Will You Accept this Rosé? PartySlate’s Spring Soirée in Chicago

photographer: Lacour Images | design & decor: Kehoe Designs | venue: River Roast Social House

by Pamela Rothbard, Editor

On April 2, influencers and event professionals gathered at Chicago’s River Roast Social House to raise an after-work glass of rosé — toasting to warmer seasons and PartySlate’s exciting new website features. PartySlate has steadily grown to become the go-to website for party hosts planning everything from weddings and corporate events to birthday parties and Bar and Bat Mitzvahs.

The “Will You Accept this Rosé?” celebration’s cheeky title and theming were inspired by The Bachelor franchise. Fittingly, the much-buzzed-about Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise break-out star, Jordan Kimball, was on hand to answer our tough questions and pose for photos galore. The event’s guest list also included Chicago lifestyle influencers like Hannah Caldwell of A Little Bit of Fringe and Alex from Sassy Confetti, as well as top event professionals, including event planners, caterers, and photographers.

The event’s décor, curated by Kehoe Designs, wove the blush tones of rosé into visions of summer. Palms mixed with exotic island blooms like hibiscus in modern gold vases created a glam tropical feel. Guests mingled in a luxe lounge area rich with texture with fur-covered seats, raspberry velvet stools, and a dusty rose velvet couch, all set alongside brass accents. BlackOak Technical Productions conjured a pretty-in-pink lighting scheme, and BBJ Linen provided gorgeous “mermaid-style” table linens with sequins that shifted color when swiped.

And what’s a rosé-themed event without a rosé fountain? Attendees dipped their glasses under flowing cascades of The Palm by Whispering Angel. Guests also sipped curated cocktails like River Roast’s French 75 featuring Big Machine Vodka while enjoying the stunning waterfront city views offered by the venue. Passed bites included the elevated (dates wrapped in bacon with goat cheese) and the comfort (mini fried chicken sliders), plus the downright glam in the form of a raw bar displayed on a dramatic ice sculpture. Guests enjoyed oysters, crab legs, and shrimp from the dramatically “cool” display.

Attendees followed savory with sweet by indulging in Spin Spun All-Natural Confections’ cotton candy, which was shaped into roses in a nod to the Bachelor’s popular flower.

LaCour Images even captured Kimball on one knee offering a spun rose to a member of the Spin Spun team. Partygoers posed for Chicago GIF’s modern photo booth, which allowed guests to send animated photos to their phones. Guests posed with fun props from Molly E. Fallon Art + Design between colorful glowing palms against a PartySlate branded backdrop created by Kehoe Designs and creatively illuminated in changing hues by BlackOak Technical Productions.

Fortune Teller & Lipsologist, Michael Kett, was on hand making meaning from guests’ lipstick prints, while DJ Brent Rolland from Fig Media curated the perfect soundtrack for the evening, mixing current hits with feel-good favorites of the past. The music was paused for PartySlate CEO and Co-Founder, Julie Roth Novack, to interview Kimball. She grilled him on all things Bachelor-related and uncovered some interesting tidbits.

When asked about how he got cast on the show, Kimball replied, “With reality TV, you want someone that can speak and talk about all kinds of things. You want to be vocal otherwise there’s no show — and I had really awesome hair!”

We also discovered that he was surprised about how he came off on the show, saying, “So I went on and I was myself, and I did a lot of interviews. I had hours and hours in interviews daily saying funny things, and some things were probably taken as mean things. I went on and I was talking about what was going on in the house, and I got back, and I was like hold on a sec… I think I was the villain this season.”

When Novack asked about his return as a hero on Bachelor in Paradise, Kimball said, “I went to “Paradise,” and I was the same exact person. Then I was really nervous — I had this awesome love story on Paradise, like they can’t make me the villain. And they didn’t. So they turned it all around and now I’m a sweetheart. You know, just like most golden retrievers.”

At the end of the evening, guests went home with not only good memories, but also a colorful succulent from Kehoe Designs’ succulent station and rose macarons in adorable packages from Toni Patisserie & Cafe.

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