All Posts Filed Under ‘Parties’

Dancing on Dandeana

We are big fans of DANCING WITH THE STARS so we were thrilled when the show approached us about allowing our favorite couple Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough to come aboard and practice for their nautical themed performance in Week Three. They chose the Dandeana (my personal favorite) to hone their Quickstep routine because its second floor party deck is perfect for dancing! We thought the judges (Len, we’re talking to you) were a bit hard on them for not adhering to regulation Quickstep but there is no doubt they gave a spectacular performance. Although we can’t take credit for their routine, we can’t help but feel that a little FantaSea magic helped them move forward in the competition. Be sure to tune in Monday and vote for our favorite couple!

Kim Kardashian's ShoeDazzle Celebrates 1 Year!

Kim Kardashian may not have won top honors on DWTS but her star is certainly on the rise in Hollywood. Even if you don’t watch KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS, you’ve no doubt seen her on the cover of every magazine from Us Weekly to People to Playboy. The details of her life are fodder for the tabloids, you’ve seen her mixing it up with her sisters on E!, and if you were in Marina Del Rey on April 22nd, you may have seen her boarding the Dandeana. The entrepreneurial reality star’s company came aboard to host Shoe Dazzle’s 1st Anniversary party where guests (wearing “to die for” shoes) snacked on delicious hors d’oeuvres and grooved to the tunes of a celebrity guest DJ. The luxury yacht was dressed to the nines in black and ivory linens, accented with notes of hot fuchsia and gorgeous flowers to complete the look.
Kim co-founded ShoeDazzle, following the path of Bag, Borrow Or Steal (of Sex and the City fame) with the idea that every woman deserves to have a great pair of shoes, hand picked just for her by a Hollywood stylist.

For more pictures of the ever stylish Dandeana, visit our flickr page.

Having the opportunity to coordinate many of the events here at FantaSea, I marvel at the creativity that I see making these special events so…well, special! From hand made invitations and place card holders, to heartfelt gift favors and rhyming speeches; our guests never cease to amaze me at how they put their thumbprint on their special event.

As I write this, I am reminded of my sister’s wedding three years ago.  She and her then fiancée chose to turn the very plain Veteran’s hall of Clovis, California, into an Italian themed reception to compliment our family’s heritage.  Complete with red checkered tablecloths, Chianti in baskets and faux grapes hanging from the ceiling.  When I walked in, my eyes went immediately to the Karaoke DJ in the corner and the ear plug guest favors at each place setting and thought…oh brother, how on earth are we related???  Well, with my tummy stuffed with antipasto, I joined the conga line dancing around the room, I ended up having the best time!  It was the most fun wedding my family has had in a long time and reflecting upon it now…it was so perfectly them!!!

It all starts with a date, a time and a place…and the ideas tend to just flow from there.  Some of our guests come in with a theme already, just looking for a venue to compliment.  Others will see our venues and let the ideas build from there.  We have turned the yacht club into everything from a European Bistro complete with working water fountain, to a Dr. Seuss inspired wonderland.  Our yachts have been transformed into pirate ships and cruising Hawaiian luau’s and just about everything in between.

Though these transformations are incredible, it’s really the little things, those extra special touches that I have seen along the way that I think set each event apart from one another.  Here are a few photos of some of my favorite things, there are almost too many to include!

The best events are the ones that reflect you. After all…it is your celebration, it should be about you!

She’s off! That little girl so small that her first back-pack nearly swallowed her.  Our daughter, Chella, is the first of our children to leave the nest.  FantaSea’s first G3er heading off to college.  Happily residing now at the University of California at Santa Cruz – we are officially a Banana Slug Family.

We parted ways like many other families – well wishes and promises of boxes to be shipped, iChat appointments and video conferencing so that everyone could keep in touch.  Our drive home was a quiet ride, as if protecting the space she had occupied on the 6.5 hour drive there, left time to reflect on the years past and the many celebratory times in our lives.

One big celebration that took place this year was Chella’s Graduation Party aboard the Dandeana.  The excitement surrounding her planning, the event itself and watching the fruition of all her hard work was evident in the faces of her friends, her trusted confidants and her many thank you letters afterwards for her friendship and a great party.  In thinking of her time spent working so hard throughout the years, it was only fitting to reward her for a job well done.  It was amazing for us, as her family, and the FantaSea staff that came to know her as a toddler, watch her all grown up, and joining in the joy and celebration of her graduation.

Time may fly, but memories are forever. The fun and energy of her graduation party aboard the Dandeana will last in all of our minds forever.  Plus, lucky for her parents…we are in the party business!