SHAKEN NOT STIRRED – CELEBRATING A 50TH BIRTHDAY IN TRUE JAMES BOND STYLE
Our client is a huge fan of James Bond and with a 50th birthday to celebrate it was obvious that his party should have a Bond theme. MGN events was asked to design and deliver the event and using Casino Royale as the main inspiration, which would also determine the entertainment, we set to work on a very special mission.
The Solution
With 25 guests invited, the party would be an intimate event. Our venue search led us to The Trafalgar St James in London and Biblio, a stylish room that has the feel of an exclusive private members’ lounge – exactly what was needed and perfect for a Bond party.
We added to the already very elegant surroundings to create a plush and opulent atmosphere. Primarily using a colour palette of red, gold and black, touches of gold added glitz and glamour, and reds gave depth and richness. This filtered down to every detail, from gold mirror place names to the gorgeous floral table decorations created with roses, dahlias, peonies and gerberas in different shades of red. Ambient lighting added to the atmosphere – including candles, table lamps and uplighters. Bespoke gobos were also projected on the ceiling to add interest. We also gave the event a very personal touch, creating Bond movie posters – cleverly using images of our client – that were displayed on Biblio’s panelled walls. These provided a great talking point for the guests.
The evening started with a selection of canapés served to guests as they mingled and chatted. Cocktails were served from the bar, including a ‘Bond’ martini – shaken not stirred of course – and a ‘Vesper’ martini served with lemon. Guests then enjoyed a delicious and beautifully presented two-course meal followed by a very special birthday cake dessert that had been beautifully designed around the theme of Casino Royale, complete with edible poker dice and chips.
Dinner over, it was time to move to the casino tables. Each guest was given personalised chips so that they could try their hand at roulette, poker and blackjack, to add a little competitive fun there was a prize for whichever guest had the biggest winnings at the end of the evening – a martini-making gift set.
As the evening drew to a close, guests were given a gift bag containing Joe & Seph’s gourmet popcorn, bottle opener, chocolates and mini cocktail, all of which were themed with Bond’s code number 007.
