A Sexy, Italian Riviera Inspired Launch Event for The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

Food, wine, romance and the Italian Riviera- there’s really nothing better. I was absolutely honored to work with the incredible Casey McQuiston to plan their NYC book launch event for their new book, The Pairing! One of the things I love most about planning weddings is getting to tell love stories. It was a match made in heaven to get to work on this launch.

So, What’s The Pairing by Casey McQuiston about Anyways?

I HIGHLY recommend going out and buying a copy of The Pairing by Casey McQuiston for yourself, so I will try my best to share a bit about the design process without spoilers. The general plot for The Pairing centers around Kit and Theo. They are two exes who had previously booked a romantic food and wine tour throughout Europe. That is, before they broke up. They both decide to go on this trip, individually, not realizing the other had the same idea. What ensues is both chaotic, competitive, and absolutely delicious. When I first met Casey, they told me they wanted to make Barnes and Noble feel like a sexy Italian getaway. And while we all love Barnes and Noble, it’s safe to say it’s not the sexiest place on its own.

The main portion of this event was dedicated to a talk back with Casey for 300 of their fans. The stage was the main focal point, so I knew I had to make it a showstopper. While reading the book, I was drawn to so many of the scenes where the main characters were sitting outside, dining. It felt only appropriate to create an Italian al fresco bistro as the setting for this talk. Without giving anything away, there is a scene in the book that involves a yellow Vespa. I was over the moon when I found one with Dolce and Gelato, who also provided our culinary treats.

Let’s Wine and Dine

With a book centered around eating and drinking your way through Europe, we had to bring in authentic treats for the fans to enjoy. We worked with Dolce and Gelato to create a custom Gelato cart and Italian Soda station, complete with imported beverages and hand picked flavors. No one likes waiting, so we really focused our efforts on making the wait during the signing line enjoyable. Guests could enjoy gelato and Italian soda, as well as stop by a custom photo opp for their perfect Instagram moment.

One of my favorite elements of the design was what I coined “The Easter Egg Shelf”. I won’t spoil specifics, but for fans who have read the book, every item on our shelf was hand picked based on special key moments throughout the story. Even down to the brass key with the green tassel (if you know, you know). My personal favorite project was the hand sourced post cards. I worked from a list of destinations mentioned in the book and hand selected over 300 post cards for guests to peruse and take home as a souvenir. Some of them even had love letters written on the back and dated as far back as the 1910’s! Shout out to the Post Card vendor at The Grand Bazaar on the Upper West Side. He watched me scour through thousands of postcards every Sunday for weeks!

The Finishing Touches

Lastly, Casey really wanted to make guests feel as though they were “in the world” of The Pairing. We worked with Polk Paper to design a number of paper goods inspired by places and people in the book. A matchbook from the fish market, a napkin from the bakery, and a coaster from the tour company were among the items guests were given as they walked in. Schuyler also designed the welcome sign as well as the graphics on the gelato and Italian soda stations! Everything came together so well and guests absolutely devoured all of the surprises we had in store.

A HUGE thank you to Casey for entrusting me with this launch, it was an absolute joy. And everyone reading this, go read The Pairing by Casey McQuiston! You won’t regret it.