Welcome to Life in Luxury Events, Episode 3, in which we take a look back at some of the incredible events delivered by the team at By Word of Mouth in the previous quarter.
As the Great British Summer reached its peak, there was no let-up in activity as By Word of Mouth added its trademark style and elegance to events, weddings and parties, travelling far afield to do so. Read on to find out more:
July
A packed month opened with something incredibly special: the opening party for Barbie: The Exhibition at the Design Museum. This headline-grabbing event, complete with a Ken-look-alike DJ, free flowing Nyetimber English sparkling wine, and covetable Barbie t-shirts worn by an excited team of BWoM staff, came with all the pink, gloss and Barbie-infused charm and personality that one would expect. What also made it stand out was the shared sustainability values with which it was conceived and delivered.
All eyes were on Wimbledon at the beginning of July as the titans of the tennis world convened to compete for the coveted grand slam trophies. For an elite team of BWoM team members, this meant two weeks spent looking after a series of VIP guests in partnership with icon of the sport, Stan Smith. The combination of unrivalled insights into each day’s play from one of the sport’s greats combined with the finest hospitality always make this a genuinely unique experience that we are proud to be part of.
As soon as Wimbledon came to an end, the sporting theme continued as the BWoM vans rolled north to Scotland where the oldest golf tournament in the world, the Open Championships, was taking place. Again, By Word of Mouth’s detailed and attentive approach to hospitality was demonstrated across several days, looking after private guests and orchestrating wonderfully creative and abundant pre and post golf dining experiences for them to enjoy.
Back in London, one of the tiniest-yet-most-jaw-dropping birthday celebrations took place at the Queen’s House in Greenwich. Created for just four guests, this petite event allowed us to take creativity, detail and service to new heights, working with friends from the US, Birch Design. Our guests experienced the house in all its glory, dining in the Great Hall under a glittering candelabra surrounded by a breath-taking installation of seasonal flowers by Lavender Green. Post dinner cocktails were then enjoyed on the balcony watching the midsummer sun set over the Royal Observatory and the stars come out over Greenwich.
From the beauty of a miniature birthday party, we headed back up north to Castle Howard where a three day wedding unfolded across an unforgettable weekend. Working with friends Bespoke Events, the mighty talents of By Word of Mouth’s chefs and operational team shone through a weekend of celebrations in the main house, within a stunning glass marquee and in a specially created festival site. This was one for the memory bank and a triumph for everyone involved.
August
Traditionally one of the quieter months in the events calendar, August arrived along with a sense of tranquillity as team members headed off for a well deserved break after two months of back-to-back events. The planning never stops, though, and thoughts started turning to the latter months of the year, with new season’s menus being tested, tastings being held for autumn (and even Christmas) events, and the theme being chosen for our hotly anticipated Halloween party.
The By Word of Mouth team summer party was an action packed, adrenaline rush of a morning spent white water rafting on the Olympic course at the Lee Valley White Water Centre. In teams of 8, we took to the rafts and embraced the rapids with just a couple of thrilling spills along the way. Back at BWoM HQ, the team barbecued, played table tennis, and enjoyed a drink or two as we celebrated another brilliant BWoM summer season – one that pushed us all to the limit but rewarded us with great memories, happy clients, and a fantastic sense of team achievement.
With September beckoning, the canape team presented the autumn/winter canapes for tasting and review – a rite of passage for any seasonal menu and an experience that anyone who has worked at By Word of Mouth will say is one of their favourite BWoM traditions. One by one, the canapes were introduced, tasted, photographed and assessed. Sometimes, small tweaks are made following the tasting in the name of perfection but this season was judged to be one of the best ever which filled everyone with excited anticipation about the onset of autumn events.
September
September always involves a flurry of events for those wanting to make the most of the last rays of the summer sun and this year was no different, despite the weather deciding that it was time to ignite the new season with a spell of decidedly cooler, damper weather. The corporate event season also kicked back into action and we enjoyed visiting St Paul’s Cathedral, the British Museum, the Francis Crick Institute, the Tower of London, Sir John Soane’s Museum, the Cutty Sark and many other prestigious locations as the event diary geared up and autumn got under way.
There was great excitement and anticipation amongst the team as, on one of the wettest days of the year so far, we headed to The Making of Harry Potter at Warner Brothers Studios in Leavesden to create the menu for an atmosphere-laden dinner in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. With massed pumpkins suspended over the dining tables, and an amuse bouche presented in a golden egg sitting in a gilded nest, every aspect of the evening was infused with wizardry and mystique, both of the world’s most famous boarding school and of By Word of Mouth’s culinary team. After dinner, guests moved through to Platform 9 3/4 where they enjoyed bite sized mandrakes placed in edible flower pots, creating a perfectly themed ending to a magic event – the result of a perfect pairing of Hogwarts and By Word of Mouth.
Join us next time when we will be giving all the insights into the last few months of the year. So, for all things Halloween, peeks at more autumn/winter events and, of course, a resume of the festive season, stay tuned for our next episode of Life in Luxury Events.