For Hello! Canada's third annual Love Toronto reception, held at the Spoke Club on Wednesday, the magazine played up the evening's theme with red and white decor, Spanish music, and clips from the Warner Brothers film Valentine's Day, a sponsor. “The concept for the event is an intimate and romantic celebration of Toronto,” explained Marie Cazaux, promotions manager for Hello! Canada.
The event, which is always held close to Valentine's Day, is a celebration of culture, the arts, and civic pride. The party drew 500 guests, including advertisers, Spoke Club members, and representatives from the Toronto media and entertainment industries.
Cazaux worked with the event design firm To Suit Your Fancy to dress three floors of the space. “This year it has a very romantic feel,” she said. “It’s very red.” Red and white signage—the colours of the Hello! Canada logo—highlighted the entertainment and cocktail menu.
Organizers affixed red decals bearing the Love Toronto logo to the door of the elevator that took guests up to the fourth floor venue. A floral sculpture of the Toronto skyline sat behind the reception desk at the club's entrance. The party space was bathed in red light, and orbs of red roses hung from the ceiling. A collection of love notes—quotes from the likes of Judy Garland, William Shakespeare, and Ingrid Bergman—provided a backdrop to one of the two main-level bars.
The Toronto Tree of Love, an art installation created for the event, provided a focal point on the main floor. Cazaux and her team fashioned the tree out of white branches and invited guests to write a one-word description of the city on red heart-shaped cards, which they could then hang. Nearby, a photo booth turned out souvenir Hello! Canada magazine cover portraits for guests.
