Can Can-Themed Party Honors Melanie Vaughan
By Jake Gaines Photography by Jenna Beth Lyde, Parish Photography
THE SETTING: A Touch of Folly was the theme for An Evening in The Moulin Rouge recently, with pandemic protocol in place for honoree Melanie Vaughan, hosted by her parents, Karen and Curtis Vaughan. Guests arrived at The St. Anthony Hotel to discover massive red windmills in front welcoming them a la Moulin Rouge.
The party celebrated the Queen, Princess, and Duchesses named as part of the Court of Parisian Splendour, Fiesta 2021. The Fiesta celebration was cancelled last spring due to COVID-19, so the Vaughan family hosted a party in honor of the girls this April, post-vaccines.
THE STYLE: Everywhere guests looked, French flair was abundant. The event was produced by San Antonio-based Billinda Wilkinson of Wilkinson Rhodes Events, who designed and orchestrated the party with her team from Dallas, Las Vegas, and beyond. The balcony in the Anacacho Ballroom of the hotel was covered in red and black ostrich feather fans accented with black and white butterflies.
Rouge performers, brought in from Las Vegas, performed four choreographed dances throughout the evening worthy of the French theatrical landmark. The buffet stations were designed in the Art Nouveau style of the famous French architect, Guimard. The Peraux ballroom featured a stunning rotating red windmill bar while Roonie G, a video D.J., performed throughout the evening to keep the action going.
THE PURPOSE: Fiesta San Antonio, through the support of its participating member organizations, presents a safe, educational, annual celebration of the diverse heritage, culture, and spirit of San Antonio for its residents and visitors.
