Sea Island Life Magazine Fall/Winter 2014 | Page 53

Tailored Weddings

TOP LEFT AND BOTTOM PHOTOS BY MEL BARLOW

Alison Rinderknecht of Alison Event Planning
and Design has been designing events for more
than 15 years. During her career, she’s synchronized soirées across the country and beyond—
from her home base in San Francisco to Florida
and even international destinations. “We get
the clients that say, ‘We want to have a really
fun party with attention to detail … but we
want it to feel like we just threw it together,’ ”
she explains. Spontaneity is a key element of
the design, but no detail is forgotten.
At Sea Island, themed events are commonplace and, regardless of the number
of attendees, never less than breathtaking.
“People are making their venues into something their guests have never seen before,”
says Elizabeth Killgallon, associate director
of catering at Sea Island.
When Rinderknecht organizes an event,
every detail is perfectly in its place, although
getting all parts to come together seamlessly
can be tricky. When planning events at private homes or other unique venues, part of
the challenge is starting with a blank slate. “I
enjoy working at hotels because it makes my
job easier,” she explains. “They have heating
and lighting, power, staff and food. … For us
[planners], it’s fantastic.”
In collaboration with its decor partners,
Sea Island’s event and design team is a
another resource to help with every detail,
including food, music, lighting, cocktails and
decor, to transform venues into any scene
imaginable. Sea Island has props and furniture at the team’s disposal, helping to ensure
visions are accurately portrayed. “From
draping a tent with chic, custom fabric to

Signature cocktails are a small yet effective detail.

Hobbies and favorite places inspire party themes.

“From draping a tent with chic, custom fabric to mixing and matching
various light fixtures, it is about taking a gorgeous space and tailoring it
to your style, theme and color schematic.”
–ELIZABETH KILLGALLON

is about taking a gorgeous space and tailoring
it to your style, theme and color schematic.”
Killgallon says, adding that these details can
elevate even the smallest gatherings.
Melissa Ippensen, event design manager at
Sea Island, helps create themed weddings of
all sizes. For a couple that met in Italy, she
conceived a family-style food tour through
Tuscany. Likewise, for a couple with a passion
for art collecting, guests strolled along an “art
walk” on The Cloister’s terrace. Meanwhile
a watercolorist painted “en plein air” and

Themes not only provide a memorable
experience but also give insight into hosts’
passions. “A lot of event themes are dictated
by lifestyle trends and hobbies,” Ippensen
says. “In our wedding world, couples are using
what they like to do together as a theme for
their big day.”

Small gatherings can be made special with a theme that expresses facets of the host’s personality.

FALL/WINTER 2014/15 | SEA ISL AND LIFE 53

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