Each event I do is special, but some are just a bit more special than others and this one, inspired by al fresco cafes and Fado, celebrated 6o years of life for the person who builds and assists me in making almost all my creative event ideas into reality. And it was one of the loveliest ways to unofficially big adieu to summer!
This man, who throughout my life and even to this day, plays the local jazz radio in the car or is blasting Fado or Soul, so it’s suffice to say I got my curiosity and love for music from him. My father, who, with no choice, has come down this event world with me. During the holidays you’ll often find him alongside me, setting up the appetizer station, helping my mother finish up entrees or making sure bottles of wine are being chilled. Entertaining has always been a part of us, and our family. And naturally those who plan events for others, often aren’t the ones being celebrated, but this time, it was going to be different! Details were going to be kept low key, effortless, and hopefully a surprise for this fellow entertainer.
The inspiration for this end of summer/surprise 60th birthday bash was more than just pretty rustic garden details, is was all about a feeling and the soulful music of Fado, one you can only experience in Portugal. I wanted to teleport this group of family and friends back to our native roots, to a land where part of our hearts still reside. And that feeling of “saudade” and togetherness, was exactly what this past Sunday was about. Along with delicious food and several pitchers of Sangria, there were bottles of refreshing Vinho Verde and homemade red wine, an endless assortment of seasonal pies, plenty of belly-bursting laughs and melodies of live Fado music, that carried well into the perfect night sky!
Rustic wood chairs and picnic tables were simply adorned with mismatched vintage glass vases and compotes that were filled with varying fragrant herbs and blooms from the garden. Family heirloom linens and laces, photos and traditional Portugal trinkets our family has collected over the years completed the effortless al fresco cafe look.
Essentially, I wanted the background music to bring the whole vision together, making everyone feel as if they had been transported to the historical streets of Alfama or Chiado, with nights of Fado immersing the “bairros” on warm summer night when locals and “imigrantes” from all over the world came together to revel, savor and “matar a saudade”! 
The other important goal for this party was to make it as eco-friendly as possible. As an event planner, I know first hand just how much waste weddings and parties produce, and I was certainly not going to contribute to that with my own party. Linen napkins, silverware, simple white china, and these awesome reusable disposable wine glasses {which I most certainly kept} helped make this totally happened!
As a tip, it’s best to have several recycle bins and stations, each appropriately marked for guests. Another great tip, create a washing station!! If you’re not lucky to have an outdoor sink, which I highly recommend if you do a lot of outdoor entertaining, then set up a few plastic storage bins filled with soapy water for guests to place in their dirty dishes. This will make clean up a breeze! Then add a few watering cans with some hand soap and linen clothes, for guests to rinse their hands outside instead of having to head indoors each time.
Throwing an eco-friendly party isn’t the most inexpensive way to throw a bash, but if you have all the materials and commit to making it happen, then the investment is much more rewarding. Oh and the waste verdict…1 garbage bin and 1 recycle bin 🙂
How stunning are these hydrangea?? A friend of my mother’s graciously gave me several enormous blooms that were the perfect statement pieces in modern vases that were displayed throughout.
Now, I simply couldn’t throw a Fado theme party without a surprise live performance. No one, including the birthday boy, knew a guitarist and singer would be arriving. We watched, immersed in the calm soulful melodies, then moved beneath the twinkling lights, cozying up on blankets and adding in our voices for several classic tunes!
It was a beautiful end of summer celebration filled with wonderful memories!
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