Rachel & NathaN
Welcome to the Circus
Fisher Building
Photographer: Mashaida Co. Photography
Filmmaker: Ten Thirty Films
“If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumbered here,
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend,
If you pardon, we will mend,
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.”
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Burn After Reading
Diving into a world of color and dramatic themes, R&N’s invitation experience was created with an element of secrecy. The final product was a design where modernity met elements of secret society, letting guests know as much as they ‘needed’ to know, but keeping them in the dark for most of the events to come.
Marked with the all-seeing eye in sealed red wax, guests ended their invitation experience with instructions to ‘burn after reading’, keep the wedding mystery alive.
Although R&N’s guests knew tid-bits of information prior to the wedding…such as what time to arrive, an idea of what to wear, and that their destination was the historic Fisher Building in downtown…not many details were provided about the wedding they were about to experience.
Upon arrival, guests were kept in the front portion of the towering building, meeting and greeting old and new friends and enjoying a glass or two of champagne. Small playbill programs were handed out to each person, fashioned after Shakespearean theatre playbills, and hinting at the different ‘acts’ to come.
Finally, after all guests were accounted for, a mysterious masked gentleman (his character inspired by Puck from Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’) emerged from the crowd to give an introductory monologue to prepare guests for the festivities and to move them into the next phase of the evening…the Venetian Garden.
Inspired by a masked Venetian garden party, R&N’s cocktail hour was the first step on an immersive journey through the evening. Winding through a candlelit entry, the west hallway of the Fisher Building was ladened with trees bathed in dappled light, tall topiaries, mirrored surfaces, and a few peacocks for good measure.
Guests enjoyed cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and a few caviar bumps, while human marionettes walked eerily through the space to the sound of Italian gypsy music, controlled by their stilt-walking masters that towered through the crowds.
Finally, bookending each side of the hallway, a giant chess board on one end…and a mysterious masked gateway on the other, which would eventually lead into the next act of the evening.
Welcome to the Circus
Filmmaker: Mashaida Co. Photography
For food and beverage, we strived to create a progressive strolling dinner rather than a traditional seated service, so guests could mingle around and dance throughout every minute of the reception. Dinner was primarily chef-attended stations serving R&N’s favorites…dim sum, French specialties (matching the inspiration of the French early 1900s circus), and raw delicacies such as crab and shrimp cocktail. While guests sampled the various cuisines, a beverage cart was wheeled up and down the long hallway, building classic martinis to guests’ personal preferences.
After dinner, while dancing was in full swing, guests satisfied their sweet tooth with large golden carts loaded with petite pastries and hand-dipped gelato…inspired by the Queen of desserts, Marie Antoinette.
The party through the haze.
Filmmaker: Mashaida Co. Photography
Tucked away by the east entrance of the Fisher Building, the most beautifully decorated alcove of the entire main floor played host to R&N’s Monte Carlo Casino.
Kept as a surprise until dinner was over, the Casino was hidden behind liquid gold curtains that were pulled back at exactly 10:00 pm to reveal gambling tables with professional dealers. Roulette, craps, and poker tables were set amongst the decorative pillars, surrounded by gilded decor, including 10’ golden palm trees lining the walls, nodding to the luxury casinos and glittering night life of Monte Carlo.
As guests entered the Casino, they were given golden tickets to ‘buy in’ at the tables, where they could enjoy drinks and dessert over cards and dice.
Throughout the entire planning process, we always knew that Ozzy, R&N’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, was going to play center stage to the event experience.
As the final cherry on top to the copious amount of event details…a ‘shrine’ to Ozzy was built near the center of the celebrations. Raised on a golden plinth, a life-size red statue of Ozzy was lit with pin-spots to shine brightly in the dark room. Pillar candles decorated the base of the shrine with Ozzy-branded votive candles placed on top, inspired by the devotional glass candles of Saints.
Finally, small stuffed cavaliers (amongst other circus animals) were given to guests as favors as they departed for the night.
