Teddy Bear Party Raises $21,000 for Charity, Collects 700+ Teddy Bears For Children's Medical Center

The Teddy Bear Party at the West End Event Center was a smashing success. This image shows one of three
rooms with lighting from Dallas Light and Sound in signature holiday colors. DJ Brandon Moses is shown working
the crowd from a custom designed and installed DJ booth from Dallas Light and Sound.

On Saturday night, December 13th, more than 600 revelers came together for The Teddy Bear Party for an evening of fund, food, great music and charity. One week ago today the event organizers donated 710 teddy bears to Children’s Medical Center - which is 19% more than in 2013! In addition to the teddy bear donation, TBP raised $21,000 for three charities, 30% more than 2013! Charities that will receive the funds are Family Equality Council, Equality Texas and Stand Up 2 Cancer. The event took place at the West End Event Center - a three room venue featuring built in bars and a unique floorplan.

More than 700 Teddy Bears were donated
by attendees at the Teddy Bear Party.
This Teddy bear Tree display is a creation of
Dalls Light and Sound

Dallas Light and Sound returned for our second year to The Teddy Bear Party to provide production services for the event including event planning and design assistance; three rooms of lighting in holiday signature colors of blue, green and red; Christmas décor throughout including 10 brilliant white lighted trees; pipe and drape; and a red carpet stand and repeat experience. DJ Brandon Moses kept the crowd jumping with a sparkling mix of HiNRG dance music. Ben E. Keith, One Bar, and Willa Vodka sponsored all of the beverages for this year's event which featured three separate bars with the finest Bar 10 bartenders. Ophelia’s New Soul Restaurant provided tasty bites for the evening.



Teddy Bear Party Founders and Principal
Organizers Joe Riggs and Jason Hanna

The Teddy Bear Party is organized principally by Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs, with the able assistance of an all-volunteer host committee. The Teddy Bear Party started in 2009 as a small Christmas house party of seventy-five friends who got together, have a few cocktails, laughs, and spread the holiday cheer. The annual event originated as a tree trimming party for the first year but transformed into a toy drive for Toys for Tots the following year.

Event organizers deliver 700
teddy bears to Children's Medical Center

Following the loss of Jason’s mother to cancer, and with the continued expansion in attendance at the event, the scope of the event has expanded considerably. Organizers of the group have sought and received 501C3 non-profit status, have raised a total of $48,750 for area charities, and have donated more than 1,900 Teddy bears to children who are suffering.

Thank you to the event organizers for choosing Dallas Light and Sound for production services again for this year's Teddy Bear Party. To learn more about the organization, visit the Teddy Bear Party on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/540801582614956/?fref=ts . To view an album of images from the event, visit the Dallas Light and Sound photo albums at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10155003619815245.1073741864.401445150244&type=1

Aimee and Ryan are a Cool Couple who are very much in ... L O V E !

The Wall Gallery, located on Dragon Street in the Design District, is a unique venue that
works perfectly for wedding receptions of 100 or fewer attendees.

Congratulations to Aimee and Ryan, who were wed earlier this month before an intimate group of friends at family at the Wall Gallery in the Design District. We are very thankful to have played a major role in celebrating the love these two wonderful people obviously feel for each other.

The courtyard at The Wall Gallery is very unique for art galleries
located in the Design District, and lends itself to cocktails
and casual conversation.

Aimee and Ryan’s choice of the Wall Gallery for both their ceremony and reception perfectly reflects their personalities - easy going, smart, laid back, and very focused on the happiness of their closest friends and family. From the non-traditional venue to the eclectic choice of music (both for the wedding and for the reception), to the carefully selected beverages, this couple provided a beautiful experience for their guests that looked and felt effortless.

Kristi Kirkpatrick at the Wall Gallery is a delight to work with – and her gallery is absolutely perfect for receptions of 100 or fewer attendees. Aimee and Ryan’s reception welcomed approximately 85 guests. The floorplan for the evening, which was designed by Dallas Light and Sound, featured both inside and outside seating. The inside seating was arranged theatre style with a combination of 60” rounds and 30” highboys positioned in a semi-circle so that all attendees could see the ceremony, which took place right inside of the Wall Gallery font doors. The seating arrangement meant that before and after the ceremony, the visual focus of the evening was on the courtyard, which featured DLS highboys crowned with silver candelabras and white taper candles. Aimee was resplendent entering through the courtyard and her white dress looked lovely against our black carpet entry – chosen to echo the black elements present in the floor to ceiling window and door framing that separates the main gallery from the courtyard.

Linens for the evening consisted of white with white organza overlays in the courtyard. In the main gallery space we utilized cream linens throughout and cream organza overlays on the highboys. The choice of cream linens inside the gallery added warmth to the space and helped to bring together the “total look.” The white linens outside reflected the white walls of the gallery while bringing a touch of grandeur to the courtyard. Soaring florals from Parc21 were the crowning element that completed the “look” inside of the gallery. Their 4 foot tall golden vases picked up on the gold Chiavari chairs supplied by Dallas Light and Sound which looked lovely against our cream linens – and all together brought warmth and a special touch of sparkle to the room.

The retrained yet elegant décor for this reception allowed the artwork in the gallery to really “pop”. Since some that artwork included recent works by Dallas Pop Artist Johnathan Kimbrell – the look of the room really sang and spoke to the fun personality of the couple.

In addition to providing tables, chairs, linens, and décor elements for this reception, Dallas Light and Sound provided DJ services for the evening with DJ Tony Dean curating tracks that fit a very unique playlist supplied by the bride and groom. Artists played during the reception included Blind Pilots, Fitz and the Tantrums, Alabama Shakes, The Rolling Stones, The Black Keys, and Ray Lamontagne. One look at this list and its obvious – Aimee and Ryan are a cool couple with cool friends. Thanks so much for allowing Dallas Light and Sound to help you plan your big day.

Congratulations to April and Best - Newlyweds!

Congratulations to April and Best, our December 6^th Bride and Groom who were married in a beautiful ceremony at Texas Discovery Gardens, followed by a stunning reception in the TDG Grand Hall.

The layout for the reception was based on a floorplan designed by Dallas Light and Sound in cooperation with Sugar City Sweets and Celebrations. This intimate reception saw the Grand Hall divided into three separate sections. Utilizing 12 foot tall white pipe and drape from Dallas Light and Sound aligned with columns that are already present in the building, the Grand Hall was transformed for their reception.

The first section comprised approximately 25% of the total space, situated adjacent to the Butterfly House entry door from the gardens, and hosted cocktails following the reception. The central section, comprising 50% of the Grand Hall, was utilized for dinner seating and dancing. A second line of pipe and white drape created the “third” Grand Hall section most close to the kitchen. This third part of the Grand Hall was kept closed until later in the evening when service staff executed a grand reveal for buffet and food station service.

A custom Lounge Furniture installation in the cocktail lounge portion of the Grand Hall provided a welcome place for guests to rest and converse as they sipped their beverages following the ceremony which took place on the Discovery Gardens Circular Lawn. The arrangement of the furniture pieces benefitted from the designer touch of Neale Jones, who oversaw the event for Dallas Light and Sound. All of the furnishings utilized in the design come from our inventory of event furnishings. Guests were treated to a gorgeous view of the bride and groom cakes in this space, with cake lighting from Dallas Light and Sound. The lounge furniture installation looked great both during the daytime, and took on a new level of appeal as the sun fell and up lighting began to wash over the space.

The central dining section featured a bride and groom initial projection and uplighting that changed to a darker and more vivid color as the evening progressed. Texture washes on the proscenium arch spanning the main stage provided a perfect complement to a traditional long head table, which was situated on the stage.

Dancefloor lighting brought the evening to life with both romantic and energetic lighting programmed for the evening by Dallas Light and Sound. The up lighting and texture wash for the evening from Dallas Light and Sound served as a great companion to a visually impressive linens and floral package from Sugar City. Chiavari chairs completed the look.

Separating the room into three sections made the space very intimate and very “special”. We count this TDG wedding among our clear favorites for 2014. April and Best’s vision for their reception represent a compelling designer finish out for the Grand Hall. We recommend considering this approach if less than 125 are seated for dinner.

To find out more about selecting some or all of these features for your reception or party at this beautiful facility, give us a call. Dallas Light and Sound is a preferred vendor at Texas Discovery Gardens.

 

 

 

Fashion X Dallas Recap Video Shows the Excitement of Three Days of Fashion at Fashion Industry Gallery

 

This stunning video from Boxless Entertainment captures the excitement of Fashion X Dallas - a three day event held at Fashion Industry Gallery in November. Dallas Light and Sound provided the exterior branding and red carpet walk up experience seen in the first few moments of the video - we also designed and provided lighting for all three days of the fashion show and for the VIP lounge.

A custom gobo installation from Dallas Light and Sound
greeted Fashion X Dallas patrons as they arrived
at the Fashion Industry Gallery.

Fashion X produces high end live fashion events that showcase emerging fashion designers alongside national brands and sponsors. Designers at the inaugural Fashion X Dallas included several project runway alums, local designers, and emerging and established designers from around the world - 26 in total.

Designers showcased at the inaugural event included...  League of Rebels, Laura Kathleen, Mychael Knight, Melissa Fleis, Korto Momolu, Ross Bennett, Michelle Lesniak Franklin - Project Runway Season 11, La Miniatura, Romás by Linda Rowe Thomas, Edo Popken of Switzerland, Rare Trends and many more.



Fashion Blogger Cynthia Smooth with
Project Runway Alums
Michelle Lesniak and Daniel Esquivel

For additional information about the 2014 event, and to check in for details about preparations for the 2015 edition, visit the Fashion X website at http://fashionxdallas.com/ and visit their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FashionXDallas.

To view videos from each designer that showed at Fashion X Dallas, visit the Fashion X YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJr1_a-2Evb4ezu38-UX1hQ

 

Burgers and Burgundy Benefitting DIFFA/Dallas Is a Smashing Sucess

On Friday, October 3^rd, Dallas’ stylish and charitable socialites gathered with celebrity chefs at the gorgeous estate of Bill and Karen Seanor to attend and produce the sixth annual Burgers and Burgundy event benefitting DIFFA/Dallas. Celebrity chef John Tesar of local hot spots Knife and Spoon rounded up his top chef friends to prepare bite-size burgers paired with Burgundy wines and cocktails which guests sipped while enjoying inspired creations, which ranged from traditional beef burgers to versions with lamb, turkey and pulled pork. Many of the grills during this sexy outdoor celebration were the following chefs:

This Park Place Volvo looks beautiful under lighting
from Dallas Light and Sound

Patton Robertson (Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck), John Tesar (Knife & Spoon Bar & Kitchen), Kent Rathbun (Abacus), Brian Zenner (Oak), Nick Jimenez (Cook Hall), Blaine Staniford (Grace), Kevin Williamson (Ranch 616), Samir Dhurandhar (Nick & Sam’s), Stephen Rogers (Gemma), Kyle Mcclelland (Proof and Pantry), Tre Wilcox (Cooking Concepts by Tre Wilcox ), T.J. Lengnick (Shinsei), Sharon Van Meter (3015 Trinity Groves).
 

Burgers and Burgundy benefiting DIFFA/Dallas
gets underway as the sun begins to set.

As guests arrived many took the opportunity to purchase a ticket for the Park Place Volvo raffle benefitting DIFFA/Dallas. Lighting for the car at the entrance and for the entire event was designed, provided and installed by Dallas Light and Sound. This sixth annual edition of Burgers and Burgundy is the second to take place at the Seanor estate – but the first to take place predominantly at night. Neale Jones with Dallas Light and Light Sound worked closely with  event co-chairs Noel Rodriguez and Lee Borchert, to devise a plan to provide guests with an “illuminated” experience. Jones is a former Board of Directors Member of DIFFA Dallas and is the only person in the organization’s history to chair their annual gala event twice.
 

Café or midway lighting from Dallas Light and Sound
illuminates the crowd at Burgers and Burgundy.

Cafe lighting installed by Dallas Light and Sound illuminated the main food service area, with each chef station spotlighted so that the chefs and their staff could see to prepare the food. A special welcome area from event sponsor Celebrity Cruises featured a photo op and gift bags, also illuminated with lighting from Dallas Light and Sound.

DIFFA/Dallas’ Chairman of the Board, Clint Bradley, took the stage mid evening to announce that this year marks the 25^th Celebration of DIFFA/Dallas’ annual gala, House of DIFFA, to be held on March 7, 2015 at the Omni Hotel in downtown Dallas. Bradley announced that the upcoming gala, set for March 7, 2015, at the Omni Dallas, will have a theme that pays tribute to the organization’s place during the past 25 years in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

In addition to lighting the entrance, main food service area, and the Celebruty Cruise experience, Dallas Light and Sound provided lighting for the stage and for the adjacent dancelfoor, which Hunter Sullivan and his band kept jumping throughout the night. At the end of the evening, a playlist provided by Craig Canant from Dallas Light and Sound closed out the night.

Color wash lighting highlights architectural elements and signage lighting
from Dallas Light and Sound helps deliver the organization's message to
illuminate the night at DIFFA/Dallas Burgers and Burgundy.

 

 

Celebrity Cruises provided an interactive experience, and gift bags, for the patrons of
Burgers and Burgundy benefitting DIFFA/Dallas.
Dallas Light and Sound designed and provided lighting for the Celebrity Cruise area.

 

 

Dancefloor and bandshell lighting from Dallas Light and Sound provided
a colorful spot of energy and excitement at Burgers and Burgundy, benefitting DIFFA/Dallas.



The Blue Plate Special to Benefit Creative Arts Center of Dallas on Sept 27 at the PV14 House

On September 27^th the home of Barbara & Matt Mooney, the architecturally significant PV14 House at Peavy & Buckner will serve as the backdrop for 2014 The Blue Plate Special – an event benefiting Creative Arts Center of Dallas.

The Blue Plate special includes of small, decorated, donated ceramic plates which are given to event attendees. Those are joined by larger plates which are designed by well-known artists and art instructors as auction items. Libations, terrific food, a silent auction, and entertainment from the Booker T Washington jazz band will round out a memorable evening. Honorary chairs for The Blue Plate Special are Linda and David Hickman. Celebrity stylist Todd Hedrick is the Chair of the event.

The PV14 house is a unique approach to a single family dwelling. Constructed partially of 14 shipping containers, architect Matt Mooney and his wife Barbara are long-time Lake Highlands residents who have turned a dream into a 3,700 square foot home with 3 bedrooms, a den and 3.5 bathrooms. The building site is located across the street from White Rock Park on one of the highest elevation in Dallas, approximately 100 feet above White Rock Lake. The lake edge is less than 1,000 feet from the PV14 House. The primary living areas are on the second floor of the home to take advantage of the gorgeous views.

The Creative Arts Center of Dallas is situated on a two-acre campus four miles east of downtown Dallas near White Rock Lake and is a safe-haven for artists to exchange ideas, share techniques and explore new creative avenues. CAC, which operates in a converted elementary school built by the WPA during the Great Depression, provides art outreach to Dallas area school children through Dallas Arts Partners and Thriving Minds programs of Big Thought. It also launched Camp MetalHead, a program combining job skills training and arts instruction for teens in metal and jewelry. CAC has also implemented the program unseenamerica in Dallas at Bayles Elementary, in which children learn photography skills to document their own lives and exhibit their photographs in a wide-reaching community exhibition. Art Ability is a new accessibility program that will provide creative studio opportunities for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Last year more than 1,500 students took more than 500 classes and workshops at CAC in such areas as figurative and creative clay sculpture, ceramics, drawing, fused glass, jewelry, metal sculpture, mixed media, mosaic, painting, photography, printmaking and stone sculpture. Most of our instructors hold either a Bachelor or Master of Fine Arts and have exhibited on a national or international basis.

Dallas Light and Sound thanks CAC for selecting our company to provide production services for the event including audio for the band and a DJ, uplighting throughout the house, a red carpet entry, and auction lighting for the silent auction area.

For additional information about The Blue Plate Special or the Creative Arts Center of Dallas, visit the CAC website at http://www.creativeartscenter.org/fundraising.html. Tickets start at $100 for CAC Members, $125 for non-members. Raffle tickets are also available in advance of the event.

Poolside Fashion Show Wows the Crowd at Ilume

A custom pool bridge from Dallas Light and Sound spans the pool at the iLume,
adding a level of excitement to this fashion presentation.

As the summer entertaining season wanes Dallas Light and Sound reflects on one of the biggest events of the summer – the 2^nd Annual Poolside Fashion Show sponsored by Dallas Red Foundation. Held July 19^th at the Ilume Luxury Apartment Living complex, this fashion extravaganza had it all – a dramatic choreographed opening sequence, formal and casual wear, pounding beats from DJ Press Play, cocktails and other summer drinks from a variety of liquor sponsors, sports cars, dramatic lighting, and a packed crowd filling the sold out poolside seating.

Dallas Light and Sound produced the show under the direction of Craig Canant, with model casting, show order, and styling under his direction. Fashion show lighting around the pool coupled with a dramatic stage set designed and installed by Dallas Light and Sound served as a backdrop for the fashions of ES Collection, Pride Tuxedo, AussieBum, Marek+Richard, and #sexyfitsall by Rey Ortiz. A custom installed pool bridge from DLS added drama to the fashion presentation.

A custom stage designed and installed by
Dallas Light and Sound provides a dramatic backdrop.

The Open Bar at the event featured Hudson Ferus Vodka, Redd’s Apple Ale, Miller Lite and Red Bull in a memorable combination of cool, summer libations.

Presenting sponsor Clay Cooley motors under lighting from Dallas Light and Sound struck a dramatic presence at the entrance to ilume, with recognition of their sponsorship continuing inside the event with a rotating custom gobo projection in the bar area.

Dallas Red Foundation is a non profit organization focused on providing financial support to organization in North Texas that serve individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. For additional information about Dallas Red Foundation, visit the organization’s website at http://dallasredfoundation.org/.  Their primary beneficiary is Legacy Counseling Services.

To view additional images from this event, visit our photo gallery on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154611784690245.1073741863.401445150244&type=1

 

A close-up view of the Dallas Light and Sound stage set which incorporates video projection
custom designed for the 2nd Annual poolside Fashion Show by Red Foundation.

A capacity crowd enjoys a fashion show that featured both summertime casual and formal
looks in a show conceived and choreographed by Craig Canant from Dallas Light and Sound.

 

Heat of the Night Casino Fundraiser for Legal Hospice of Texas Draws a Crowd to the UNT College of Law

The UNT College of Law Lobby is transformed into a
Casino by Dallas Light and Sound for Heat of the Night

The Heat of the Night Fundraiser, featuring casino gaming, a silent auction and cocktails and appetizers is an annual event benefitting Legal Hospice of Texas and too place on Saturday, July 26th at the newly remodeled University of North Texas-Dallas College of Law in Downtown Dallas. The always popular event is one of two major fundraising events that Legal Hospice of Texas hosts each year, making it a critical part of our fiscal health,” said Greg Hawthorne, chairman of the LHT board of directors. “Fortunately, year-over-year, this event is a crowd pleaser and represented months of planning invested by the volunteer HOTN planning committee that delivered a fun and special evening for all of the attendees.”

A well-dressed crowd attends Hat of the Night at the
UNT College of Law

Dallas Light and Sound assisted in the overall design planning for the event and provided lighted bars, a red carpet entrance, uplighting, highboys and linens and select casino themed decor for the night.

AssociaTitle served as presenting sponsor for the event.. Other sponsors include Ryan, LLC, BankNex, AXO Group, Bell Nunnally & Martin LLP, Caregiver Support Systems. In-kind donations are being provided by Dallas Light & Sound, Anderson Distributing, Marshall Arts & Entertainment Group and Doug Boster Catering.

Color changing, lighted cocktail bars bring
some energy to the 2014 Heat of the Night event

 “The UNT Dallas College of Law was pleased to host Legal Hospice of Texas and its annual fundraising event, The Heat of the Night,” said Dean Royal Furgeson. “Legal Hospice of Texas provides much needed legal services to those in our community who are facing personal health challenges and cannot afford basic legal necessities like wills, durable powers of attorneys and other end-of-life documents. At our law school, our students are encouraged to be engaged in their communities so that everyone will have access to the law. By hosting this event, our goals are to raise awareness of the good work of Legal Hospice and its volunteer lawyers and, at the same time, to illustrate to our students the obligation to provide volunteer legal services when they become lawyers. We also hope, through our support, that Legal Hospice can raise the critical funds necessary to support its important mission.”

Highboys, linens, uplighting and
event décor from
Dallas Light and Sound
create a memorable atmosphere for
Heat of the Night.

Proceeds from the event benefit Legal Hospice of Texas, a nonprofit law firm providing timely and compassionate legal services at no charge to low income individuals who are terminally ill or HIV positive. The organization serves more than 800 individuals annually in 16 counties in North Texas. LHT’s mission is to create a community where people, regardless of health or economic status, have access to justice,



Casino décor is often in the details. Shown here is a
table centerpiece from Dallas Light and Sound at
Heat of the Night benefitting Legal Hospice of Texas..

For additional information about the work and programs of Legal Hospice of Texas visit the organization's website by following the link that appears below...

http://www.legalhospice.org/ .

For additional information about the University of North Texas College of Law visit the school's website at... 

http://lawschool.untsystem.edu/.