Soiree at Josephine!

Last Thursday was one of those rare occasions when the party planners got to play! Along with Pam Barefoot and Jamie Sears (all of us above), Engaging Affairs hosted an end-of summer networking bash for the D.C. area's event professionals. The sexy Save-the-Dates and invitations were created by Saima Says Design and let guests know they were in for a special evening. We held the evening party at the hip nightclub Josephine, and because of the namesake, we played up the rich decor and the French connection.

Guests were greeted curbside by the sharp-looking guys from MarcParc Valet who provided flawless valet service. The amazing staff at Josephine managed the door beautifully and kept the drinks flowing. We served specialty cocktails like The French Martini, the Napolean and the Josephine. The Josephine (a peachy drink garnished with a tiny peach-colored flower) was my personal favorite!

Kelly Jenkins from Capital Decor created a stunning shelvinf unti to hold desserts with Jospehine Bonaparte's portrait as a backdrop. He also fashioned two ornate French chairs into cupcake displays using glass shelves. So much fun!





Nick Perez from Multiflor provided sultry floral decor that included chic, low arrangements with lots of feathers and rich colors to go with the rich fabrics on the walls and furniture. Of course, we used lots of candles.

The amazing food (which included crab salad spoons, mushroom chopsticks, watermelon and feta skewers and my newest addiction, mini candied apples) was provided by Joel Wolke from Occasions. All of their food is amazing but the dessert display was downright sinful!

The fabulous mini cupcakes were provided by Kendall Barrett from Kendall's Cakes. My personal favorite is the lemon curd but Sara is in love with the carrot cake. She also brought chocolate, coconut and red velvet. And since they were the mini versions, you could eat a bunch without feeling guilty. Heaven!


For another European touch, we brought in Patricia Rice to paint a classic oil portrait of the party as it unfolded. It was such fun to watch her paint and see the image evolve from a blank canvas to a beautiful painting. If you look closely, you might notice some familiar faces in the painting!

Guests had a wonderful time mingling and networking. It was great to see so many of our colleagues in a purely fun environment!

The ladies from Engaging Affairs were out in full force. Check out the Engaging Affairs team below: Amy, Sara, Laura, Christine and Grace.


Lara Stuckey of Fluffy Thoughts made the black and white French macaroons that guests took away at the end of the night. Since I ate mine in the car on the way home, I can attest to the fact that they were delicious!


A huge thanks to my fellow planners, Pam and Jamie, and to all the vendors who made the party so gorgeous and such a big hit! A special thanks to Juan Carlos Briceno of Fotobriceno for the gorgeous photos of the event and all of the special details.
Merci,
Laura