Carrara Marble Dinner

A Birthday Celebration

Tuscany, Italy

Milestone Birthday Inspired

by Carrara Marble

When designing high end events, we love to pull inspiration from the destination itself. For this milestone birthday celebration, we designed an al fresco dinner inspired by the history of Carrara marble. We let the theme run throughout the design; not in a literal way, but by interpreting both the history of the medium and the artistry of Italian design through the entertainment, the tablescape, and even how guests found their seats. These details offered a fresh take on Italian inspiration and transformed the evening into an immersive, living work of art.

 

DESIGNER AND PLANNER: Cassie LaMere Events VENUE & CATERING: Borgo Santo Pietro PHOTOGRAPHY: Corbin Gurkin FILM: Storybox Cinema FLORALS: Larry Walshe Studios CUSTOM MARBLE PIECES: Sandro Lopez RENTALS & DECOR: Larry Walshe Studios, Maison Margaux, Preludio Divisione Noleggio ENTERTAINMENT: ALR Music STATIONERY & PAPER GOODS: Carissimo Letterpress TRAVEL CONCIERGE: Embark Beyond AV: GB Audio Service METEOROLOGIST: Ironic Reports

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Living Statues on the Terrace

As guests arrived, they found 9 ALR Music violinists positioned across the upper terrace and beneath arches, posed to resemble marble statues now brought to life. This nod to Carrara marble helped set the tone for the evening to come: Carrara marble has been quarried in the Apuan Alps in Tuscany for over 2,000 years, and it’s the same stone Michelangelo used to carve David. It was an awe-inspiring, dramatic, and emotional entrance to the beautiful evening that lay ahead.

A Table Carved in Marble

The tablescape carried through the theme in every detail. Larry Walshe Studios created custom marble-printed linens paired with sculptural florals, while Sandro Lopez created bespoke custom marble candleholders, vases, and knife rests for the table. Carissimo Letterpress added a special pop of silver with an engraved antique tray as the bar sign and decadent velvet menus inspired by the color palette of Calacatta Viola Marble.

Seating Left to the Fates

Guests were part of the night’s story as they made their way to their seats with a seating chart decided by fate. Using Italian-inspired playing cards featuring classical marble statues, our team positioned a card at each seat that corresponded with the cards in our hands. Each guest was approached and asked to choose a card. The guests found their destined seats and were delighted by the concept. Serendipitously, the guest of honor even selected the seat in the middle of the table- it was written in the stars.

Creating a Memory: The Hallmark of High End Events

As the evening came to a close, guests gathered around a solid marble slab that was draped with a cloth covered by a Michaelango quote presented by Sandro Lopez.  Once revealed, each guest was invited to take a turn with a chisel to chip away at the marble slab one at a time to begin revealing a sculpture underneath for the guest of honor. It was a unique way to mark her milestone birthday, proving that the most memorable high end events go beyond beautiful design to create lasting memories.