A La Carte Event Pavilion's grand ballroom was adorned in billowy fabric, elegant linens, delicate flowers, and dramatic lighting for the 2007 Magnolia Ball fund-raiser to benefit the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center.
A La Carte's event designer, Corina Wian, combined the annual event's floral theme with the pink champagne and copper palette chosen by Moffitt's event planner, Kathy Werner, to create a calm springtime ambience. Evoking freshly laundered sheets blowing in the breeze, white banners printed with a magnolia image lay gently atop sections of floor-to-ceiling white satin draped around the perimeter of the room. Wian worked with conceptBAIT to make the ceiling look like a luxurious feather bed by suspending sections of sheer white spandex-blend fabric, specially created and installed for the event, from the existing trussing. Atop the white foundation lay a blanket of pink blossoms created by Bay Stage Lighting with glass gobos of cherry blossom buds and trees. Dramatic blue accents, created with LED fixtures, rounded out the lighting scheme.
Since flowers were an integral part of the theme, Wian asked A La Carte's in-house florist, Pat Harris, to import delicate flowers including antique pink hydrangeas, cherry blossoms, pink roses, and peonies, and then combined them with accents such as pussy willows and glass cylinders with floating candles to create four different centerpieces, which were placed symmetrically throughout the room. Custom cherry blossom chandeliers were hung from the ceiling; Wian fashioned each while atop a scissor lift by inserting branches of varying lengths into wire spherical frames containing oasis foam hung from the ceiling trussing.
The tables were draped in pink champagne lamour linens and accented with copper lamour napkins from BBJ Linen-Orlando, with guests' chairs covered with matching pink lamour and sparkling copper organza ties from Cloth Connection. "Royal Sponsor" tables were distinguished with the tallest centerpieces, glass vases featuring all of the flower types, along with copper Chiavari chairs from Panache: A Classic Party Rentals Company and an opulent sequin champagne overlay from Table Wraps of New York.
During the combination cocktail hour/silent auction in the Terrace Salon, guests were treated to a variety of butler-passed hors d'oeuvres created by A La Carte's chef partner James Crawford, including crispy bacon-wrapped scallops with ginger apricot nectar and warm phyllo nests with white cheddar con queso and crushed vanilla mango sauce. Once seated in the grand ballroom, attendees enjoyed a first course of butter lettuce, ruby red and yellow grapefruit, mandarin oranges, sliced avocado, and crispy chipotle tortilla topped with cracked-pepper citrus vinaigrette, followed by a main entrée of grilled petite filet of beef and pan-seared lobster with three-potato pave, grilled asparagus, and sauce choron. Dinner concluded with a custom rose-tinted white chocolate magnolia bud filled with berries and white chocolate mousse and magnolia petal tuille cookie dessert designed by the venue's pastry chef, Jonathan Wolf.
One of the area's largest annual fund-raisers (this year's event raised a record $2.6 million), the Magnolia Ball is also known for featuring national acts. Mesa, Arizona-based Liquid Productions contracted '80s icons Huey Lewis and the News, who took the guests "Back in Time" with a set featuring their most popular tunes. Liquid Productions also provided sound, lighting, and stage management for the concert portion of the evening. AVSS provided up-close views for all on two video screens positioned at the front of the room.
Each of the ball's 830 attendees received a gift bag sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as a commemorative photo featuring the event's logo, printed on-site by Sprint Multimedia Inc. Saks also donated a $3,000 "Shop 'til You Drop" shopping spree as the raffle prize; guests entered by purchasing tickets for $20 each.
A La Carte's event designer, Corina Wian, combined the annual event's floral theme with the pink champagne and copper palette chosen by Moffitt's event planner, Kathy Werner, to create a calm springtime ambience. Evoking freshly laundered sheets blowing in the breeze, white banners printed with a magnolia image lay gently atop sections of floor-to-ceiling white satin draped around the perimeter of the room. Wian worked with conceptBAIT to make the ceiling look like a luxurious feather bed by suspending sections of sheer white spandex-blend fabric, specially created and installed for the event, from the existing trussing. Atop the white foundation lay a blanket of pink blossoms created by Bay Stage Lighting with glass gobos of cherry blossom buds and trees. Dramatic blue accents, created with LED fixtures, rounded out the lighting scheme.
Since flowers were an integral part of the theme, Wian asked A La Carte's in-house florist, Pat Harris, to import delicate flowers including antique pink hydrangeas, cherry blossoms, pink roses, and peonies, and then combined them with accents such as pussy willows and glass cylinders with floating candles to create four different centerpieces, which were placed symmetrically throughout the room. Custom cherry blossom chandeliers were hung from the ceiling; Wian fashioned each while atop a scissor lift by inserting branches of varying lengths into wire spherical frames containing oasis foam hung from the ceiling trussing.
The tables were draped in pink champagne lamour linens and accented with copper lamour napkins from BBJ Linen-Orlando, with guests' chairs covered with matching pink lamour and sparkling copper organza ties from Cloth Connection. "Royal Sponsor" tables were distinguished with the tallest centerpieces, glass vases featuring all of the flower types, along with copper Chiavari chairs from Panache: A Classic Party Rentals Company and an opulent sequin champagne overlay from Table Wraps of New York.
During the combination cocktail hour/silent auction in the Terrace Salon, guests were treated to a variety of butler-passed hors d'oeuvres created by A La Carte's chef partner James Crawford, including crispy bacon-wrapped scallops with ginger apricot nectar and warm phyllo nests with white cheddar con queso and crushed vanilla mango sauce. Once seated in the grand ballroom, attendees enjoyed a first course of butter lettuce, ruby red and yellow grapefruit, mandarin oranges, sliced avocado, and crispy chipotle tortilla topped with cracked-pepper citrus vinaigrette, followed by a main entrée of grilled petite filet of beef and pan-seared lobster with three-potato pave, grilled asparagus, and sauce choron. Dinner concluded with a custom rose-tinted white chocolate magnolia bud filled with berries and white chocolate mousse and magnolia petal tuille cookie dessert designed by the venue's pastry chef, Jonathan Wolf.
One of the area's largest annual fund-raisers (this year's event raised a record $2.6 million), the Magnolia Ball is also known for featuring national acts. Mesa, Arizona-based Liquid Productions contracted '80s icons Huey Lewis and the News, who took the guests "Back in Time" with a set featuring their most popular tunes. Liquid Productions also provided sound, lighting, and stage management for the concert portion of the evening. AVSS provided up-close views for all on two video screens positioned at the front of the room.
Each of the ball's 830 attendees received a gift bag sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as a commemorative photo featuring the event's logo, printed on-site by Sprint Multimedia Inc. Saks also donated a $3,000 "Shop 'til You Drop" shopping spree as the raffle prize; guests entered by purchasing tickets for $20 each.
Sheer organza chair ties from Cloth Connection added sparkle to the pink champagne and copper linens from BBJ Linen-Orlando.
H. Lee Moffitt Foundation
Floral-themed lighting, rich linens, billowy wall and ceiling drapes, and floral displays created an opulent look for the 2007 Magnolia Ball.
H. Lee Moffitt Foundation
Sequin champagne overlays from Table Wraps adorned the 'Royal Sponsor' tables.
H. Lee Moffitt Foundation
Floating candles provided additional ambience in this floral display.
H. Lee Moffitt Foundation
Orchid blossoms were used to hide the stems in the bottom of the cherry blossom pilsner centerpieces.
H. Lee Moffitt Foundation
The event's floral theme inspired A La Carte pastry chef Jonathan Wolf to custom-design the white chocolate mousse-filled magnolia bud and petal tuille cookie dessert.
H. Lee Moffitt Foundation
