2019 was better than my best daydream.

When Sara and I had our planning retreat in January, we made goals that seemed impossible to meet. We dreamed up plans like working with clients that had the same heart for event sustainability as we do, bringing people together through craft workshops, and growing Daydreams' reach. Now, here we are at the end of the year, having exceeded those goals. To celebrate all of Daydreams’ successes, what do two event planners do? We hosted our first holiday party.

First of all, we were so excited to dig into an event that was ours. We love planning for our clients, but it is always so fun to dream up our own events from scratch. Before starting with colors, china service, or even a venue, I always like to start planning with how I want an event to feel. For this dinner party, I wanted guests to walk into a warm, cozy, and relaxing environment. The goal was for each guest to come in from fighting their way across town, walk into our space, pause and take a deep breathe, and then look forward with excitement on what the rest of the evening would bring.

Photographer - Shannon Gray

Our Concept & Design

Key in creating such an environment is taking serious consideration into the venue. We decided to host our event at Gallery O on H, where Sara got married, a beautiful space that would allow us to bring our creative vision to the evening.Once the venue was settled, we had to decide how we would physically manifest the soothing space that we were going for. We decided on a warm bohemian feel, and a color palette that featured neutral colors, touched with light pinks. Gallery O on H is a wonderful space because you can either keep your design simple, or really pull out the esthetic that already exists in the space. We decided on the latter, and to complement the decor that's already there.We created two spaces within the Gallery on separate floors: first, the lounge, and then the long communal table for dinner upstairs. The lounge was created to be a cosy area where we welcomed our guests with a drink and some canapes. Sara manifested her vision for the lounge space by working with Something Vintage. The lounge featured couches, arm chairs, and area rugs that our guests were immediately drawn to come relax in.The second space was our long table where we hosted a family-style dinner. The table was adorned with beautiful florals from Arrin Sutliff and small candle tea lights, perfectly embodying the bohemian feel Sara and I wanted. We worked with Party Rentals Limited to create our tablescape which featured blush colored glasses, a table linen that Sara and I were obsessed with, and china service that had gold elements. Each seat was set with a light pink napkin and the menu the I designed. Everyone had a name card with a lovely dried flower, next to their place card.

The Food

Food at any event is super important to us, as we love to eat! We worked with Main Event Caterers to serve delicious canapes and a family-style seated dinner.Family style was an important aspect to me because I wanted it to feel like a family dinner. I had visions of people passing food over the table, talking, laughing, and having a wonderful time. Family style gave us the opportunity to have the conversation flow effortlessly, as people asked for plates and salt across the table!After our family style meal, we went back downstairs to the lounge space for coffee, tea, and dessert. The two spaces allowed us to create different atmospheres for our guests throughout the night, which helped the energy flow naturally. It was a wonderful way to finish the evening!

My Favorite Parts of the Evening

One of my favorite parts of the evening, was looking around during our toast, and feeling surrounded by so much warmth and support, and then looking across the table seeing Sara’s smiling face. I felt so grateful.My other favorite moment was glancing around while everyone was eating, and seeing food being passed around, people connecting, and conversation flowing. That moment made me think about how far Daydreams has come in the last three years! It gives me so much excitement for 2020 and beyond.The Daydreams Holiday Supper was the perfect ending to a bountiful year! We could not have created this amazing evening without our wonderful vendors:

Vendors
Venue - Gallery O on H
Caterer - Main Event Caterers
Photographer - Shannon Gray
Florist - Arrin Sutliff
Communal Table Rentals - Something Vintage
Lounge Furniture Rentals - Party Rentals Limited