THAT Space is a Gymnasium? I Don't Think So!

Sometimes a special event is special because of the venue it is held in; sometimes you don't have a "party" space and transforming unusual space into a magical environment takes a bit of work. Here's three recent examples - all with good "bones" in school environments - all with very different results...

"Vintage Concordia"
The challenge for "Vintage Concordia" — a recent silent auction, dinner and fundraiser at Concordia Lutheran High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana was not only to transform the entry through the hallway and into the gymnasium, but the gymnasium itself. This was a large event with over 400 guests and a variety of spaces to create. Hallways and entry ways became pathways to Italian wine country, complete with colorful backdrops of the Tuscany region. Wine barrels and grapevine arches created registration areas and check out tables. Silent auction displays surrounded and helped define an elegant and sophisticated atmosphere reminiscent of the Italian countryside, complete with candlelight, views, hanging chandeliers, billowy draping overhead, and the feeling of dining al fresco in a vineyard. La Dolce Vita! Click here to see more photos.

"Winter Wonderland"
Maple Leaf Farms, of Leesburg, IN, recently purchased and completely renovated the former Leesburg Elementary School into a modern world headquarters with offices for more than 80 employees. The $4 million renovation kept the former gym intact, painting only the walls and bleachers, and refinishing the floor. To transform this space into a truly "winter wonderland," we first protected the floor with carpet (thank you Hamm Event Services) to quiet the space (think how that first snowfall sounds late in the middle of the night). Next, all the lighting was turned off — creating atmosphere, intimacy and a big-city holiday feel for the 200+ guests using uplighting and gobo projectors of snowflakes. Lounge areas and cocktail tables around the lounge area were all lit with LEDs – creating a hip, clubby, upscale and "techy" vibe. The tables and chairs were "dressed" for the evening with glittery silver, pewter, and white; with glowing snow-white bright centerpieces. Guests were in awe and amazed that the space could be transformed so dramatically.

For the following weekend, carpet, tables and chairs were removed, and the space became party central for a 16th birthday party. The kids used the bar and lounge areas for snacks and beverages, and played basketball in one end of the gym. Not one, but two unique transformations — to satisfy all ages! Click here to see more photos.

"Red Carpet"
Homestead High School's 2011 winter dance was the talk of the town — if you count the backdrop paparazzi flashing cameras and the buzz of excitement from the "local" celebrities when they walked into the transformed space. Each year, A Party Apart comes up with unique themes for both the winter dances and Homestead's annual proms. This year's "Red Carpet Night" had all of the glitz and glamour of the Hollywood version — lights, cameras, action, the red carpet walk, a staging area for "celebrity" photos, and a trendy hot setting that rivaled any awards show. Be a "star" in your own setting! Click here to see more photos.

A Party Apart Carries Off People's Choice Award at "Dining Inspirations" and is Carried Away by Cari Cucksey

Estate sale expert Cari Cucksey of HGTV's "Cash & Cari" show was the keynote speaker at "Dining Inspirations" - a fundraiser to benefit the Carriage House. Proceeds from the preview party and luncheon will support the facility and programs assisting people recovering from mental illness. "Dining Inspirations" is a project of Pi Chapter, Psi Iota Xi Inc.

A Party Apart was the winner of the People’s Choice Award – chosen by ballot by all guests at this 2-day event.

Heather Zehr, a former employee who loves still to help A Party Apart with her creativity while being a full-time mom, created our fabulous space to reflect the theme of how and where we dine.

Says Heather, "When Cheryl asked me to work on the design inspirations space, I was so thrilled, thankful and super excited! I love designing and I am obsessed with window displays. Window designer, Bergdorf Goodman, inspired me to fill this space to the max. Cheryl gave me the design theme - "rustic elegance with a modern twist." Working for Jim and Cheryl is an honor and they have so many amazing props, china, linens and lighting. It truly is a designer's playground. The hard part was where to stop!"

"I knew I wanted it to feel and look like a family room...stylish, cozy and appear to be hosting a party. I wanted a dramatic setting with lots of items so people could see what A Party Apart has available - fireplaces, vintage windows and different styles of chandeliers, giving lots of details. I slowly put it together layer by layer."

"Cheryl Brockmann and Teresa Police have taught me so much, and are both so inspiring to me, so I was thankful for their opinions on the space. All of the A Party Apart staff helped with my vision - with linens, china, artwork, gift wrapping, and more...and the dock guys helped pull and load all of the wonderful pieces."

"Catharine Kile, from Halls Takes the Cakes, donated the beautiful cakes and she customized the cupcakes to match the linens. Kari Geary, the owner of Lillian Rose Flowers, designed onsite to put the final touches on the display. And the Carriage House staff was so helpful and such a hard working group. They helped us get a good head start with unloading our full truck and then helped with the teardown."

"It was a pleasure to meet Cari (Cucksey). She is a charming and talented lady. I am a fan of her show and hope to visit her store. She was down-to-earth, easy to talk to, and shared a little of her story with us. Tym (De Santo), local designer and Designers Choice Award judge, was super funny and has a magnetic personality. It was very evident that he has a passion for design. It was exciting to talk to him about his upcoming move to Los Angeles and his design pursuits there. It meant so much that with their busy schedules both Cari and Tym came to support this event. I was blessed to have met these designers and was inspired by them."

Owner Cheryl Brockmann said that A Party Apart has been involved with Carriage House and their "Le Art of Table" since the beginning - and A Party Apart was excited about this year's "Dining Inspirations" and the idea of creating space. "We're proud to support such a great organization."

To see more photos from the event, click here to view the album on A Party Apart's Facebook page.

Mad Hatter Setting Wows Young and Old Alike

by guest blogger Donna Emley, Principal and Creative Director, Emley Design Group, and co-hostess of the 2011 Mad Hatter Tea to benefit Early Childhood Alliance


Sometimes we have an idea that takes a long time to come to fruition. The Mad Hatter Tea theme has been alive in my mind's eye since the creation of the tea committee for Early Childhood Alliance over five years ago. The appropriateness of this theme presents itself fairly obviously, but all the subtle nuances (and not so subtle - it is, after all, the Mad Hatter!) and how exactly it could be executed is what has been percolating for so long - waiting for the right time and the right place to reveal itself. This past Saturday was that time and place.

Typically held in a private home, the annual tea has become a signature fundraising event for Early Childhood Alliance and an opportunity for 60-65 women to gather for a three-course traditional afternoon tea in a unique, intimate setting. For our 5th anniversary celebration, we wanted to do something over-the-top. The idea of holding it at A Party Apart, the largest party dealer in Northeast Indiana, on its 3rd floor and transforming a warehouse and storage area into a "wonderland" of sorts, took seed and began to blossom the minute Cheryl and I started our conversation.

Cheryl sees things in her mind's eye too. She immediately understood the idea of including children for this anniversary year, and the need for the environment to be magical and appeal to young and old alike. The space began to take shape - separate intimate areas for tables, linens and color schemes, centerpieces and hanging lanterns; tableware to please the eye and entice the palette. The vision became a shared one and she and A Party Apart were committed.

Here's the thing you need to understand about Cheryl and Jim, her husband, and A Party Apart. They are two of the hardest working business owners in town. They are the unsung heroes of community involvement and their support of nonprofits is widespread. They are professional and experienced and humble and they inspire their staff to be the same. So expectations were high, but as usual, they promised, and then over-delivered.

Most of you may not realize the depth and breadth of props A Party Apart stores on its 2nd and 3rd floors. After years of special events, fundraisers, themed parties, proms and wedding/receptions, you accumulate a lot of "stuff." As we toured the storage area, giant cut-outs of everything from playing cards to Vegas show girls peered out from behind the pillars. A Christmas scene with life-size carolers stood singing beside a giant pirate ship with skeletons and a treasure chest. Oversized air-brushed beach bums stood along side Mardi Gras masks the size of a kitchen table. Columns, courtyards and lattice window cut-outs created mini garden settings and suggested where the Queen of Hearts and her knave would have been shouting "off with their heads!" We had found the perfect environment.

Each time the committee would make a visit to A Party Apart, the enthusiasm would bubble up. Our "Iron Chef" and her crew would get excited about the options for tableware, serving plates, and "super" coolers. Our tea master brewer was delighted with the behind-the-scenes set-up for brewing, serving and washing our vast collection of over 250 heirloom tea cups onsite. Early Childhood's executive director and marketing/development director continued to be impressed by ideas for check-in stations, areas and decor for silent auction, and the individually themed areas for 20 tables and over 100 guests, including 26 children. I was happily distracted by the idea of bugs in the centerpieces (literally - and our two little boy guests were over the moon about these - where else do you see bees and butterflies and a praying mantis as part of the table decor unless it's a Mad Hatter party at A Party Apart?)!

On the Friday before set-up, with each hour that passed, the evidence of attention to detail and the vast amount of experience Cheryl and her staff have continued to amaze and delight us. What was once a blank space at the top of the stairs now was transformed into a giant pink garden setting, with oversized flowers, Mad Hatter sayings, and an "Alice-like" bench perfect for a photo opt. The elevator transformed into a "down-the-rabbit-hole" environment with fake grass, a park bench, potted topiary, and color accents. Garden vignettes defined space, and table decor included crazy candlesticks, a multi-color chandelier, feathers, boas and bird cages. The black and white polka-dot linens provided the perfect base for the pop of vibrant color from the napkins and the tea cups.

More serving tables? Not a problem. LED-flashing tumblers for the children? Here you go. More greenery or another table setting? Done. Additional triangle plates and champagne glasses? On the way. Each request was met with immediate attention and a smile. Customer service is a core value at A Party Apart. And with over 150,000 items available in its online catalog, it's hard to stump A Party Apart with a request.

At the end of the day, the true test of a successful event is the memories guests take away with them. Our guests couldn't wipe the smiles off of their faces. They were submerged in the experience because of the environment Cheryl and A Party Apart helped to create. They were delighted almost every moment by the discovery of something new. "Best event ever!" "Truly over-the-top!" Click here to view more photos.

A Party Apart approaches every event and rental opportunity in this same manner. As the largest and most diversified rental and event planning company in Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana, Cheryl and Jim and their staff continue to be innovative and creative with every client. Intimate party or lavish fundraiser; company picnic or outdoor wedding/reception for 500 complete with tent rentals, lighting, staging, and more — your next event will benefit from their experience, professionalism and commitment to quality. I know ours did. Now that I've imagined and experienced our Mad Hatter Tea, I couldn't have imagined it any other way than with Cheryl and A Party Apart as such an integral part of our team and success.

Viva Las Vegas, baby.....

Every year, one of the most successful events in our industry is held in Las Vegas - with high-profile keynote speakers, booth after booth of new ideas and exciting trends, and the energy only Las Vegas can generate. So it was with high hopes that we headed to Vegas, eager to hear keynote speaker David Tutera - one of THE wedding and event creators extraordinaire - share his creativity, enthusiasm, and latest trends for creating spectacular events.

But it is March in Indiana, and after flight delays, lost luggage and general dismay that can come with flying these days, we finally made it. For those of you not familiar with Davide Tutera, his impressive client list includes Star Jones' wedding, and events for Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Elton John, the Official Post Grammy Parties in NYC, and much more. He was honored by Modern Bride magazine as one of the "top 25 trendsetters of the year" and "Best Celebrity Wedding Planner" by Life & Style Magazine.

It was great to hear him address the general session and share his world of weddings and events as only he can. Great inspiration for creating new ideas and over-the-top "wow" factors for your events.

We also came away with some wonderful new items for food display and serving - new serving possibilities for buffets, display ideas, cupcake stands - all great ways to showcase and "wow" your crowd of 25 or 250. You can browse and search some of our current buffet items online in our catalog. Oh, and ask us about the new drink recipe we sampled - a fresh, light and oh-so-yummy kiwi and watermelon martini - as visually tantalizing as it is tasty!

Fall/Holiday Party Planning - in full swing!

As the weather turns colder, colors go bolder and color is everywhere this season for both fall and winter. Use traditional colors, but add a bit of sparkle, or go for it with a bit of bold (either size, color or both) for added punch and drama.

For table-settings, add a bit of shine when you dine - what about pumpkins or gourds with colored glitter, or glazed white with a hint of silver? Combine bold oranges, reds, yellow-golds with a strong touch of silver, gold, or bronze.

Use elements of nature - leaves, sticks, stones, natural river rocks - or textures like burlap - for tablecloths, centerpieces or individual table settings. Be sure to incorporate candles - high or low, votive or a cluster - candlelight makes everything and everyone look better and the flicker of a candle catches that sparkle and makes everything a bit more bright and festive.

Anything natural with a bit of metallic and color is very modern and very "now" and will immediately turn "ho hum" into "how fabulous!"

Fall Fundraisers in the Air!

We're proud to support and help create themes and decor for some of the wonderful organizations in our community who help so many - here are just a few coming up....and tickets are still available for many of these great events):

United Way Power of the Purse (9/29)
Vera Bradley Tickled Pink (Oct. 1)
Acres Land Trust Blue Jean Gala (10/2)
Francine's Friends Lunch with Friends with Carrie Ann Inaba (10/8)
Erin's House Wine for the Spirit (10/8)
Mustard Seed Charity Dinner and Auction (10/9)