Jessica's Totally Rad 50th

Event Description

Jessica’s Totally Rad 50th

For those old enough to remember, the ’80s was a wild and crazy time. So when Jessica Rossman decided to celebrate her milestone 50th birthday, she harkened back to her formative years for a blowout bash that recalled the neon decade in all its glory.

Upon entering the venue, the more than 250 guests posed for photos in front of a wall of Andy Warhol-like portraits of Rossman, and sampled ceviche offered by a a mermaid in a bathtub, recalling the 1984 hit movie, Splash. Artist Hanh Tran created an interactive painting of Rossman with a bottle of champagne and invited guests to paint the bubbles. A custom-built wall in the shape of a Rubik’s Cube overflowed with such 1980s candy treats as Nerds, Pop Rocks, Dots, Zotz, Push Pops, and Cracker Jacks available for the taking.

Inside the main room, artist Justin Garcia created a “lite brite” wall composed of more than 1,000 vials of tequila making up Rossman’s portrait, and guests were encourage to pick a vial and imbibe.The fare, catered by David Cordua, centered on ’80s movies, with Mystic Pizza and Corky’s sliders, along with lobster corn dogs and taco salad served in a Fritos bag, washed down with smoking St. Elmo’s Fire drinks and Pretty in Pink Jell-O shots, served by waitresses on roller skates.

A multi-tiered cake, created by For Heaven’s Cake, was decorated with such sugar spun 1980s favorites as the MTV logo, Converse All-Stars tennis shoes, a boom box and the No Duh slogan. Neon-colored slinkies dangled from the ceiling and two Ms. Pac Man machines were popular as guests vied to tally the highest score.

The popular cover band The Space Rockers performed ’80s hits on one stage before the main attraction — the ’80s New Wave band A Flock of Seagulls — took to another stage and performed their greatest hits, including “I Ran (Far Away),” “Space Age Love Song,” “Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You),” and “The More You Live, The More You Love” in a one-hour set that had those on the dance floor rocking out. (The band recently launched a “Lost ’80s Live” tour.)

Elias Events’ Involvement

concept development and creative design
venue selection and management
invitation selection and design
budget development and maintenance
vendor selection and contract negotiations
floral, linen and decor design
entertainment management and coordination
all menu planning