“We definitely took care of the adults, but we absolutely had those kids covered,” says Joann Roth-Oseary of the 20 young guests and 75 accompanying grownups in attendance at an extravagant March birthday bash. The party, held at a private Beverly Hills, Calif., estate to celebrate the guest of honor's 1-year birthday, challenged Roth-Oseary's venerable Tarzana, Calif.-based Someone's in the Kitchen to provide an age-appropriate party for everyone, all while protecting the property's museum-quality antiques and artwork.
IN THE PINK
The design directive for the tented affair was simple, Roth-Oseary says: Think pink. Translating that into an environment suitable for both stylish, party-savvy parents and their offspring — all with a mere 10-day lead time — was slightly more complicated.
Because children and adults would be celebrating side by side inside a 40-by-60-foot tent from Classic Party Rentals of Culver City, Calif., Roth-Oseary and team went for a uniform aesthetic. First and foremost was the tent, which looked “just fabulous,” Roth-Oseary says, lavishly draped and swagged in luscious pink courtesy of Edgar Zamora of Los Angeles-based Revelry. Under the canopy, square tables topped with pink-on-pink polka dot linen from L.A.'s Resource One got an extra glow from pink-tinted stemware and low-profile flower-box centerpieces filled with pastel blooms.
As for the small-fry section, “We set up kids' tables with lowered legs but with fabulous appointments and “‘sawed-off-leg’ chiavari chairs, each tied with a take-home teddy bear,” Roth-Oseary says. To create a consistent look throughout the space, staffers draped kids' tables with the same luxurious linen as their grownup counterparts and echoed the adults' floral centerpieces with smaller versions. Instead of featuring elegant napkin rings and cutlery, the kids' settings sported sweet pink sippy cups along with decor pieces, including pink telephones, wooden blocks and baby food jars.
Because the event was at a private property, load-in began one day prior while strike was entirely complete by the following morning. “This client is rather fussy about their estate property,” Roth-Oseary notes, “and likes it to be a quick in and out.” With Someone's in the Kitchen staff on hand to oversee every vendor load-in and setup, along with the entire event flow from valet parking to guest departure, “It's a rather ‘Disney-esque’ experience — no one ever knows what's really happening behind the magic doors,” she adds. “Not even the client.”
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
This being a catering expert's production, food — of course — took center stage.
For both the adults and their wee ones, variety was key. An omelet station included turkey bacon, sauteed mushrooms with shallots, and Madeira Camembert cheese, while a bagel station brimmed with everything from smoked sablefish to Bermuda onions and beefsteak tomatoes. Among the party's biggest hits was a crepe station, Roth-Oseary notes. “We had two of the big, authentic crepe disks going, batter poured for each crepe to order, with just tons of items for folding inside,” including combinations of chicken, fresh cream and wild mushrooms, and banana, cinnamon and sugar. As for the youngsters, they got all the best of the parents' bounty, along with kid-friendly options including organic yogurt, juice boxes and finger foods.
Of course, no birthday party is complete without something sweet. For this celebration, “A cake was very important to the mom, but a gigantic cupcake with a candle was really important to the grandma,” Roth-Oseary recounts. She served her client by serving both, along with a dizzying dessert array featuring pink and lime-green jelly beans, M&Ms and mini cupcakes.
GUARD DUTY
Fun and frolic may have been the order of the day, but with an antique-filled private property as her venue, Roth-Oseary knew strict security was as essential as appropriate food and decor.
Enter a small army of off-duty Beverly Hills police officers, which Someone's in the Kitchen equipped with communication devices and stationed unobtrusively throughout the client's property. Leading the pack was Roth-Oseary's secret weapon: “One of my favorite off-duty officers has six children,” she explains. “This guy gets it. He wants the kids to have fun, but they can't go flying from the rafters.” Security came in especially handy when children shifted from the tent to the estate's screening room for face-painting, storytelling and parachute play. While metal detectors and pat-downs weren't part of the procedure, you can be sure “we checked juice boxes at the door,” Roth-Oseary says.
RESOURCES
DESIGN/PRODUCTION/CATERING
Someone's in the Kitchen
818/343-5151
www.sitk.com
FLORAL
The Velvet Garden
323/852-1766
www.thevelvetgarden.com
LINEN
Resource One
818/343-3451
www.resourceone.info
RENTALS/TENT
Classic Party Rentals
310/202-0011
www.classicpartyrentals.com
TENT INTERIOR
Revelry
323/931-1880
www.revelryllc.com
