November 2022 Newsletter
Candalada
A Night At the Ritz Carlton
This past November I curated a surprise pj party for my aunty. I opted for the Tyson’s Corner Ritz Carlton because my aunt doesn’t care for driving in cities. Also this hotel offers self parking. Unfortunately, the self parking was very confusing and a few people were very confused (including myself) about how to enter the hotel once parked.
To pull off a truly personal experience I brought an induction cook top which allowed me to heat up the salmon and rice I cooked at home. This allowed us to avoid room service or having to go back out after coming in. We used chaffers to keep the jerk wings warm. The room was filled with the aroma of home cooked food, which in my opinion is even better than the smell of candles.
I told the hotel we were celebrating a birthday in advance. They sent up a complimentary bottle of champagne and dessert.
I packed all of the table settings in a large suite case making it easy to carry through the lobby and not look like was moving in. I brought a Life Time 4ft fold out table but I forgot the black table cloth and could not use it bare, not sexy. There was still enough space between the writing desk and living room table for a dessert display and food display.
The room is called “The Queen Executive Sweet”. It has two bathrooms. One for guest, located on the left as soon as you enter the room. I found this to be very convenient. The main bathroom hosts a traditional tub with shower and a completely separate shower. This way two people can shower at the same time.
Tip: If curating a hotel party be the first to check in with at least 1.5 hours alone. This gives you time to think and set things up with extra options and distraction. Also gives you sometime to put on your make up before everyone arrives.
Stick to simple color schemes. Mine was black and silver. I used elements of the room t o help tie the look together.
Wakanda Forever
I had a Wakanda Forever Pre Movie Party. The purpose of this was for my friends to have a chance to get to know each other. Since the movies are quiet and dark and no place for small talk. The window for celebration was small, from 4:30 pm-6:30 pm and the movie started at 7. Upon reflection I pushed it a little close with a 6:30 pm end time.
The party was like a kid party but for adults. Lots of decorations (the kid part) and lots of real food and drinks (the adult part). We had vegan spaghetti , baked wings, salmon, rice. I was excited to get reviews on the spirits I’ve been collecting on travel.
We went to the Dolby Theater at AMC. After tons of research I decided that seeing and hearing the movie in the format it was created for made the most sense. 17 of us had the best seats in the house, the first elevated row behind the handicapped seating. The movie was long and emotional. The most exciting fact that I learned is the new Black Panther is Guyanese.
