Bring on the birthday cakes, parades and over-the-top decor! Renowned party planner Larry Scott of Lawrence Scott Events created the ultimate birthday bash to celebrate milestones missed during the pandemic—and the celebration of life's most precious moments with those we hold near and dear.
On the walkway sits a 14-foot pineapple atop the birthday cake made for all
Can you tell me a little bit about the concept? Was it a birthday party for those that didn’t get to celebrate? This was an annual party for one of my client’s family and friends. The first party was in 2019, and then the pandemic hit, so instead of doing 50 people last year, they said let’s hold off and sent an invitation out this year that read, ‘Please celebrate your birthday with us.’ It was set to be the biggest birthday blowout ever for all of us.
Larry Scott with some of the gospel singers at the over-the-top bash.
We had a 10-piece band and 40 gospel singers parading down this runway into the tent, where they sang ‘We will, we will rock you’ by Queen into ‘526,000 minutes’ into ‘This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius.’ It was really more of a party to celebrate life—to put your feet back into the ground and make it a love fest.
A black-and-white checkered floor leads guests into the event
Tell me a little bit about the decor. They gave me the theme and let me run with it. There was a 60-foot walkway, and in the front of the walkway where you would valet park, there was a 14-foot pineapple on the top of the cake and it read, ‘Happy Birthday to Me.’ I’m all about runways (because I’m all about the light leading up to the end of the tunnel) and there was black-and-white-checkered floor walking all the way in, so you feel like maybe it’s the black-and-white vibe, but it’s really not… It’s more about the storytelling and fantasy theme. When the doors opened up, the sides of the tent were draped in royal blue pleated fabric, and I custom-made 5-foot square ottomans that were presents that you sat on and the centerpieces were big bows.
The decor was a mashup of beloved childhood characters including princesses, clowns and superheroes.
Then there was a 7-foot mirrored ball with a knot on the end of it and a ribbon coming down so it resembled an oversized balloon that was made out of metal and mirror. There were little fantasy boxes that had, let’s say, Peter Pan, and then another one was Glinda the Good Witch. It was meant to tap into your inner younger self—like what birthdays are meant to be about. On the invitation everyone had to send in a favorite birthday picture from their life, and it was put up on the screen so they became part of the story.
A giant mirrored ball resembling an oversized balloon takes center stage
It seems like a huge celebration of life. It goes back to the way I storytell. I always say my host and hostess are the chandelier of a party. Their guests are the bulbs and we’re the dimmer switch. The bars were all about clowns, the buffet tables were giant bumper cars, and when you went to the bathroom, there were crane games that you could sit and pick up teddy bears that either had tequila attached to them or vodka (and there was another game back there, so the bathroom became another party in itself). It really was like a modern-day Studio 54—all of the seating was in the middle, and I’m all about small dance floors because I believe crowded dance floors make better dance parties. It’s really about dancing with your group.
Gospel singers make their way through the tent singing hit songs like “We Will Rock You” and “Seasons of Love”
What was the playlist like? We had a DJ to start who played… everything. The music was playing throughout the night and everyone was so happy to be out, the music just carried the party. After dinner, in with a big roar 40 gospel singers entered singing “We Will Rock You” by Queen into “The Age of Aquarius” and an array of other high-energy songs. Before they could catch their breath, an implosion of 25 costumed characters from Barney to Spider-Man to a Victoria’s Secret model came out carrying different cakes for everyone to blow out. We had the group singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to everyone, and we all blew out the candles together.
Anything else about the food? At these kinds of things, I’m not sure if food is always necessary to keep. I always say food is food, flowers are flowers, it’s how you present it. I think it was more about the journey and the excitement. I think the food is important, but it is more important later when they’re walking back outside and they think, ‘Where did I just come from?’
What would you call this event? Was it the ultimate birthday? To me, I think it’s called ‘stopping to smell the roses.’ At the end of the day, friends and family are what is really important. I mean, we may not have been able to sit at one long table, but we could still sit outside in one room together and celebrate life. It was all about life and not to forget why we are here—it’s not about money, it’s not about food and it’s not about how many people they had. It was all about who they chose to celebrate with.
Photography by: PHOTOS BY RON ESPOSITO
