The biggest buzz following the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner on Saturday was about comedian Michelle Wolf's incisive and brutal performance that roasted members of the press as well as the administration. The remarks led to the association apologizing for the routine—followed by criticism for the apology from those who felt it appropriately targeted the Trump administration.
The dinner, held at the Washington Hilton, went on minus President Trump as well as the Hollywood celebrities who flocked to the event during the Obama administration. Still, the dinner and events hosted by media brands throughout the weekend make it one of the busiest weekends of the year for event producers, caterers, florists, and other event professionals.
See how Politico, CNN, Playboy, and others entertained during the weekend.
The network's annual brunch, held the day following the Correspondents' Association dinner, took place at Long View Gallery. Topiary donkeys and elephants greeted guests at the entrance. The event had an Alice in Wonderland theme, which was executed by event designer Advoc8.
One of the weekend's biggest events, the after-party Saturday night took place at the Art Museum of the Americas on the grounds of the Organization of American States. Dufour & Co Productions returned as the event producer, and Atmosphere Lighting designed the lighting.
A late-night treat from Occasions Caterers was cereal ice cream sandwiches. Other desserts on the menu were mini cake cones, mini housemade ice cream Drumstick-style cones, mini palmiers, and a duo of savory and sweet mini scones.
Decor from Revolution Event Design & Production included mirrored bars that elegantly reflected the surroundings. Rentals were from Perfect Settings, DC Rental, and Table Manners.
Occasions paired quartered Scotch eggs with flights of Scotch.
A reception on Friday at the British Ambassador's Residence had an appropriately British theme with Union Jack decor details. Craft Media/Digital produced the event with Washington Life and Washington Diplomat.
Craft C.E.O. Brian Donahue posed in front of a decor wall that mixed framed logos of sponsors with artwork produced for the event.
The bar featured the event's theme of "Come Together," another nod to British culture.
Politico's Sunday brunch also had a British theme. Two beefeater guards stood outside the Georgetown home of Robert and Elena Allbritton.
Brunch took place in a clear tent in the backyard with posh seating and spring flowers. Bond Events produced the event, with tenting from Sugarplum Tent Company, furniture and florals from Amaryllis, additional florals from Vert Tige, and linens and custom pillows from BBJ Linen.
The Politico logo was rendered in the style of the London Underground for a sign near the tent entrance. Decor and scenic fabrication came from Silver Lining Design Group.
Other on-theme props included a telephone booth, an Abbey Road sign, and a Union Jack-decorated Pimms bar.
A central bar anchored the "Underland Garden" area. Scenic fabrication came from Hatch Exhibits, while Something Vintage provided furniture and decor. Philippa Tarrant Floral Design created the interior florals.
A "House of Cards" tunnel featured oversize playing cards decorated with donkeys, elephants, the White House, and an orange-hued King.
Quotes used as decor winked to the current reality of fake news. One tapestry read: "Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
The buffet by Occasions Caterers included a spread of crumpets, assorted scones, English tea cakes, and lady fingers.
The playful decor at the bar wove vegetables and playing cards into the buffet. Other dishes by Occasions included “Rabbit Hole” crudité, wild mushroom flatbread, Iracebeth's English muffin and egg sandwiches, “Chesire Grin” sliders, and a tater tot bar.
Occasions created “The Red Queen’s Bloody Mary Bar.” Beverage service also included a hibiscus margarita, a Champagne fountain and mimosa station, a specialty coffee bar, and a Moscow mule bar that offered garnishes such as lime wheels, grapefruit segments, sprigs of rosemary, cucumber wheels, and fresh mint.
Playboy hosted its first event during the White House Correspondents' Association weekend, positioning itself as a champion of the First Amendment and a free press and a forum for discussing cultural issues. The singer Miguel performed at the Saturday night event, which took place at the Living Room. Also performing were the band 45 Riots and jazz singer Eliza Berkon.
Bunnies posed with guests including CNN's Don Lemon (seated, right). ZOē Productions produced and designed the event.
Caricature artist Mikey J, available for booking through GigSalad, sketched portraits of guests on paper decorated with the Playboy logo and party name.
A massive floral arrivals wall served as a backdrop for guests including former press secretary Sean Spicer at Capitol File's Friday-night reception at the Kreeger Museum. The reception was designed by Events by André Wells; Brightly Ever After constructed the flower wall.
A vintage typewriter prop contrasted with the sophisticated design at Atlantic Media's pre-dinner reception at the Washington Hilton. The event celebrated a free press as well as the history of The Atlantic—founded in 1857—and CBS News—dating to 1928. Design Foundry provided event design.
The 25th edition of the annual Garden Brunch, founded by Tammy Haddad, drew a bipartisan crowd to the Georgetown home of Mark Ein. Guests like White House counselor Kellyanne Conway were asked to pen responses to the questions, “What will you do to help support U.S. Veterans?” or “Why is it important to have free press?” on Microsoft devices.
A dessert display featured cupcakes provided by Georgetown Cupcake and cookies by Dog Tag Bakery. The event also recognized veterans, in particular Wells Fargo’s veteran home donation program and NS2 Serves’ training and hiring programs.
UTA and Mediaite hosted an event in honor of White House Correspondents' Association Dinner entertainer Michelle Wolf, a UTA client. The event at Fiola Mare was produced by Kimball Stroud & Associates and Bond Events, with lighting by Summit Productions and floral by Sweet Root Village.
