Private Estate Engagement Party in Richmond Virginia
Private residence weddings and parties have been a favorite of ours for a long time. Celebrating at a place that means something to you or your family always makes it that much more special.
When our bride’s mom contacted us and told us she was wanting to host an engagement party for her daughter and fiancé we were stoked. The family lives in a beautiful gated community and their property was perfect for the type of engagement party we were planning.
When we do a site visit to ensure a private residence is outfitted for a large at-home event, there are several things we look for.
What is the rain plan?
Can the property be tented?
Is there adequate lighting?
Are there enough bathrooms for the guest count, or do we need to rent in a bathroom trailer?
How many generators do we need?
What will the neighbors think?
What does the parking situation look like?
What does the vendor load-in and set up look like?
Fortunately, this residence met all of our criteria and we were ready to start planning. The family home has a bit of a sophisticated rustic feel to it. It is similar to Arhaus or Restoration Hardware. There are exposed beams, iron details, stone, and arched wooden doorways. It is so good.
We began by lighting the pool area where the majority of the guests would be congregating. There were additional pathway lights put in and overhead floodlights. We rented several wooden high-top tables and a bar height farm table. We needed guests to keep moving and mingling, but we also wanted there to be enough surfaces for them to sit, eat, and set their cocktails down on.
Guests were able to park down the hill in a gravel lot, and we shuttled them up to the house in golf carts
In lieu of a traditional caterer, we brought in two different food trucks. We contracted one of the trucks to make a grazing table for the guests as they were mingling in-between trips to the food trucks. This was a nice touch as no one went hungry. It also offered a well-balanced array of options. There is a lot of work that goes into sourcing a food truck for an event. The serving window has to be the right height and on the right side of the truck to fit in the space, they need to have adequate power and water supply, or you will need to provide that, they should have a selected menu that will serve most peoples dietary restrictions but also be able to be cooked and served quickly, and if they are a trailer being hauled by a truck, that requires a lot of space to turn around in.
For cocktails and beverages, we brought out one of our favorite bartending companies. When hosting an event at a private estate, I feel that entertainment is so much more important. You want to really elevate the experience to an ‘event’ level, not just having friends over. Our bartenders brought out their custom bar and built a custom keg facade for this party. The guests loved that they could have beer on tap, and it looks much prettier than tapping a keg. The bartenders were great with the guests and were such a fun source of entertainment.
As the party went on, and the sun started setting, the family lit up the fire pit. There were home tours, great food, exciting cocktails, and great conversations by the fire. The bride impressed everyone with her sabrage skills, and in an attempt to throw her fiancé in the pool, she ended up in the pool herself. One of the future groomsmen saw the opportunity and the groom and bride both ended up in the pool together. It made for a great ending to the evening and some really cute photos.
The vendor team that made this happen are:
Photo: Rebecca Burt Photography
Lighting: Lighting Professors
Food Trucks: Haulin’ Balls and Monique’s Crepes
Bartenders: One for Road
Rental Company: Paisley and Jade
Florist: Strawberry Fields
As always I would love to chat.
