A party isn’t complete without gourmet food, a dessert buffet, shape-shifters, live statues and an artist sketching portraits of one’s derrière — so proves Planning Factory Bermuda (PFB).

The event planning company recently honoured its clients with a one-of-a-kind bash at the National Museum of Bermuda in Dockyard. They invited The Royal Gazette along to give us a taste of what goes into putting on an event of that magnitude — from the carefully crafted invitations, right down to the lighting and decor needed to completely transform the space.

It took PFB and Fourways Catering several months to dream up what they wanted for last Thursday’s Client Appreciation Event — and days to bring those ideas to life. “We knew it had to be really first-class and fun, and to get all of that into one package was very time consuming,” said Cher Przelomski, VP of Planning Factory Bermuda.

Guests at the recent event were greeted at the doors of Commissioner’s House by a stunning human red carpet, known as Crimson Carpetta — and a real-to-life gargoyle.

A blue signature cocktail was offered upon stepping through the doors and guests were then led straight to a dessert buffet, complete with practically every confectionery treat imaginable — from chocolate mousse, to crème brûlée and cupcakes on a multilayered tower.

Each room in the space had a different theme.

In one room a man in costume played a string instrument, while guests around him feasted on fish and chips and gourmet tapas, breads and dips. Outside on the lower balcony, guests were treated to a hearty stew, pork sliders, sausages and beer, while cheese plates were on offer upstairs.

One of the bars featured milkshakes in small shooter glasses, topped with bite-sized cookies; while practically every beverage under the sun was available at the open bar on the upper level.

Mrs Przelomski said they worked with Fourways chefs to get the food and drink menu just right for the evening.

“We decided we wanted to have the dessert for people to sample first because that’s a flip to what people would normally expect,” she said.

“We also knew we were going back to the 1700s and 1800s for the event, keeping with the theme of the National Museum, so we collaborated with Fourways Catering to come up with a themed menu that would take a modern twist on some historic dishes.

“We offered guests fish and chips, home-made breads, cheeses and stew. A take on what might have been available back in that time.”

The excitement didn’t stop there. On the upper level was a young dancer serving as a shape-shifter, while a Frank Sinatra tribute artist serenaded guests.

In one room of the expansive Commissioner’s House, people were able to take part in a wine tasting by Gosling’s while talented artist Ed Przelomski sketched fun and quirky pictures of guests’ backsides. In another room, there was a casino table set up with complimentary Blackjack chips.

One of the goals of the party was to show people how the different rooms could be used for one cohesive event.

Later on in the night, after most of the guests had gone home, PFB hosted a ‘Price Is Right’ game in Queen’s Exhibition Hall to raise money for the National Museum.

As the exclusive event planning company for the museum’s properties for the past three years, Mrs Przelomski said it only made sense for them to give back.

“The cocktail party was entirely complimentary, but we wanted to give people the option of taking part in a really fun fundraiser for the museum as well,” she said.

“We found out that a gentleman had built the ‘Price Is Right’ game in Philadelphia, so we thought we could bring him down and use the museum construct to design the game for our Client Appreciation event and host a Fun-Draiser for the museum.

“That has never before been done on Island, where we have the game show with all the bells and whistles, and that’s what we are all about bringing things that people have never seen before.”

A host of luxury prizes were on offer, including a trip on Bermuda’s celebration yacht Uber Vida. The big winner of the night, Rob Mason, said: “It was definitely a fun thing that I haven’t seen elsewhere in Bermuda and if you mix it up with a unique fundraiser, along with the history and fabulous setting of the museum it’s amazing and a great time.”

Kathryn Massa, President and CEO of PFB, said feedback received since the event has been “tremendous”.

“Even though many of the guests are our existing clients and familiar with our work, they are ever amazed at how we are able to design a space to be completely unexpected and different,” she said. “That’s what we enjoy doing at Planning Factory, providing unique experiences for our guests.”

Useful website: www.planningfactory.com