This celebration was probably the biggest one I've been asked to plan so far (aside from my own wedding). And as if that was not nerve-wracking enough, I was put "on-task" about 5 weeks before it's date, (leave it to men to "plan a party" without actually planning it...) and there was going to be tons of important people invited. However, I was of course up for the task!!!
Luckily, the color scheme was pretty much chosen for me since it was for the Lakehurst Chief of Police and I used their uniform colors for the whole thing (Blue and Gold? piece of cake!) I worked alongside his wife, who I have known for many years, to create a simplistic yet classy celebration for Chief Higgins.
First goal? A venue. Last second, on a Friday or Saturday night? Not the easiest of tasks. However, one of my favorite restaurants came in clutch as usual, and BAM! a few days in and the venue was booked. Captains Inn.. Check!
*As usual, the Captains Inn gave us the perfect package, and honestly, I have NEVER had a bad meal there... weather just for dinner, drinks or an event, the food is ALWAYS on point. We went with prime rib, shrimp and scallop scampi, penne vodka (a party staple!), steamed veggies, roasted potatoes, two different types of salad and of course some chicken francaise.
Second? A DJ. Another not-so-easy vendor to plan at last minute for a Friday or Saturday night (THANK THE LORD it is not prom/peak wedding season!) I contacted Elite DJ's at a recommendation of a friend as my usual go-to DJ was already booked for the evening. Elite DJ's were super efficient, had a great response time, and made the entire process, from booking to picking out music, simple (which was desperately needed in this situation!) Luckily within 48 hours, DJ booked, CHECK!
Third... a cake. We wanted the cake to basically be the focal point of the décor. I mean, c'mon.. how could you not want an awesome decorative cake at the center of a table where it is just so pretty you don't want to ruin it by cutting and eating it?! More importantly though.. you know it's going to be cut and eaten.. so it's really important to taste good. Per usual, I contacted Mandoli's bakery in downtown Toms River. I have used them multiple times before and I knew they would be up for the task! I sent an email to Mandoli's with some inspo pics from Pinterest (lets be honest.. who doesn't use Pinterest pics for all types of inspo..) and sent them photos of the chief's uniform, badge and hat, and BOY did they DELIVER!! I mean... JUST LOOK AT IT! Not to mention, it was delicious. {We also had them make a pull-apart cupcake cake to look like handcuffs.. for good measure.}
Last.. the rest of the décor. I don't know if anyone has ever realized, but decorating for an event thrown for a man is much more difficult than one for a woman. Because you don't want it to be too girly but you also want it to look classy and put together. I think we had the perfect mix. We kept the centerpieces super simple.. small vases (from the $ store! SCORE!) some blue and clear vase fillers (5 lbs bags on amazon) and floating candles ($4 from Michael's Craft Store). Needless to say, we had to make 15 centerpieces and we did so without breaking the bank.. and they looked pretty cool! We also added a Welcome Sign when you walked into the room, blue and chrome gold balloons, a curtain of twinkle lights behind the cake table, some more candles, a custom made sign, and a beautiful shadow-box made for the chief to be put on display by the Police Association.
Overall, the event went off without a hitch. Chief Higgins and his wife were super pleased with the décor and the way the whole night ended up. For planning it within only 5 weeks for over 100 guests, I would say it was a big success! And I got to enjoy the party afterwards too!
Congratualtions on your retirement chief! May it be long, safe and relaxing!
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