London, UK
Creative Design, Event Management, Private Events
60 Guests
32 Cocktail Variations
320 Candles
It was an all around wonderful experience planning my party with MGN Events!
It was wonderful, Hanneke did a fantastic job taking care of me every step of the way! Everyone at MGN was so welcoming and helpful, alleviating all my big and little anxieties quickly and ensuring my party was a success! I felt very heard, taken care of and cannot recommend them enough!
OBJECTIVE
Our client came to us with a clear vision: to celebrate her 30th birthday in London true style, surrounded by close friends and family from across the world. With roots in Switzerland and a life spent between countries, languages and cultures, this milestone wasn’t just a party, it was a meaningful gathering of the people who had shaped her journey so far.
The event needed to feel elegant, personal, and full of character, with moments of surprise, creativity and emotion throughout. And most importantly, it needed to be entirely hers: no overdone themes, no borrowed ideas, just a beautiful, thoughtful expression of her personality and story.
Confidentiality was also essential. Our client is well-known within her field, and trusted us to plan and deliver a seamless experience while keeping every detail discreet from venue logistics to guest privacy. It’s something we take pride in: creating standout private events with total respect for our clients’ privacy.
Our goal was clear; Design an intimate, luxurious and creative 30th birthday in London, with character and charm. Our client celebrates her birthday each year with intention and style. This year, she wanted something extraordinary: a bespoke party that reflected her passions, her career, and the people who matter most to her.
She wanted the location to feel rich in personality, ideally somewhere with history, warmth, and a connection to literature or storytelling. She asked for an aesthetic that felt grown-up but creative, with moody, rich tones of gold and purple, and a visual identity that would speak to her love of books and her strength of character.
The tone was clear: elegant, intimate and warm. Less of a themed party more of a moment, shared.
The Brief
Create a private party for 60 guests, with a venue that balances style and intimacy and curate every detail to reflect the client’s world.
Our involvement began with a venue search. The location needed to feel tucked away, full of charm, and suitable for both dining and dancing. We proposed The Belvedere in Holland Park, a former 17th-century summer ballroom with elegant rooms, warm Italian architecture and a quirky terrace overlooking the gardens. The client loved it, and we secured exclusive hire.
From there, we led on creative direction, styling, entertainment, production, logistics and guest experience. Every detail needed to feel seamless, personal and intentional — and designed with her in mind.
What We Did
We designed a party where every detail told part of her story.
A creative, considered atmosphere
The Belvedere’s Tuscan palette provided a beautiful base, but we softened and reimagined the space with a new scheme of dark pinks, purples and antique gold. Long banquet tables dressed in dusk pink linens, grey napkins and elegant round-backed chairs created a sense of occasion. Gold-sprayed books were layered throughout, a nod to the client’s love of literature and her career as a writer, along with different-sized candles brought warmth and glow to every surface.
The floral design was rich and vibrant with bud vases and larger arrangements filling the tables, bar and bookshelves with deep pinks, purples and soft greens. On the staircase and terrace, pillar candles lit the way creating a soft transition between spaces as the evening unfolded.
Personal touches with purpose
Our client wanted to make her guests feel seen and appreciated so we wove those sentiments into the stationery and table design. Personalised menus and drinks lists followed the purple and gold scheme. Place cards were crafted as bespoke bookmarks, each with a heartfelt printed message on the back: a thank you for being part of her life story. Table names were taken from her favourite books, a quiet, creative thread that ran through the evening.
A custom neon sign above the DJ booth read “Talk Thirty to Me”, and a tower of purple and gold macarons from a London pâtisserie marked the moment when guests sang happy birthday. Every element for this 30th birthday in London was designed to feel both fun and deeply personal.
A warm, flowing guest journey
Guests were welcomed upstairs in the Torrino Room for drinks and canapés, where a terrace overlooked the park below. Champagne flowed and a DJ played soft background music as guests caught up and settled in.
Dinner followed downstairs in the main restaurant, where a bespoke menu was created through two tastings. In the spirit of Italian family dining, the meal was served on sharing platters: from wild sea bass ceviche and Apulian burrata to grilled mint lamb, saffron ravioli, and heritage salads. Dessert was panna cotta with coulis and bowls of fresh berries, relaxed yet refined.
Back upstairs, cocktails were served while we reset the Torrino Room for dancing. Dining tables were swapped out for low seating, the lighting shifted, and the DJ stepped up the pace now joined by a roaming saxophonist, who brought guests onto the dancefloor and kept the energy high well into the night.
Drinks were poured from a bespoke bar menu with margaritas, pisco sours and lychee martinis garnished with edible flowers. The atmosphere at this 30th birthday in London was relaxed, joyful and fully in flow.
Production and planning behind the scenes
As with all private events, the magic is in making it feel effortless. But with a central London venue, Notting Hill Carnival taking place the same weekend, and access only via a gated park entrance, detailed planning for this 30th birthday in London was essential.
We managed supplier scheduling to work within tight access windows and coordinated transport, accommodation and catering for the full team. The venue had a more relaxed operating style, which required our team to lead with precision and professionalism, filling in the gaps, pre-empting every need, and ensuring the client could simply enjoy the day without concern.
Luxury cars transported the client and her family to the venue, and discreet security gave everyone peace of mind throughout.
The Results
A milestone birthday made truly personal
This was a party that brought people together from across the world. From the shared laughter over dinner to the dancing late into the evening, this 30th birthday in London was a celebration full of warmth, connection and style, delivered with calm professionalism behind the scenes.
As a company, we take privacy seriously, particularly for our private clients. Our job is to deliver extraordinary experiences while protecting our clients’ personal world. This project was a brilliant example of that balance: full of personality, but never public.
Planning your own 30th birthday in London? Get in Touch with one of our expert party planners to discover our magic.
