Driving down the Helshoogte pass, the excitement grew as we entered the gate, where we were given cute brooches with our names and companies, by Nancy from Creatus Designs, who designed the entire event’s stationery.

Walking down the long stretch of road leading down the valley into the vineyards, we were first greeted by lime & litchi crushers to cool down ( initiative of Absolute Delish), along with sparkly silver Christmas hats and angels’ halo’s, tagged with “Merry Welcome” notes, naming all the sponsors for the event. Just a little further down the road, another stall with white popcorn boxes printed in silver as snacks to munch on while enjoying the walk- which, by the way, was lined with crisp white polystyrene snowflake cutouts ( Area 51)-all in around the trees! Large white letters greeted us announcing ” CELEBRATE!” – which set the tone for the rest of the evening…

As the Tallest Man on Earth greeted us, (just whilst thinking that I REALLY was entering some kind of fantastic surrealist dream), he introduced himself as part of Afrodizzy Acts, who entertained the guests right through the night. His friend was dressed as a Victorian goddess with a table-like dress, balancing glasses of icy champagne, thanks to Graham Beck!

As we chatted away, we amused ourselves at the installation pieces upon entering the White Dream (all under free form tents by Nomadik Tents)- stilts with Iced towels from ‘Le Towel’ to clean your hands, Fresh minty-lemon mists in spray cans, white paper fans, and beautiful decor-including white pumpkins!Well done to marcel for his decor and floral installations. A Mountain of presents awaited us too- we had to bring white gifts in order to swop with another guest- I, of course, dropped off my prezzies and neglected to pick up a substitute- obviously too preoccupied by all the glamour.

Molenvliet Wines were flowing as the guys and girls from Saffron Events attended to every whim, where all I had to do was sit down (regal rentals) on and listen to great music – Zamar, Incognito, and Rene the Dj lit up the evening, and  along with gorgeous lighting by ‘Something Different’, it could only be a recipe for fun.

I DID get stuck at the Artisan Charcuterie table, where the Black Pig served Focaccias and Bruschetta’s with his Salami and Pancetta, demonstrating a bit of food and wine pairing with his hand-cured meats. Amazing cheeses were also served by Caterix, so I had my fair share of snacks, but that did not stop me from indulging in the mini Salmon and Creme fresh Crepes  and Creamy Chicken Wraps on sticks-all by Dish Food & Social, whilst being entertained by HOT flaming tricks by the ‘Shaker Events’ Cocktail Bar !

The Videographer from idodigital camera’d away at me with my chipmunk cheeks full of sweets ( hello- who can resist anything made by Wade from Cakes by Wade?), which was served at the most delectable Candy Bar. Kanya hunt’s Cakes were just too good looking to destruct, it made for beautiful decor though!

Luckily I was distracted by Robert’s Photobooth-yay!-who is an all-time favourite at any event. I loved getting dressed up in his hilarious props- what a treat. By now I needed a dose of second breath, so I made a bee-line for the Coffee Bar, where a shot of Double Espresso convinced me to start dancing to the Dj…UNTIL I SAW THE OYSTER MAN! I must have followed him around the whole evening- dressed in a thick leather suit and two buckets of Saldanah Oysters on ice: he shucks them for you right on the spot! Exclusive Hire made sure there was enough Champagne coolers and Cutlery to go around- I have used them for an event before- so professional!

Other than loving the evening, I met some very nice people in the industry, like Talita and Candice from “Le Look” Makeup,  and Lana from “Hireworx”.

Thank you to JaniB Photography and Zara Zoo for capturing all the moments…I left my camera at home on purpose!

Toast’s contribution to the evening was a glass Jar with snowflake-like Fortune Tellers- the kind we used to play with when we were kids…just to say- Season’s Greetings to everyone in the Industry! I can only look forward to a super- exciting 2011 with you all!

P.s – I only opened my “Merry Aid Kit” Cracker the next morning, only to be surprised by a couple of compral’s, a plaster, some gum, and a tissue! Smile…

Toast had the honour of  designing Invitation Reply Forms, Invitations and Pamphlets for Academic Day and the order of the day’s progression. We also had the opportunity to organize the entire event for the glitterati evening – from selecting the Menu’s, to lighting, Flower and Decor, organizing the Bands…we also designed the centerpieces, ordered the orchids for the event and designed the stationery with the Tyger-logo details.

The two bands who showcased their talents : “We set sail” and “St. Saviour”, proved a hit, with the only complaints being that the music should have extended into the later hours of the night – which by then was already 12 o’clock! Lighting was set up the afternoon – candles, a fireplace, paper lanterns, and rice lights to add extra sparkle to the tables.

We also designed custom gift boxes with a aluminum Tygerberg- logo key chain, which served as gifts for the doctors at the event. Even though Archbishop Desmond Tutu , who was invited as an honorary guest, could not attend -we managed to gift 20 portions of food  to the Durbanville Children’s Home. Hellfire Sound also contributed a great deal to the evening by organizing sound – thank you very much!

Toast designed every detail meticulously, including the little Tyger- logo on the menu’s – hidden away in the design. Banners were placed outside to welcome the guests, stating the canape’s : Fig and Camembert on Pecan slices, Springbok Koftas with Fruit Chutney – divine! The table seating was designed so that guest would be welcomed with a glass of champagne, with the guests’ name next to the table number, we also hung table numbers on the orchid centre-pieces so it could easily be spotted.

The gift boxes had a floral detail which was custom designed in order to match the floral invitations, and these refelcted beautifully in the mirrored boxes we used as our centerpieces.

Furthermore, a Photo Booth was organized for the evening – fantastic idea for any event, as guests queued to collect props to have their pictures taken!

The evening was a great success, and we hope to entertain again next year!

We can create a gorgeous look that suits your personality and style, and combining this with our expertise in food styling, stationery design and packaging, it can only be phenomenal.

We offer a unique package deal for events whereby we can style your event with Tablecloths, Cutlery, Stationery – everything you need, at a very affordable price, as we do everything in-house.

This is a fabulous and stylish option for clients with a budget. Not only do we design the stationery to match your look, but we have a collection of rental items to help plan your special occasion.