13+1 at a first communion in Lugano

Simonetta Rota – more than events has the pleasure of working together with large, organised companies, as well as with individuals. Both offer the right types of professional stimuli that form the basis of this job-passion, as was the case with the organisation of the party immediately following the celebration of a first communion in Lugano, Switzerland. On such occasions, we discuss matters with the parents of the guest of honour, who sometimes don’t provide precise input, but who undoubtedly want the best for their child, setting the bar of expectations very high. That’s why even if there’s often little time to organise an event in these circumstances, every detail has to be taken care of with great precision, almost maniacally: staging the location, the graphics of the menus and any other decorative element, the mise en place, the photographer, the confetti, the party favours, nothing can be left to chance. So, everything seemed to go smoothly until the customer told the agency that the number of those attending had changed and was now thirteen. Thirteen is notorious for being a number that doesn’t sit well with some people when it comes to dining. This superstition originates from the Last Supper, where the participants were the twelve apostles, plus one. And everyone knows how things turned out for the thirteenth person. That’s why a solution had to be found when the problem arose. On the day of the first communion, the dinner guests were treated to a pleasant and welcome surprise. An unexpected guest filled a fourteenth chair: a giant white teddy bear (later given to the guest of honour). In short, a brilliant solution that set the mind at ease of any superstitious guests and put a smile on the faces of the rest of the group.
The party favour chosen is also worthy of a mention: a silver tau cross directly from Assisi, made by a small local firm of craftsmen and blessed by the diocese of the town from which St Francis hailed.

BRIEF: With just 15 days’ notice, the customer asked us to organise her son’s communion. “I trust you fully. I know that you also organise this kind of private event, so please do your best!”: that was the input we received. In short, carte blanche with a little superstitious problem we needed to resolve: the fact that there would be 13 seated at the dining table.

CHALLENGE: To be in sync with a family that wants to celebrate the communion of their child. To take care of every last detail (because they always make the difference) and try to identify with the customer’s tastes. The time available, just two weeks, was another challenging aspect of this professional experience.