Albuquerque, NM Graduation Dinner Party: Black, White and Gold

A modern black, white and gold dinner party we had this summer for a graduation party here in Albuquerque.

I love dinner parties, so when I got the opportunity to do a dinner party for some recent graduates of a training program at our church, I jumped at the chance. There is nothing like throwing a sit down dinner on a summer evening being surrounded by friends eating good food.

My friend Latisha, of Latisha Lyn Photography, had mentioned to me awhile back about wanting to do a styled shoot using black, white and gold. I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to incorporate her original thought and bring it to life in a real party.

Some members of the church had a backyard space that was perfect for the dinner party. Thankfully they agreed to allow us to invade their backyard and we were on track for a night of fun and laughter!

I knew that most of the graduates were male, and I wanted a decidedly masculine feel to the party. So we brought in black tablecloths and bold striped runners. My current obsession is gold so I knew I wanted gold flatware as well as gold chargers for the place settings. I love how it popped against the black and white linens.

The amazing Amy Balsters of Amy Nicole Floral Studio did the flowers. She created the tight and tailored look we were trying to achieve with the pops of color I wanted to keep the space fresh and bright.

 

 

Our friend Greg Mays of Simple-Cocktails.com created four signature cocktails for the event. His drinks hit all the right notes and added to the wonderful ambiance of the evening. Go here for the recipes.

 

 

Our incredible caterers served appetizers of individual salads in cups, roasted apricots with mascarpone cheese, and a nut and crackers platter. For the main dish we served beef wellington (or chicken for the none beef eaters) with roasted artichokes, asparagus and baby potatoes. For dessert we had butterscotch budino (Only the best dessert EVER).

Latisha photographed the evening in a unique way that was appreciated by all who attended. She was able to capture moments- little snippets in time- that reveal the fun time had by all.

 

Photography: Latisha Lyn Photography at http://latishalyn.com

Coordination and Styling: Shannon Qualls

Floral Design: Amy Nicole Floral Studio at amydoesflowers.com

Bar: Greg Mays at http://simple-cocktails.com

Catering: Darren Berry and Natalie Slade of Cucina Veloce