We knew that in order to pull of something spectacular we needed to enlist the help of famed event planner André Wells and over cappuccinos and muffins we hashed many rejected ideas, which included a house party and a key themed party. We wanted the night to be a spectacle, something that “oohed” and “aahed” guests and while at the same time being sophisticated. Our primary concern was crashers. As we looked over the photographs from previous years, there were possibly hundreds of people our office couldn’t identify. That gave birth to the idea of keeping the location a secret.
Before we selected a venue or even a date, we chose Haute Papier to make our invitations. Owner Sarah Meyer-Walsh personally creates each invitation and found gold textured paper from India for our invites. We hoped that the St. Regis Hotel would be re-opened in time to serve as a meeting place and cocktail hour for our guests, but we kept a back up hotel on reserve in case of construction delays. All of this delayed the invitations from going out until just a few weeks before the party.
Each year we’ve selected a venue that is not the usual destination for the Y&GL crowd (the Dumbarton House and the Meridian House) and after we finished an “Inside Homes” on The Halcyon House we knew we had our location. Throwing a party like this is an intimate jigsaw puzzle and each piece has to fit together. When we found the venue, our catering company referred to it was “Hell House” and backed out. Our transportation company did the same when they learned large coaches couldn’t park on Prospect Street and the day before Reston Limousine literally came to our rescue. The drama continued up until the end, we had decided on one after party location, Josephine’s Lounge but then they were unsure if they would pass inspection by then. We then went with another place, to learn Josephine’s finally had its papers, to switch it back.
For a party entitled The Young & The Guest List, one would assume the easiest part would be the guest list. Not the case. When our first our r.s.v.p. response came via FedEx this year, we knew that the anticipation for this party was greater than ever. There are those that just simply ignore Emily Post and r.s.v.p. though they were never invited. There are those who take it upon themselves to share the wealth and r.s.v.p. with the not only their date, their cousin, their second cousin, their second cousin’s friend and so forth. Then there are those that just seem to magically appear on the guest list. This year we had to be party Nazis in order not to go over the strict 350 capacity at the Halcyon House.
The party has also established a reputation for having one of the best gift bags in Washington. No press outlet has ever written about the party without mentioning the value of the gift bag. There always a full size perfume bottles, gourmet treats and luxury knick knacks. This is another interesting puzzle to put together because no beauty company wants to be in the bag with another beauty company. The same goes for items of the like kind. So up until days before the party, our staff asks almost any company they can think of to donate for the bag. From luxury Italian sheet and soap makers, to electronic companies and gardening equipment, we don’t leave any stone unturned. This year’s prized item was Tom Ford’s limited edition Black Orchid perfume with a crystal bottle valued at just over $600. What most guests don’t realize is that not all bags were the same. Some were lucky to score Giorgio Armani’s Crema Nera cream, while others went home with custom kits from MyBlend cosmetics. The universal favorite was the See’s Candies, a first for any Washington gift bag.
When we walked into The Halcyon House, it all seemed so perfect. The flowers that we anticipated for weeks from Janet Flowers Wedding and Event Designs were even more spectacular than we could have imagined. The Veuve Clicquot was flowing at a rate of a bottle per person (there was none left at the end of the night). The Himalayan salt slabs with meat by Design Cuisine were a surprise hit, as were the gazapacho shooters (though many shared they were getting drunk off them and they were non-alcoholic). The bands “Big Ray and the Kool Kats,” whom we spotted at the Kennedy Center were even better than we had remembered. They combined with Eleganza kept everyone dancing all night.
The sign of a great party is when you don’t want it to end. When we our carriage turned into a pumpkin at 2 a.m., no one wanted to go home. That’s what sustains the magic of this party into the next year. We look forward to hosting everyone again.
