alright friends I am going to tell you a little story about how dreams come true
and then I will give you a tour of my dream
are you ready?
from a small idea came a life changing event
i was elated to have my party idea chosen by the top blogging conference Altitude Summit
to create on a full scale
a free ticket to this prestigious conference as payment
and a sponsorship from Maurice's for the party
with two rockin teammates by my side
Emily of Modest Goddess and Cami of Worthington Ave
we brought my vision to life
we worked hard for over two months and had the help of an army of people
the party title: Paparazzi Ready
the idea: guests enter our room at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah on a red carpet treated like a leading lady, with a Old Hollywood Glamor style backstage vanity for a vintage hair and makeup look to be pampered to get ready for her time in the limelight.
we were pampered by Rent the Runway who lent us these fabulous dresses for our special night
head over to Emily's post and Cami's post to learn more about their incredible service and how you can wear designer dresses on a budget
now let me take you on a tour
but first lets help set the mood with some Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Glenn Miller
click here for my Sinatra Spotify Playlist
MAKING A GRAND ENTRANCE
Attendees entered the VIP entrance on the red carpet, illuminated by My Cinema Lightbox, and lined with gold ropes and standards.
our gorgeous welcome sign written by the Renaissance woman Melissa Esplin of Calligraphy.org
lets see some of our fun Alt friends strut their stuff down the red carpet
Dayle of Number 4 Design Studio
Becca + Tiffany of Pop and Banter
Check out more red carpet and party photos taken by the incredible Diana of Diana Putnam Photography by clicking here. See if you were captured walking down the runway or getting glammed up at the party. Photos may only be used if they credit Diana.
OLD HOLLYWOOD STYLE DECOR
The grandeur of the hotel lent itself perfectly to our styling. We accented it with white chaise sofas, a jewelry clad portrait of Marilyn Monroe from The Painted Earth, standing mirrors, recovered bistro chairs, and can we talk about these vanities?!
These vanities were the foundation piece of my vision. I knew exactly what I wanted them to look like and as all of our effort came together, they shined and owned that room.
We raided every craft store in a 45 minute radius to get clearance Christmas ornaments. The dedicated Cami frosted each globe...twice! My gracious and mastermind in-laws conceived the design so that they would hold up and not fall over on someone during the party. Crucial!
Life-saving friends drilled, hot glued, attached Christmas lights, and assembled these beautiful beasts in the room. Emily and I had quite the adventure in the freight elevators getting them upstairs.
Aren't they just perfect?!
Marilyn gave her nod of approval for the party. Thank you to Planted Earth Antique Store for lending us this iconic lady adorned with vintage jewels.
VINTAGE HAIR AND MAKE-UP LOOKS
One set of five vanities housed 5 hairdressers and the other side 5 make-up artists. Each attendee was able to choose from various vintage hair and make-up selections featured on these beautifully printed 'menus' from Pro Digital Prints
They then sat in an antique bistro chair and had their hair styled by one of four stylists from H2 BlowDry Bar or Brittany from Tanglz Hair and Makeup
After hair they made their way over to the second set of vanities to get their make up down by one of our five fabulous makeup artists using makeup and supplies graciously provided by Sephora. They are the reason we were able to provide our attendees with so much. They even offered up their lead makeup artist to assist. These girls worked hard all evening to make everyone look glamorous.
Pretty dreamy right?
Devan: instagram @devanmakeupartist
Jesika: @jessikaluzmakeup
Alex: @alexcrabtreehairandmakeup / website
Natasha: @toshifire
THE PAPARAZZI SWARM
This had to be my very favorite part of the evening. Throughout the night the hostesses and I, along with some of our friends, dressed up as vintage paparazzi made possible by trench coats and fedoras provided by Hale Centre Theatre Costume Rentals. We hid and then swarmed unsuspecting 'celebrities' as they entered the party on the read carpet!
We swarmed, screamed, laughed, and interviewed them with questions about their latest role or break-up. We took 'photos' with my vintage camera collection. The costumes were the perfect touch and the stars were so surprised. Some ready to take their turn in the limelight.
Here is a fun video of our Paparazzi Swarm captured by one of our friends
Jacquelinne of The Baby Cubby
THE GLAMOUR PHOTO BOOTH
Melissa of SaltyBooth and Cami & Emily's Dad worked their lighting magic to get the iconic Hollywood glamour shot in front of our gold sequin backdrop. Maeberry Vintage lent these luxurious vintage furs for the attendees to truly step into the role of leading lady.
Attendees were ready for their album cover or to accept their Academy Award. Aren't these absolutely epic?
our fabulous make-up artists in full force
Flip through below to see some more fabulous Salty Booth photos! We were so grateful to Lindsey of La Pionera for helping with the booth. Check out her incredible artisan handbags here.
This party was a party of glamour and pampering. We hope everyone that attended felt like a star and the leading lady of their lives! I know I had an absolute blast creating it alongside my amazing teammates. They truly made it the best experience possible.
A huge thank you to everyone who helped us make this party possible. And a huge thank you to the Altitude Summit for this opportunity. As you can see below in the credits that this party was showered with help. Take a minute and check out our contributors and friends' pages to see them shine!
