The Challenge

Beechwood Cancer Care had always been close to our heart here at Saving Grace Events. The theme ‘An Afternoon in Paris’ had already been agreed, and Beechwood brought us in to bring this theme to reality. Beechwood wanted to maximise fundraising for the charity and also satisfy expectations of existing supporters, whilst also generating new interest and potential sponsors.

A round banquet table is elegantly laid with wine bottles, glasses, and cutlery, featuring a pink Coco Chanel card and a miniature Eiffel Tower centrepiece under purple lighting in a formal event space.
A pink event programme titled An Afternoon in Paris Ladies' Lunch sits next to a place setting with forks, knives, spoons, and a wine glass on a white tablecloth.

The Solution

So, as promised we brought Paris to Manchester!  We created a traditional Parisian street as the centrepiece to the event, complete with Arc de Triomphe and Champs’s Elysees. We accessorised the event with authentic looking street signs and lanterns, and the Parisian street also doubled as a catwalk and central stage.  The whole atmosphere oozed Parisian charm! To maximise fundraising and add an extra dimension to the event, a Parisian market flanked the far end of the room, where guests could buy gifts, jewellery etc.

A well-lit jewellery display at a market or fair shows necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings arranged on stands and trays, with various designs and materials visible on a long table.
Make-up products, including boxed palettes and lipsticks, are neatly arranged on a white tablecloth with display cards and small graphic decorations. The setting appears clean and well-organised.

The catwalk design spanned the length of the room to ensure that guests had a premium view, regardless of the table location and all guests could interact with the immersive, pop up entertainment throughout the afternoon. Entertainment started with a Parisian Street-Style, 3-piece jazz band and was followed by can-can dancers, fire breathers and renowned singer Paul Pashley’s velvet tones.

Three dancers in colourful can-can dresses perform on a stage, lifting their skirts to reveal ruffled petticoats, with an audience seated at round tables in the background.
A woman in a sequinned dress walks on a catwalk juggling flaming batons, with seated guests watching. Two street signs and performers in similar outfits are visible near the stage.

We worked closely with Mark & Spencer and popular clothing brand Forever Unique for a catwalk show. Charlotte Tilbury also provided the glamour for make-up. We choreographed a 20-minute sophisticated but fun, high-energy fashion show and managed the show back and front stage.  We were working with both professional models and survivors of cancer, so our job was to make them look and feel incredible and give them the confidence to take on the catwalk and they most certainly did!

Two models walk down a catwalk at a fashion show, surrounded by seated audience members. One model wears a floral dress, the other a white frilled dress. A sign reading EIFFEL TOWER is visible on the right.
A woman in a blue dress walks on a catwalk, smiling. An audience sits on both sides, and a cameraman films her. Signs and dining tables are visible in the background.

We love an after-party, so we treated VIP Guests to Parisian themed cocktails up in the skyline bar. The stunning views, overlooking the city with Jazz singer Jane Ralph, kept the party going into the early evening.

A woman in a black floral dress speaks at a lectern on a stage, surrounded by streetlamp props and Paris landmark signs. Seated guests watch from decorated tables in the background.
Three musicians perform indoors: a guitarist sits to the left, a double bassist stands in the middle, and a singer stands to the right holding a mic. Decorative street signs and lamp-posts are in the background.

The Result

We received some amazing verbatim feedback from guests at the event. The overwhelming response was 90% of guests said they would definitely return next year and it was a well put together and sophisticated event! We also added an additional revenue stream by suggesting a live auction item which raised £2500 that otherwise wouldn’t have been raised for the charity.