WHITNEYfusion Blog

Take the Stage

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 22:09:00 GMT

Champion Charities "A NIght at the Theater" event: SHREK, The Musical

Sat, 02 Apr 2011 17:58:00 GMT

On a rainy Sunday evening in December, guests scurried down the wet, dark sidewalks of San Francisco, up the giant stone steps of San Francisco City Hall, through the grand and empty lobby...... and into a fairy tale swampland.

This is one of our favorite events because 1. We love kids! 2. We love the theater! and 3. We love helping raise money for charity! (Which means planning an event on a tight budget)

A little history, because you will see several of these "theater events" posted.....We helped Harris Barton and Ronnie Lott create this annual charity event in San Francisco in 2004 with the production of Lion King, and have been fortunate enough to work with them each year planning, producing and raising money for Champion Charities.

We love the creativity of this event and as you can see below, the photos speak for themselves. We take the the story line, characters and decor of the theater production and voila!

Two of the "Three Blind Mice"

The infamous Shrek Outhouse was turned into a photo booth with props piled high like Shrek ears, Fiona crowns, pig snouts, mouse ears, you name it!

Who doesn't love a candy bar? We had one side filled with sweet, Princess-like treats such as "Just Married" sweet tarts, pink and green swirl pops, gummy lime slices, and candy necklaces.

The other was piled high with candy versions of Shrek's favorite swamp snacks, like gummy centipedes, slugs, and worms, mossy/forest marbled M&Ms, and green sour string "witch's hair".

These gingerbread men had their arms and legs when they started! After being frosted and sprinkled...I don't think a single cookie made it out of the room alive;-)

A four-sided bar with a little something for everyone: a kid's bar filled with tasty apple and pear ciders, and for adults there were multiple wine bars and a station from Tres Agaves serving up the greenest margaritas you've ever laid eyes on.

Speaking of green, the good people of Greennii were a great help in consulting on how to make our event a little "greener". Some earthy-friendly benefits were gift bags made of old plastic bottles, and rather than putting bottles of water in the gift bags, we found the coolest juice box-style waters from Aqua2Go. In addition, all snacks included were natural and organic to do our part in supporting sustainable farming practices. Every little bit counts!

After feasting on sweet and savory treats served on compostable bamboo plates and silverware, all the guests walked over to the Orpheum Theater to catch the real SHREK The Musical in all of its glory. A very fun filled, sarcastic and witty show.

Like we said, with lots of money raised, this truly was a magical evening for all.

Event Planning and Production: WHITNEYfusion events
Photography: Sherman Chu Photography
Additional Photos: Karri Breslin, Kadydid Party Design
Event Decor: Kadydid Party Design
Reception Venue: San Francisco City Hall
Theater: The Orpheum Theater
Linens: La Tavola Linens
Rentals: Classic Party Rentals
Catering: Taste Catering
Lighting and Sound: Trapeze World

Erin Go Bragh!

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 23:52:00 GMT

Waking up today and realizing it was St Patrick’s Day, we immediately started craving corned beef and cabbage. Oh, and then a Guinness…hmmm, haven’t had an Irish Car Bomb in forever; that sounds tasty too.

While we’re an appreciator of traditions, we can’t help but find others who are adding a pinch of "awesome-ness" to the tried-and-true! Here are a few of our delicious findings:

First off, we have a Savory Bread Pudding from The Liberties in San Francisco, CA. With 3 kinds of Irish bangers in it – it’s a stand-alone meal with a Guinness, or try dunking it in some farm-fresh, fried eggs. If you’re going to act like a banshee all afternoon, you need a good breakfast, friends.

Now that our tummy’s rumbling has been tamed, it’s time for a drink! 7x7 Magazine has graciously put together a list of tasty Irish-inspired cocktails to help you avoid another year of green beer.

And to top it all off, an ingenious take on the famous Irish Car Bomb: Guinness & Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes, courtesy of Annie’s Eats food blog. These precious little morsels are made from a Guinness chocolate cake base, filled with Bailey’s spiked ganache, then topped with Bailey’s buttercream frosting. We are drunk with love.

At the end of the day, after enjoying some new-fangled delights; wade your way through the shamrocks and seas of green, pinch a few friends and maybe a foe, and listen to Flogging Molly & Dropkick Murphy's songs blaring at your favorite pub.

Top it all off with a classic. Because, there really is nothing like an honest-to-goodness Irish Car Bomb! Just ask our favorite Boston Terrier, Quinn.

“There are only two kinds of people in the world:

The Irish and those who wish they were.”

Irish Saying

WHITNEYfusion Team

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 20:50:00 GMT

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A Carlsbad Celebration~ Kathleen and Kyle's Wedding

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:50:00 GMT

Our beautiful friend, Kathleen's wedding . So many fun little details that made this wedding special without blowing the budget.

Can you feel the "L"ove??

For an unexpected punch of color, WHITNEYfusion weddings created long strand necklaces for the bridemaids which were clasped with vintage pins - each lady wore hers a little differently to suite her style.

What a gorgeous collection of floral arrangements, thanks to Lois Matthews! Each has its own unique qualities while contributing to the general theme and color scheme. The key is coordination; not matching!

We had the *best* time in San Diego with our besties (we have all know each other since our freshman year at Santa Clara University). A big thanks to Dexter for capturing all the special and unique moments!

All photos by Dexter Lo Photography
Decor and Detail Inspiration: WHITNEYfusion weddings
Day of Coordination: Alison Howard, One and Only Events
Menu Design: Ghilotti Ink
Flowers: Lois Matthews Design
Venue: Carlsbad Sheraton

How Sweet It Is...

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:23:00 GMT

Happy Valentine's Day, Everyone!

All we can think about are treats today... A real gem and reason enough to visit Napa, CA is to get you hands on Annie the Baker cookies. These scrumptious, soft, little mounds of goodness are made with simple, quality ingredients by Annie Baker (and yes, that's really her last name - talk about life calling!) in Yountville, CA.

Annie was kind enough to offer her services and wonderful cookies at the Tug McGraw Foundation's "Evening with Tim McGraw and Friends" event in Yountville, CA on November 13th, 2010; which we had the pleasure of coordinating. Pictures of that event to come soon!

Our favorite way to enjoy this tasty treat is to visit Oxbow Public Market on 1st St in Napa and head to the Ritual Coffee Roasters station for a cappucino and Doodlesnicker (this is Annie's wonderful take on a Snickerdoodle, which includes a hefty dose of cinnamon and love).

As the evidence shows here, we did not stop at one - be warned: you will become addicted and WHITNEYfusion takes no responsibility;-)

You can find Annie the Baker cookies at Napa Style in Yountville, Oxbow Public Market in Napa, or on Annie's website.

WHITNEYfusion events is blogging...finally!

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:35:00 GMT

Friends,
It has been a busy, busy season for the ladies of WHITNEYfusion. As much as we adore so many pretty blogs, our own blog seems to fall by the wayside when things get busy. With events all over San Francisco, Napa, New York, Silicon Valley, and beyond- we've got oodles of great photos and ideas to share with you all! The time has come; we are joining the land of blogging. Check back often!

Lots of Love,
Whitney, Maggi, and Madeline

Photo by Christine Chang Photography at Radonich Ranch, Santa Cruz Mountains, CA

WHITNEYfusion Corporate Events

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:08:00 GMT

At WHITNEYfusion, we have over 20 years of combined experience, we know how to efficiently navigate all aspects of corporate event planning while working within your budget.

From negotiating contracts & facilitating invitation responses, to sending out confirmations and designing an effective space, we can create the ideal meeting and/or entertainment event to suit your needs.