A Japanese Tale – A 50th Birthday Party
Soft, natural lines, Zen motives and a spiritual aroma came together to fashion an event that reflected the personality of the guest of honor
It started like a Zen riddle: How do you get to know someone without so much as meeting her? The koan was to be solved by the planners of the 50th birthday party for one of the country’s most prominent businesswomen. The party was organized by her loving husband in their spacious house garden. He requested the event reflect his wife’s personality but as it was to be a surprise party, the staff couldn’t make her acquaintance. Instead, they visited the house, garden and her office, tapped into sources of inspiration, tuned in and concocted a relaxing Asian fusion event.
The backyard was designed as a Japanese garden with a microcosms-motif: stare at a moss-covered rock and it will start to look like a mountain; squint at a small bridge and it will seem to loom over a large river. Throw in some soft, amorphous and natural lines and you’ve got a garden affair with a spiritual flavor, in white and violate– the guest of honor’s favorite colors – and with the ambient sound of trickling water.
And indeed, within a fortnight, the place transformed into a serene yet stimulating event garden. The large area was enclosed by sofas and sitting platforms designed especially for the occasion in flowing lines, fitting puzzle-like together with the garden’s permanent features.
The orchestra stand, bar and buffets were designed in soft, organic lines.
The dance platform was positioned above the swimming pool and a small stream, lined with pebbles, gently flowed, outlining the setting and connecting the various areas. A conceptual separation between the reception area and the outer garden was created by a cluster of Bamboos.
Some 800 guests attended the affair, many of which belong to the business community. For them, such a casual affair was the perfect opportunity to get rid of the suit and kick back on the comfortable inviting sofas, enjoy the Asian fusion cuisine and the Sake bar. The guests were requested to wear white, to coordinate with the serene environment.
The entertainment included a children’s choir, a world-music band and prominent performers Rami Klainshtein and Einat Saruf.
But most touching was the video produced especially for the occasion, depicting milestones throughout the life of the guest of honor. Relatives, childhood friends and her childhood nanny, who couldn’t make it to the part, congratulated her in the video and moved the guests to tears.
