This beautiful midsummer party was a huge joint celebration, for the parents 25th wedding anniversary and the daughter’s 21st birthday. Creating a stunning Solstice party, that had something for every generation was no mean feat. One thing that remained important to every member of the family was that the party should be effortlessly enjoyable for the guests. We wanted touches of whimsy and midsummer magic whilst still keeping this a truly sophisticated and elegant affair. Our client had previously been a guest at this Magical Woodland Festival party in 2024, and knew just what level of creativity and professionalism we could bring to an event, so the pressure was on to create something totally unique but just as fantastic!
The Styling
The Solstice styling for this party was one we really got to have some fun with! Embracing the longest day of the year, we created a light filled, bright and airy dining tent. With flowing foliage in the roof, paper lanterns swaying and giant silk flowers creating an enchanting atmosphere for dining. The foliage and details such as a giant wicker hoop photo area were chosen deliberately to give nods to the druid roots of this celebration. The mix of rustic tables and classy gold table details glinting in the candlelight made for a relaxed yet elevated dining experience.
By contrast, as the sun set and guests moved into the dance tent, here we embraced the darkness. With black tents, hypnotic lighting and swags of silver draping, guests felt transported to another world entirely. The DJ played in front of a giant moon, flanked by black statues and surrounded by mismatched vintage sofas and eclectic tables , providing a perfect perching spot for the older members of the party and adding to the whimsy of the evening. The fire pit provided a central gathering point, adding to the druid feeling we weaved throughout the design. We wanted there to be a real contrast between the two sides of the party, one inspired by the sun, one the moon.
The Experience
As guests arrived they were seamlessly directed by parking attendants, starting their evening off with ease. We’d also organised serval minibuses running shuttles from the local train station to assist in making the guest experience as seamless as possible. As they walked into the grounds of the house, they were greeted with the sight of the beautiful Georgian house, lit by the low sun, the smell of bbq floating up from just out of sight. The welcome reception was a true delight, with champagne flowing, often served by a balancing acrobat and canapes circulating whilst our fantastic roaming band kept the energy high and started the evening with a bang. A roaming magician also thoroughly entertained and amazed the guests with his skills in deception and mind reading.
After moving round to the beautiful dining tent, guests were treated to a fantastic three coursed sharing meal, allowing conversation to flow easily as dishes were passed around and wine was poured. The day was full of personal touches, custom matchboxes acted as favours and the menu finished with individual fruit pavlovas, the birthday girls favourite! All print work was cohesive, tiny details that don’t get overlooked at a Mirage party, even down to the place names, featuring the same design as the original invite and the table plan.
The acrobats continued delighting and surprising guests throughout the evening, balancing on guests heads and showing off feats of daring, eventually temping guests away from the dining tent and into the dance tent. Here the party kicked up not just one notch, but several! The DJ kept guests on the dance floor until sunrise, fuelled by our flairing bar tender’s incredible cocktail creations. Late night snacks provided a hit of energy for those flagging and for those who didn’t bed down in the luxury camping village before the sun came up, the survivors even walked up to a local druid burial site with flaming torches! What a way to celebrate this summer solstice!
The next morning after a restful night in the glamping village we created at the end of the field, guests were greeted by the smell of cooking bacon and were welcomed back into the dining tent for juice, coffee and breakfast butties. Guests were then picked back up by the minibuses they’d arrived in, and transported back to the station for a slow return to reality after a weekend in the midsummer fairy world.
The Challenge
The main challenge this party produced was the scale of the site we were working in. With the nightclub and bar tucked away in a secondary field, away from the main dining structure, our crew quickly clocked up their steps! It was also a staggeringly hot few days for our build crew, the tents provided much needed shade but it was still draining work. The beautiful house was also tucked away down the end of a very long narrow lane, perfect for making sure we had no noise complaints but difficult for both deliveries and arriving guests. But with a little forward planning, parking attendants on the night keeping traffic flowing, and a water tight delivery schedule, there were no major problems caused.
