Boston is home to so many meeting and event venues. This year has brought about some new spaces and new faces and we couldn't be happier to share them with you. Here are five of our favorite places in Boston to hold your next gathering!
The Gallery at Frost Ice Loft The icy-cold bar Frost (the temperature is kept at 21 degrees) now has a sister space for those who prefer room temperature. The Gallery at Frost Ice Loft is a sunlit event space and home for the arts overlooking the gorgeous Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. The 2,600-square-foot Gallery has 15-foot-high ceilings with hardwood floors and a rotating lineup of ice sculptures. The gallery, which opened in early July, holds 130 guests for receptions. This is a great space because there is so much to do outside of the venue as well.
Bliss Spa Bliss Spa, located at the W Boston, underwent its own face-lift and reopened in March. The theater district spa added amenities with the introduction of a new high-tech nail lounge featuring mani-pedi stations with personal iPads (we've never heard of such a thing before)! For groups, the 5,800-square-foot space holds 30 for private events in one of five studio spaces, where planners can offer catering and activities. Guests can then be called individually for treatments. We hope someone hosts an event here and sends us an invite!
Boston Harbor Distillery We love distilleries so you can bet we're going to check this place out! Housed in a pre-Civil War-era building overlooking Boston Harbor, the Boston Harbor Distillery serves as both a distilling facility and an event space, complete with a tasting room. The whole space, which opened in June, is 11,000 square feet and holds 200 guests for receptions, which can feature samples of the distillery’s trademark brand, Putnam New England Whiskey. A private meeting room, dubbed the Chart Room, comfortably seats 30 people. We'll take ours on the rocks please!
Cluckit First off, how can you not love this name? Formerly known as Estelle's, Cluckit was opened in mid-June by popular Boston chefs Brian Poe and Gordon Wilcox as a foray into piri piri grilled poultry, seafood, and meat. Piri piri is a seasoning or marinade used in Portuguese-style cooking. At the bar, guests can choose from 30 draft lines and another 70 beer selections available by bottle and can. The 1,500-square-foot South End space is available for semiprivate dining and buyouts of as many as 95 guests. Sounds like a place everyone will 'cluck' about!
Fairmont Copley Plaza Though the Fairmont has been around forever, this space is undeniably cool. Tucked inside the famed Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel, the 140 Supper Club is a unique room complete with a password and century-old descending staircase. The 740-square-foot space seats 30 guests at a farmer’s table that runs the length of the space for the hotel’s menu of four decadent, seasonally inspired dinner courses. The space is newly available for private events this summer. We wonder what the password could be?!
Boston is ever-so-changing and is truly an exciting place to live. We can't wait to see what other venues pop up as the years roll on. Devour the details this year and visit these five fabulous venues!
Those of you who know me, know I am an absolute sucker for the gymnastics portion of the Olympics. I've always been one to gawk at the incredible talent and athleticism these champions have. That being said, it has been quite the year for my two favorite gymnasts, Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin, and they haven't even competed! They both however have gotten engaged and I couldn't be more excited for them. Check out their Olympic proposals and fabulous rings that shine as bright as their medals!
On July 24th, Shawn Johnson's boyfriend, now fiancé, Kansas City Chiefs player Andrew East, proposed during a Chicago Cubs baseball game. After the beautiful 2008 Olympic gymnast threw the first pitch, Andrew surprised her, dropping to one knee in the center of Wrigley Field! Shawn posted a video of the sweet proposal on her Instagram.
The couple already seem to be enjoying engaged life, sharing additional photos on Instagram of wedding magazines and new home goods. We couldn't be happier for these two! For more photos, check out Shawn's feature on The Knot.
And on June 1st, the beautiful Nastia Liukin also had a surprise proposal, planned by now fiancé and Venture Up Founder, Matt Lombardi, in Boston. Matt designed the ring himself and after proposing he brought Nastia to celebrate with their families and close friends to her surprise.
After dating long distance for quite some time, it is wonderful to see these two engaged. Congrats to the happy couple! Check out E Online for more information from Nastia herself.
We can't wait to see how our favorite Olympic gymnasts devour the details of their gold medal winning weddings!
If you're looking for something to do this weekend, this is it. Join the New England Food Truck Festival Saturday, August 1st and Sunday, August 2nd is West Springfield, MA to get a taste of some of the best food trucks around! They offer over 50 food trucks, live music, and family fun. With a range from grilled cheese to cupcakes, there is sure to be something for everyone!
Food trucks have become a huge trend in New England over the last five years. They have made the lunchtime rush easier for those working in Boston and have also contributed to hundreds of local charities through their contributions at fundraisers and events. Needless to say, especially with the development of festivals like this one, food trucks will be around for many more years to come.
The New England Food Truck Festival will host some familiar names such as Chowda Heads, Whoo(pie) Wagon, Ben & Jerry's, and many more! There will be live music all day long by performers like Maxwell Bailey and Jimmy and The Hattricks and other fun activities sponsored by Angry Orchid Hard Cider. Ticket prices range from $5-$20 depending on what package you choose (there's even an early access ticket). If you're a foodie like me, you'll definitely appreciate some of the best dishes all in one place for you to devour!
For more information check out New England Food Truck Festival and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for additional updates. Hope to see you this weekend devouring the details of the best food trucks around!
I remember growing up, it was always a dream to be in the Guinness Book of World Records. In the school library or even at the Scholastic Reading Club book fairs, everyone was always saw drawn to looking at these crazy things a large number of people would do to just be in a book. Now grown up, as an adult and event professional, we see this all the time. Think about Comic-Con or the Olympics; it's a bunch of people in one venue participating in a bunch of unimaginable or challenging things and are publicized. So why not take your event to the next level by doing something that will put you and all of these crazy participants into the Guinness Book of World Records? Check out five of my favorite examples!
P.G.A. National Resort & Spa set a record for the largest ice cream dessert during the resort’s Ice Cream Festival Weekend in 2013. The sundae measured more than 1,200 feet long and included 1,748 pounds of bananas, 840 pounds of whipped cream, and 462 pounds of sprinkles. The festival also included an ice cream pairing dinner, a '50s-style sock hop, a golf cart drive-in movie, and a celebrity ice cream eating contest. The record was broken in 2014 by Solivita retirement community in Poinciana, Florida.
Swedish DJ duo Dada Life orchestrated a Guinness record for "largest gathering of people dressed as fruits" at its festival, the Voyage, July 18 in San Bernardino, California. More than 620 people dressed as bananas as part of the stunt created in partnership with Fair Trade USA.
As part of its “HappiMess” marketing campaign, Delta Faucet set a world record for the most people showering at one time June 27 in Crawfordsville, Indiana. The event took place during the Indiana Warrior Dash with 331 people simultaneously cleaning up using an outdoor showering station equipped with 164 Delta showerheads.
Visit Huntington Beach and the Epic Big Board Ride broke the world record for the most people riding a surfboard after cramming 66 people onto an 11-by-42-foot board as part of the city’s “100 years of surfing” celebration. The event took place on June 20, which was also International Surfing Day. The participants balanced for 13 seconds, three seconds longer than required to break the record. Following the event, Guinness World Records also confirmed the board set a new record for the largest surfboard.
At the World Domination Summit in Portland, Oregon, on July 10, more than 600 people lounged in 160 beds to set a world record for the most people eating breakfast in bed. The meal included breakfast burritos and fruit from Elephants Catering, yogurt parfaits provided by Kind Bars, and doughnuts from Voodoo Doughnuts. Organizers encouraged guests to dress in pajamas, and afterward they donated the beds to local organizations that serve the needy. The record attempt is still being reviewed by Guinness World Records.
How fun are all of these? I think the breakfast in bed is my favorite! So creative. We hope this inspires you to devour the details of taking your event to the next level with a Guinness Book of World Records attempt (and hopefully win)!
It doesn't really matter what time of year your wedding is, it is OK in our book to serve icecream! Seriously, you can't go wrong. From sundae bars to icecream sandwiches, all of your guests will feel like a kid again. Check out these five fun ways to serve up some summer at your reception.
An old-fashioned pushcart makes for a great touch especially if it works with your wedding theme!
Or you could go all out with an actual icecream truck.
We love the idea of featuring it in your cocktails!
Bring out your inner-child by delivering some icecream cones on this perfect serving tray.
Let guests build their own cookie sandwiches with freshly baked cookies and an assortment of icecream flavors!
We hope you're inspired to devour the details of these tasty frozen treats! It's the perfect way to end a perfect day. Enjoy!
With body shaming at an all time high due to social media and regular publicity, women and men of all sizes are constantly pressured into feeling someway about their image. If this is something you're experiencing, give yourself a break. You are one of a kind and you are the way you are and that is perfect. So treat yourself every once in a while by doing something like the Curvy Night Experience Party.
This event is hosted by Boston Curvy Fashion Week. Their mission is to promote the curvy/plus size fashion industry (sizes 12+) in a mainstream way. At this outing, they’ll be providing fashion entertainment, business education to help fashion businesses work smarter, and healthy curves education to the plus size community! Boston Curvy Fashion Week (#BCFWeek) is a 4 day event taking place overlooking the historic town of Boston, MA. It will be the first of its kind here in Massachusetts. All week long it will be packed with runway shows, special guest appearances, networking opportunities, workshops, shopping, and much more. Giving everyone an outlet to be themselves!
So join Boston Curvy Fashion Week this Friday, July 24, 2015 from 6:00PM-11:00PM at Boston Common Hotel & Conference Center for an amazing curvy-night-in party. With a Special Guest appearance from Chardline Chanel-Faiteau of Plus Size Beausion, Alexandra Thomas of Learning To Be Fearless and Lydia Ouellette of Looks by Ly. You will have the opportunity to shop with their selected vendors, visit a complementary hair and make-up station, mix and mingle, get some swag bags, take some fun photos at the selfie station, listen to great music and so much more! Tickets to the event start at $25 and their exclusive private area admission is only available with the purchase of an All-Access BCFWeek Curvy Night Pass.
Don't ever be ashamed to be who you are! Devour the details and kick body shaming to the curb by celebrating with Boston Curvy Fashion Week all night long!
This would make for the perfect 'Girls Night In'. Put the glitz and glam aside for a night and have the ladies over for a glimpse of the world through everyone's favorite books. It's a theme that will inspire and give everyone a chance to read something they otherwise may not have ever heard of. So invite some friends, have them bring a book by a favorite author that could be written about any place in the entire world, and starting trading! Here are some cute ways to decorate for the event.
We're in the mood to hit the road and travel to our favorite destinations. Are you in?
This global tablescape with pops of color makes us want to jump on a jet plane.
These map airplane cut-outs make for great confetti. They can be sprinkled around the dining table or dessert table for a touch of fun!
Speaking of dessert tables, these two vintage suitcase inspired setups are our absolute favorites. Feature some desserts from different countries--from macaroons to baklava, your guests' sweet tooth will be satisfied!
Setting these up on a bookcase would make for an added touch to the theme.
We love the idea of sending your guests off with these vintage airmail favors! Fill them with candies from Italy and China or Belgium and Russia. Dylan's Candy Bar can help you with international orders!
The use of the this Dr. Seuss quote is perfect on display for this mashup!
Bring your favorite book and trade amongst one another. Share quotes that are important to you; ones that make the book special. It'll bring a smile to everyone's face!
There's nothing quite like holding a paperback book in your hands.
Read on and travel to far, far away places at this Monday Mashup event. Devour the details of traveling and trading with your closest friends for a truly memorable time (and maybe even a fairytale ending)!
Outside the Box Boston is back! The Common will once again be transformed into a massive performing arts festival designed to engage, educate and most importantly, entertain the citizens of Boston. And it's all for free! From theater to dance, the symphony to indie bands, classic to cutting edge--they provide it all. So hop on the T and head over to the heart of Boston all weekend long for a great celebration of the arts.
Chairman and visionary of Outside the Box Ted Cutler, a Dorchester native and Emerson College alumnus, is among the city’s most involved philanthropists--a man whose leadership and big-picture-ideas have bolstered a host of causes and institutions including those supporting the arts and culture, civic efforts, and health and human services. The arts have always been a part of Ted’s life and can be traced back to his college days when he worked his way through Emerson as a musician and bandleader. Quite impressively, Ted became a pioneer in the music industry, forming his own cutting-edge orchestras that played the region’s biggest performance halls. Soon after his travels, he founded a music agency business, booking acts and superstars like Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand and Sammy Davis Jr. After seeing his successes and the impact he was having, Ted wanted to merge his personal success with his passion for the performing arts. He felt it was time to give back to Boston and build its reputation as a city that supports the performing arts. So in 2007, the seed that became Outside The Box was planted.
Ted has said that Boston is known for many things: the colleges and universities, the hospitals and medical research and the growing life sciences area, the sports teams, and as a place where the country’s rich and important history is preserved and respected which is definitely accurate. But he believes that the one thing that seems to get lost is Boston’s amazing arts and cultural efforts and we agree. Boston should be thought of as a leader in the arts, because of the wonderful institutions here. Ted explains that Boston has had a significant history of supporting artists and the arts and we need a way to showcase that part of our city. So he did just that.
And so the show goes on with Outside the Box 2015! With a great lineup of performers, we believe the festival out-did-itself this year with having country singer Kacey Musgraves on the stage Friday, July 17th as well as other bands like the New Politics and Guster. See the full schedule of performances here. A big shout out to Outside the Box and Ted Cutler for devouring the details and representing the understated performing arts here in Boston!
With my best friend's wedding rapidly approaching, I've started to write up my speech hoping to include tidbits of our youth together and some well wishes for the happy couple. As I begin this coveted mission, I decided to do some research, so naturally I went to The Knot for ideas and etiquette. This post will share some of their guidelines as well as my own because as I always say, it's best to add your personal touch! Without further adieu, here's what to say and how to say it.
Take It Seriously In agreeing to being the Maid of Honor and giving a speech, you're not just speaking for all the guests, you're essentially a poet with an important story to tell. It's both an honor and a huge responsibility. Embrace this obligation with the grace and maturity it deserves. Have poise and speak eloquently, with a smile of course!
Don't Procrastinate The Knot recommends writing your toast about three weeks before the big day (looks like I'm on track). Approach this mission with the same seriousness you would a college dissertation. Have someone you trust edit your work, and do a couple of drafts. Advance preparation will prevent hastily scrawled incomplete sentences that don't make sense and last-minute panic attacks.
Cover All the Bases While we encourage you to innovate and personalize the standard as much as you want, an expert speech-giver will usually:
Express how thrilled you are to be at the wedding and thank the bride and groom (and their parents, if appropriate) for inviting everyone to be a part of their special day.
Include a personal touch (a favorite memory, joke, or special secret) that will be emotionally significant to everyone.
Offer encouraging (and often moving) words of advice for their future together. (A quote will usually work its way in here.)
Conclude with the standard raising of the glass, saying "To Kerri and Evan" (don't forget to take a sip!).
Pick an Appropriate Quote If you choose to quote, make sure the quote you pick has real resonance for you and is relevant to the message or idea you want to share. Settle on words of wisdom that you can deliver with confidence, earnest emotion, and understanding. And remember, quoting is not required. If it feels at all pretentious or insincere, skip it, and substitute with something that comes from you. This is where your personal touch is most important. Let it represent what you want to portray!
Suss Out Your Style The best man speech is often wry retellings of silly shenanigans, video game/sports commentary relating to marriage, and self-deprecating remarks -- often with knee-slapping, side-splitting results. Don't feel your Maid of Honor speech has to be sentimental and poetic for the sake of contrast. If you're hilarious too, the crowd is in for quite a treat. Don't worry about stealing thunder.
On the other hand, if funny isn't your gig, don't feel pressured to be a comedian, just be yourself and speak from the heart.
Go for Short and Sweet This is what I plan on doing. As you prepare your toast, keep it simple. Don't use words you normally wouldn't use. Try not to ramble -- toasts can be as short as two lines or as long as two minutes. Steer clear of inappropriate anecdotes, goofy giggling, and sing-songy, gimmicky group efforts. Remember, this is your moment. Make it memorable in the right way.
Practice, Practice, Practice Once the speech has been written, practice reading it out loud obsessively to up your comfort level on the reception floor. On the day of the wedding, grab one of the bridesmaids and ask her for final feedback on delivery, jokes, and hand gestures (which I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of thanks to my Italian roots). You'll be grateful for the pre-performance audience. Be sure to write out the complete speech (or transfer it to note cards) and bring the cheat sheet with you to the microphone. You don't have to memorize it. Emotions and nerves can catch even the coolest of cucumbers off guard so it's better to have it in front of you.
Set a Schedule Toasting time/giving the speech usually happens once everyone has been seated and served champagne, but the bride and groom may want to have it happen between courses. Check with them; if they don't have a preference, the timing is up to you and the best man. When you're ready, simply approach the microphone stand as a toasting team. The crowd will be called to attention the old-fashioned way (clinking a glass with a utensil) or the bandleader or DJ may announce to guests that toasting is about to begin. I'm hoping the DJ does this at Kerri's wedding because I'd be afraid to accidentally break the glass!
Traditionally, the best man is considered the toastmaster. For this reason, he may toast first, warming up the crowd for your turn in the spotlight. Of course the Maid of Honor can take over his role altogether, serve as co-master (a two-person show), or toast the couple right after the best man. You and the best man may want to determine who goes first and who follows based on the content and feel of your speeches.
Stay Calm, Cool, & Collected Or at least appear to be! No matter what, you're going to be nervous. Take deep breaths. Think pleasant thoughts. Maybe have a glass of wine, but don't overdo it. You definitely want to avoid that sloppy, drunken honor attendant cliché. Remember, when it's all over, you get to party hard! So speak slowly, and no, no one's going to care that your hands are shaking or if you need a few seconds to get it together. It's all about the bride and groom anyways!
Get Creative If you feel like a speech isn't the right thing for you, knock their socks off with a dance performance, a song, or a reading of an original poem. Salute them in whatever fashion feels most comfortable. That said, if you're planning something really outlandish, check with the bride first. You don't want to upset her on the big day!
And most importantly, don't try to top this..
With all that being said, I feel a lot more confident in my writing capabilities. Practice makes perfect though and those personal touches will only make you, and myself, more relatable. Time to devour the details of this coveted mission once and for all. Wish me luck!
BizBash shared an awesome article about an architecture firm's event that was completely powered by human involvement. Raw Designs, with production done by Kim Graham & Associates, hosted this celebration of human power on top of a parking garage in Toronto on June 26th. The goal of the event was to remind guests of the power people have in creating the ideas of shaping future environments.
To bring the abstract theme to life, organizers designed an event that was human-powered. You will see that as triathletes furiously pedaled on generator bikes and ran on a human hamster wheel, they created energy that fueled custom light displays and DJ-driven beats. Some 1,400 guests looked on, helping themselves to chocolate drinks created with pedal-power machinery and ice pops that came from human-powered carts. Here's a look at five ideas from this sustainable, human-powered evening.
When guests arrived, they were taken to the sixth floor of the parking structure via rickshaw.
Cocoa grinder Chocosol used pedal-powered machinery to create iced drinks, including Mayan-style drinking chocolate.
Teams of triathletes pedaled bike generators provided by Arizona-based ASE Power. The athletes' motion discharged electricity into the event's power grid.
A local athlete, helped power the event by running in a giant hamster wheel. The hamster wheel helped power up beats from New York-based DJ Alex Merrell.
Sublime Catering served sous-vide beef and salmon cooked on dry ice.
We love this idea of having a human-powered event! It brings a sense of comradery and of course creates that sustainable factor a lot of companies are leaning towards. To get an idea of how to devour the details of a human-powered production, check out Kim Graham & Associates for more information.
Now we know you may need to use your imagination for some of these but it is a Monday morning so bare with us if these seem a little far fetched. We usually come up with these mashups by trolling Pinterest and finding a few things we like and think could go together. As for this theme, retro and rave, it's a twist on poodle skirts and glow sticks. Taking diner dancing up a notch with a little bit of EDM. Think 'Grease' meets 'The Jersey Shore', fist pumping the night away in your favorite cardigan.
This pretty much sums up exactly what you'd want to serve at your retro and rave mashup; sliders, coke floats, and popcorn. Done and done and more like yum and yum.
I love how retro these cupcakes look, especially with the light blue frosting! They would also make an awesome treat to serve up.
Here's an idea of what to wear. We'll add on more once we get to the rave portion.
Really get retro with these two photobooth ideas. A classic photobooth or car cutout will make for some fun and memorable photos!
Not sure what cocktails to serve? Check out this classic list of tasty treats!
Have a modern juke box play all of the latest and greatest rave hits. Make sure you get one that lights up because this is going to turn into a blacklight party!
It's time to rave. Bust out the blacklights.
First step, glow sticks, everywhere.
Try these balloons for the dance floor. Blow them up and add a glow stick inside so they're weighted. They add a total rave element to the party!
Accessorize with neon and glow-in-the-dark lips and nails!
Join in the fun by taking this retro game to the rave level. There's nothing better than a little Twister!
End the night serving some cotton candy on a glow stick.
We know this probably seems like an out-there mashup but we think it would be a huge hit. Everyone will definitely appreciate your efforts in taking retro into the 21st century with this hypnotizing rave element! So hand-jive your way to the dance floor and devour the details of this awesome Monday mashup!
