Bodun’s 50th Birthday – Day 2

In our last blog, we shared the first day of Bodun’s 50th birthday celebration – an African chic-styled welcome dinner which was held at the gorgeous One and Only Hotel, in Cape Town. Guests danced the night away despite many struggling with jet lag and long day of exploring Cape Point – an iconic tourist attraction in Cape Town with a diverse plant life, wildlife and a spectacular promontory.

Bodun was initially unsure of what to do on the second day of celebrations. He was concerned that his guests may still be jetlagged or just tired from their travels, so we needed to be mindful of that when putting the proposal together. He had also asked about the possibility of a lunch or dinner on the beach. Knowing that the weather in Cape Town in August is very unpredictable and still pretty wet and cold, we knew a sunny beach day wasn’t going to be likely. Our thinking was to do something where his guests could see Cape Town at its finest, have a beach experience (in winter!), and for the activities to require little energy but have maximum impact.

Our first thought was to have the first activity start mid-morning so guests could have a little lie in in the morning, and then head out for the day’s activities. We proposed a yacht charter followed by a long lazy lunch at The Grand Café in Granger Bay. The guests would then get a beach experience with a fantastic Plan B in place should the weather be miserable.

Despite all the excitement on the first day of the celebration, guests got up bright and early and dressed up in their ‘all white’ attire, the dress code requested for by the birthday boy, ready for the days’ festivities. Cape Town, infamous for its diverse daily weather patterns, threw in a curve ball that we, as professional event planners, are pretty used to dealing with.

The captain of the yacht advised that the weather would be better suited for the yacht cruise later in the day so, in true event planner fashion, we swiftly rearranged the itinerary to best suit the conditions. The guests were treated to an earlier lunch at The Grand Café while overlooking the breath-taking view of Table Bay. Greek Salads and Tempura Prawns were served for starters, followed by Mussel Coconut Broth and Veal Piccata, with delectable chocolate pots and cheesecake served as dessert. As the day drew to an end, the weather cleared up beautifully and we got the go-ahead for the cruise.

Bodun and his guests set sail on the yacht for a sunset cruise, none the wiser of the behind-the-scenes re-shuffling of all the suppliers involved in the day – from re-scheduling the busses transporting the guests, to re-arranging the photographer and videographers schedule, whilst waiting on tenterhooks for the go-ahead for this highly anticipated yacht charter.

Snacks and drinks were served to the guests on the yacht while they watched the sun set over the endless horizon of water. After a two- and half-hour cruise, the yacht docked back at the V&A Waterfront and guests disembarked, excited for what was to come for the final day of festivities.