Celebrating the Decades 50th Birthday Party at National Union Building

When your clients say they want “rowdy, boisterous gaiety” at their combined milestone 50th birthday party, you give them what they want! Both love live music and so a live band was a must.

They wanted a venue that said you are attending something special, could accommodate a band, but also a quieter place for conversation and games for those who do not want to dance. National Union Building in Washington, DC, a historic building built in 1890, provided a unique ambiance for this celebration. With 3 separate but connected spaces throughout 2 floors, we knew we had the opportunity for a progressive event design – where you move through different experiences in each space.

Using a subtle music thread, we decided on a “Celebration of the Decades.” Guests entered the party experiencing disco era of the 1970s, to the neon of the 1980s, and finally with music of 1990s through today.

Design Highlights:

• As guests entered the first floor, they encountered a more refined and subtle version of a 1970s, disco aesthetics, with touches of disco balls and sequin textures.
• Especially fun was the neon rope light on the staircase railing that led guests to the second floor. Because, you can never have enough neon.
• As guests approached the 2nd floor, the South Room featured an 80s style, complete with slinkies and Rubiks cubes for decor and bold colors. Even the bathroom got a special touch with that famous phone number from the song, Jenny by Tommy Tutones.
• On the second floor, if you didn’t feel like dancing, we provided guests with casino games, a photobooth, and a foosball table.
• No party is complete without custom cocktails napkins for an extra touch of fun. All related to dancing through the decades.
• For the music lovers, we selected subtle but fun touches with pillow covers of album covers and cassette tapes of favorite bands.