Holy Orders: A celebratory dinner for 220 and summer lunch party for 400, London, June 2023

In June 2023, I organised a dinner in Pimlico for 220 guests to celebrate my friend's ordination into the priesthood. Planning started in September 2022 in person and continued via Zoom due to his commitments in Rome. The event combined solemnity and celebration, with attendees from various circles, enjoying a garden reception, a three-course meal and heartfelt speeches on a hot summer's evening. I had the pleasure of working with some excellent suppliers including catering by Rocket Food, flowers by Petal to the Metal and production by Velvet Entertainment.

The next day, the client celebrated with a First Mass of Thanksgiving followed by a lunch party for 400 guests. Under sunny skies, attendees mingled in the garden, indulging in a lavish buffet featuring Italian antipasto, home-cured Irish salmon and tubs of indulgent Belgian chocolate and refreshing cucumber & mint ice-creams. Entertainment was provided by the talented silhouette artist Charles Burns and skilled balloon modeller/magician Gus Kearns.

This project took 10 months to complete, involving invitation design via a wonderful ex-colleague Liz Thorp, guest list coordination, paperless post management, supplier booking, budget management and event co-ordination. The events were held in a unique venue, adding complexity to the project.