Santa Barbara is known for a lot of things--beautiful beaches, world-class wine, and charming red-tile roofs. However, nightlife often misses the mark.
Our friends Andrew and Kayla of Party Proper Productions aim to fill that void with magical dance parties that emphasize the uniqueness of Santa Barbara's tight-knit community. Not to mention, they're designing these parties with all our wedding industry peeps in mind. Weeknight parties mean all you planners, florists, and photographers can work it on a the dance floor in a whole new way.
Party Proper kicked off their "Proper Summer" series at Sama Sama in the heart of Santa Barbara's Arts District. They partnered with Wild Heart Events and Idlewild Floral to create a magical summer evening celebrating the culture and creativity of Santa Barbara. Each event they showcase one artist and a bunch of local restaurants and creatives.
If you're lucky enough to stumble upon one of their parties, expect a lot of dancing and grooving. When Andrew and Kayla aren't throwing community gatherings, they're rocking the dance floor at weddings throughout the Central Coast. So let's just say, they know how to get booties shaking!
Sama Sama is located smack dab in the middle of Santa Barbara's cultural epicenter. Two doors down from the historic Granada Theater, Sama Sama is the local go-to spot for pre-show craft cocktails. Esther Elia, the artist showcasing her work on May 15th, assembled her huge 20 foot-tall painting at the entrance of the venue. Her work explores identity, race, and family history.
Our pals from Idlewild Floral and Wild Heart Events.
The vendors from "Proper Summer" parties always include a list of local businesses you're going to want to know about. Bibi Ji, a new (but already widely acclaimed) project by super-start sommelier Raj Parr and esteemed chef Jessi Singh. Oat Bakery, a Danish-inspired superfood bread company offering irresistible loaves for loaf-lovers of all types, including: paleo, vegan, gluten-free, and traditional sourdough fans.
Satellite, a Santa Barbara restaurant and natural wine bar located inside the co-working space called the Impact Hub, provided delicious vegan bites for party-goers. All their ingredients are from the local farmer's market and crafted by their creative and bubbly chef, Emma West. Satellite's owner, Drew Cuddy, is also a wedding wine consultant working with clients all over California.
Party Proper has featured two different artists this summer. On May 15th they featured the work of Esther Elia (pictured above) and on June 19th they featured the work of Louise Ulrich, also the owner of Oat Bakery. It is their aim to incorporate a variety of artistic and creative experiences into their events, to bring life and creativity into the community in fun, playful spaces. They've also welcomed five different DJs to keep you grooving all night.
Endless craft cocktails encourage lots of dancing and smiles. James Wittmayer, one half of James & Jess wedding photography, brought his Witty Booth for friends to take photos, print them, and stick them onto the DJ booth like a community bulletin board.
David Mendoza III, also wedding photographer known for his dream-like shots, brought his new and utterly captivating photo booth. Shimmy Booth creates digital GIF photos that get immediately sent to you phone. The sillier the better!
Andrew is fully in his element when DJ'ing. Kayla and Andrew (above) were so excited to create these spaces for people to come together and celebrate life together. It's clear that it gives them life too.
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