlooking the nearby vineyards. The decor was pretty simple, but perfectly fit to the surroundings. The wood tables and chairs were accented with cool blue linens and potted herbs down the tables. We mixed terra-cotta potted sages, rosemary, thyme, alyssum, etc. with lots of candles to make the atmosphere cozy and natural. Jessica Lasky did a tremendous job catering the dinner, which was accompanied by Daniel Maya on spanish guitar. Anyway, it was a gorgeous afternoon and we hope you enjoy the photos!

Ram's Gate Winery Opening

This past September we were lucky enough to be brought on board to plan the opening party for the new Ram's Gate Winery in Sonoma. The place is AMAZING. Seriously. If you haven't been up there yet, it's definitely worth a day trip and if you have been up and just driven past it, you should have turned around. First of all, the location is to die for. It's basically right at the foot of Sonoma, so only about 45 minute, hour tops drive from SF. Second of all, the decor is gorgeous, sophisticated and a nice modern twist on wine country. Thirdly, the wine is the bomb. And I mean that in a very, very good way. If I were more of a wino, I'd get into the tasting notes and all that jazz, but in the interest of being PC, I will instead say you should just go there and check it all out for yourself.

The opening party, which was a blast, was catered by Componere. They created a menu to pair perfectly with all of the wines people were tasting in different areas and zones. Grant and Co. did the flowers for the night, which were stunning and perfectly complemented the space and architecture in the winery. Refraction did an always phenomenal job on lighting and audio. And these lovely photos were taken by Orange Photography.

Enjoy the photos and hopefully we'll see you at Ram's Gate sometime soon!


xoxo.
a.b.

Happy Two Thousand Ten!!!

Happy New Year!!! We had the absolute pleasure of throwing a surprise wedding last night! It was a blast, and I mean that in literal terms. We set off cannons filled with sparkles and feathers, orchestrated a balloon drop and squeezed in a wedding ceremony which was a surprise for all of the guests. For more details, check out our Twitter page and stay tuned for the rest of the story...

Baby Shower Chic

We recently attended a baby shower thrown by our friend who left her corporate job last month to have a baby. We were totally impressed with all the details and wanted to share the photos with all of you since we don't post much about showers. She came up with lots of fun ideas for games, quizzes and trivia. Enjoy!

13th Birthday Bash at Axis Cafe

We had the pleasure of working with three lovely ladies who were approaching their 13th Birthday and wanted to celebrate in style. They wanted a Hollywood Glamour theme with a modern lounge vibe so we decided to host the party at Axis Cafe in Potrero Hill because of it's modern aesthetic and indoor-outdoor space. 75 of the girls' closest friends were picked up in Marin by a limo bus and were transported to San Francisco. They were greeted with a purple carpet entrance and were swarmed by paparazzi snapping photos and asking for autographs. Once inside the guests were treated to a selection of mocktails each created by one of the birthday girls. There were tray passed bit sized hors d'oeuvres as well as a food buffet and chocolate fondue fountain. A tarot card reader, glitter tattoo artist, and acrobats entertained the party guests and the DJ was spinning until the end of the night. It was definitely a nice change from our usual wedding life! Thanks to Tara Arrowood for the amazing photos and Justin Fone for the film.

Preppy theme Lobster Bash!

You might think being a planner that I throw parties all the time...but the truth is I don't, I am always throwing parties for clients. However, I had my first opportunity to show off my stuff for my boyfriends birthday. SO, I decided to host a lobster feast in our tiny back yard in San Francisco. It was easy, I called up my favorite vendors and rented big oversized pillows and matching napkins, mushroom heaters and low wooden tables. I found carrot and stick press.com, cute lobster place matts and made a table runner out of the striped red and white place matts. I got classic red keg cups for the Anchor Steam keg (a local SF brewery), and made red and white sangria.




Why lobster fest, well I will be honest I had just read about this caterer on daily candy; the lobster king and liked the idea of having to eat with your hands and Michael being from the east coast would appreciate good old live Maine lobster! So I wanted to bring back the east and have some fun with the theme. Well it worked, both the surprise and the sit down dinner. Although low seating is not always the most comfortable and often requires a smaller crowd and younger guests, it worked perfect for this group.

Down and dirty the caterer just dumped the steamed goodies down the center of the table. Why the preppy theme? I don't really know maybe it goes with lobster fests from my Connecticut upbringing...??? but everyone had so much fun dressing up, including me. You would never catch me in hot pink and green in the same outfit but it worked rather well since my office mate loves preppy and let me borrow her favorite outfit.















I am very very blessed that my best friend happens to be an amazing photographer so thank you to Thayer Allyson Gowdy of Little White Dress, for taking these beautiful photos!