“Nature’s Elegance” was the theme of the exclusive Governors Ball after-party that followed the 68th Emmy Awards telecast in September, as well as for the back-to-back Creative Arts Balls that took place the previous weekend. For event planner Cheryl Cecchetto, president and owner of Sequoia Productions, this was her 19th Emmy Awards Governors Ball. (She has also produced 27 consecutive Academy Awards Governors Balls.) So, daunting as that theme might seem for an event that was held inside the massive space of the Los Angeles Convention Center’s West Hall, Cecchetto took it in stride.
“First, I did my interpretation of pergolas,” Cecchetto says. “They were these massive arms that were 100 feet long that swept through the ceiling treatment like scarves. Think of it as a scarf blowing in the wind. But then hanging from these scarves were unbelievable wisteria and florals and vines. That alone was just mesmerizing. And we were in a fortress of hedges and trees. LA Premier provided the florals— including driftwood and orchids and succulents. Even the furniture was framed by bushes and hedges and florals, as if you were in somebody’s beautifully landscaped backyard.”
The tables were works of art, she says. “There were 12 different table linens and eight different floral table arrangements—a candle here, a candle there, different shapes of driftwood. So while everything felt interrelated, there was also variance.” With three balls, everything had to be turned over quickly. “It was quite a feat to pull off,” Cecchetto admits. “But the nice thing was, we got to use all our hard work and trouble for three events.”
