Med School Reunion, 2.0

As with any great party, it's the details that make all the difference. We thought we'd share some with you here:

This was the booklet we designed to sit at each place. It worked 3-fold: the front (pictured here) showed the "logo" we designed for the reunion, the back listed out the menu for the evening and the inside can be seen in the next photo...

We scanned the yearbook photos from 10 years ago and got each attendee to write in where they were practicing now, what their specialty was and what their favourite med school memory was. We thought this would be a fun memento for people to take home with them to read up on their fellow classmates in the likely event they weren't able to connect with each and every one of them that night.

Here's a shot of the parting gifts: a bottle of "vitamins" for each attendee and a group photo taken earlier in the night. Each photo was in a custom-designed folder, made to look like one in a doctor's office, with a tab at the top with the class name.

Here's a close up of the bottle of "vitamins," a.k.a. chocolate truffles, courtesy of our chocolateer friends at Eitelbach. We had the class rep write out the latin prescription for "take one truffle, three times a day." We then added, "take 3 and call me in 5 years;" their next scheduled class reunion!

And finally, a detail that few probably found as funny as we did: antique medical illustrations on every stall in the bathrooms. A foot here, an aorta there... we thought this would take the former students RIGHT back to their days in the classroom!
A very hearty thank you to Nicole White from Tynan Studio for the photos.

Veni, Vidi, VINO!

We had a great time planning this surprise 50th birthday party for a serious wine lover... and, darn it, having to taste all the wines we would serve that night was such a difficult part of the job! The invitation (above) was die cut in the shape of a bottle and we joked that the honoree had now reached "Vintage Status" and that he was "full-bodied, well-balanced, silky and smooth with a great finish." Wine expert Tony Aspler was on hand to conduct intimate wine tastings and North 44 catered with food that almost (almost) surpassed the wines that evening. The theme carried through to the cake (made by North 44 pastry chef Julie Montgomery) -- the entire thing was edible -- even the 'wood' shavings as well as the outer crate.
Thank you to Leigh Tynan of Tynan Studio for the photos.

Dog Days of Summer, Part Deux

This post is for any would-be event planners who think our world is only about glamour and fabulous parties: Cut to the day after the wedding described in the post below. I am sitting (after 2 hours of sleep) in the tent, on a case of beer. For the people who know me, that is probably a pretty funny image in itself, but I digress. I have a plastic bag over my right hand (there wasn't a rubber glove to be found on the island) and am clutching a rag soaked in paint remover, attempting to remove footprints of floor stain from the dance floor before the barge arrives to take the rentals back to the mainland. How did these footprints get there? Well, this wedding happened to take place over the Canada Day holiday and we ran out of stain while preparing the tent floor. Because stores were closed, we were delayed in finishing the staining... and this meant it didn't have time to dry properly before tables had to be set, linens laid and flowers placed before guests arrived. Cater-waiters, florists and everyone else setting up the tent managed to track their prints ALL over the dance floor... luckily, the colour was almost identical, but there was no way I could let it get returned in the condition it was in.
I thanked Leigh Tynan (below) for the great photos but was secretly relieved she wasn't there to capture what was surely one of the more ridiculous moments (okay, make that hours) in my illustrious career!
Photo by Leigh Tynan, Tynan Studio

Dog Days of Summer, Part One

Nothing says 'summer in Ontario' like a wedding in Muskoka. And nothing says 'logistical challenge' like a wedding on a private island in Muskoka... Behind the beautiful photos are months of preparation: tents, flooring, lighting, power, flowers, florists, tables, chairs, ovens, plates, glassware, chefs, catering staff, DJs and their equipment, alcohol (lots and lots of alcohol), musicians, officiants... all these things have to be barged over in a delicate dance of precise timing, the favour of the Weather Gods and plain old good luck. Once everything is in place, the next step is to get all the guests there! A few magical hours later, it's all over and the work begins again to get all of the above OFF the island... If this sounds like a lot of work, it is a lot of work but the chance to share a unique place you love with your family and friends is worth all the effort in the world... then throw in a glorious sunset for good measure and you've got an experience few people will forget anytime soon!

A great big thank you to Leigh Tynan who not only took the gorgeous pictures but also schlepped stuff on and off the supply boats! Talk about team spirit!