If there’s one element of entertaining that has taken precedent in recent years, it’s overall guest experience. Attractive tabletops and décor details are important, but at the end of the day, attendees will always remember how they felt during a wedding or celebration, as opposed to how many orchids were included in the table centerpieces. For destination weddings and celebrations spanning several days, the guest experience begins almost immediately – and for Sky Productions (based in Israel and available worldwide), a lavish welcome dinner for 500 guests ensured an epic and unforgettable experience for all.

The theme of this particular welcome dinner was “Phantom of the Opera,” which fittingly took place at the iconic Palais Garnier in Paris. At the entrance, guests were welcomed with a red carpet reception, making the evening feel like a VIP experience upon arrival. Actors dressed in all-white costumes were also placed at the foot of a stunning staircase, adding to the “Phantom of the Opera” ambiance and creating an extra layer of entertainment.

The décor included dozens of chandeliers with hundreds of glowing candles. This cast a rich, golden light upon dramatic floral arrangements in shades of purple and burgundy.

“We invited the guests to the dinner area with a magnificent show presented by the actors via the staircase of the opera building,” describes the Sky Productions team. “The welcome dinner was served on two very long tables – about 50 meters each – in the main hall with velvet tablecloths and flower arrangements influenced by the dramatic wall decorations. Waiters dressed as actors from the play served food and wine on deep gold dinnerware.”

After dinner, a lively dance party was held in the basement of the Opera House, incorporating old-world décor with modern-day music. The result was a truly unique and memorable event that took the traditional welcome dinner to a whole new level.