For Gala in the Garden, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden's most important fund-raiser of the year, gala committee chairwoman Pamela Cole chose RBK Productions to create a Great Gatsby-themed gala for 450 of the garden's supporters.
The entrance to the garden's limestone building was flanked with tables covered in crisp white linens and topped with silver vases overflowing with white calla lilies, hydrangeas, and roses, filling the air with fragrance.
RBK Productions divided the sprawling grounds into two sections. The cocktail hour took place in the Jean duPont Shehan Visitor Center, from which guests could glimpse the enormous tent a few feet away, where they would spend the rest of the evening.
A large bar was set up in front of the visitor center—in fact, there were three bars in the cocktail area alone. Bundles of flowers set in vases served as centerpieces on a round mahogany table, which was surrounded by cocktails tables and chairs for guests to rest their drinks or mingle with the crowd. Caterwaiters lined up with trays, ready to offer guests wine, champagne, and hors d'oeuvres from Le Basque Catering & Productions (whose chefs prepared dinner as well).
The staircase leading to the upper level of the center featured a wine bar on one side and a classical trio on the other. The vast upstairs room was the setting for the silent auction—and the site for yet another bar.
After an hour of schmoozing, guests were ready to follow the candle-strewn walkway to the tented dinner area set up next to the garden's lake. Awash in creamy white with silver accents, the space felt elegant and serene. Three lattice arches were suspended over the dance floor, each with a glass lantern hanging from its center and enormous palms on either side. All the tables featured white linens and silver chargers, with centerpieces of colorful fresh flowers in shiny silver vases, interspersed with silk lamps.
Guests enjoyed a three-course dinner that included Maine lobster bisque, Chateaubriand with port demi-glace reduction, and warm tarte tatin with vanilla ice cream. The entertainment was provided by Music by Varon, who played everything from swing to disco to Latin hits.
—Vanessa Goyanes
The entrance to the garden's limestone building was flanked with tables covered in crisp white linens and topped with silver vases overflowing with white calla lilies, hydrangeas, and roses, filling the air with fragrance.
RBK Productions divided the sprawling grounds into two sections. The cocktail hour took place in the Jean duPont Shehan Visitor Center, from which guests could glimpse the enormous tent a few feet away, where they would spend the rest of the evening.
A large bar was set up in front of the visitor center—in fact, there were three bars in the cocktail area alone. Bundles of flowers set in vases served as centerpieces on a round mahogany table, which was surrounded by cocktails tables and chairs for guests to rest their drinks or mingle with the crowd. Caterwaiters lined up with trays, ready to offer guests wine, champagne, and hors d'oeuvres from Le Basque Catering & Productions (whose chefs prepared dinner as well).
The staircase leading to the upper level of the center featured a wine bar on one side and a classical trio on the other. The vast upstairs room was the setting for the silent auction—and the site for yet another bar.
After an hour of schmoozing, guests were ready to follow the candle-strewn walkway to the tented dinner area set up next to the garden's lake. Awash in creamy white with silver accents, the space felt elegant and serene. Three lattice arches were suspended over the dance floor, each with a glass lantern hanging from its center and enormous palms on either side. All the tables featured white linens and silver chargers, with centerpieces of colorful fresh flowers in shiny silver vases, interspersed with silk lamps.
Guests enjoyed a three-course dinner that included Maine lobster bisque, Chateaubriand with port demi-glace reduction, and warm tarte tatin with vanilla ice cream. The entertainment was provided by Music by Varon, who played everything from swing to disco to Latin hits.
—Vanessa Goyanes
Guests enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and drinks at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden's Gala in the Garden.
RBK Productions garnished the dining tables with a variety of flowers and silk lamps.
Behind the tent, a furniture grouping added to the charm of the Great Gatsby-themed evening.
Suspended from the tent's ceiling were lattice arches with glass lanterns and enormous palm trees on either side.
