Shanda Whitaker Ward and her daughter, Tiphne Hollis, had always talked about going to Paris one day. It wasn’t a monument that attracted them or a film that they watched that aroused a desire to be in the City of Lights, but rather, a song. Every time they heard “Over the Rainbow,” the Academy Award-winning song from the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz, it made them think of the French capital. The mother and her teenage daughter looked forward to walking the storied streets hand in hand, singing their favorite song together.
Sadly, that trip wouldn’t come to fruition as planned. In 2010, Tiphne, while sitting in a car with friends and a loved one, was hit by a stray bullet in what has been speculated to be a case of mistaken identity. She was 16 years old.
“I don’t remember the last thing I said to her,” Shanda says. “A mother should never have to bury her child.”
While Tiphne’s life would be cut short, and Shanda still awaits answers as to who is responsible for that, time passed and she approached a milestone birthday: her 50th. She decided not to focus on just celebrating her life as the big 5-0 beckoned, but also to honor Tiphne. So what’s the best way to do that? A party in Paris.
“With every year that goes by, I realized I needed to keep my end of the promise I made to Tiphne. When Tiphne was here with us, Paris was always something we dreamt about and talked about. I didn’t realize life would play out the way it did. So I decided, better now than never and what better time to make my dream, our dream, come true, than my 50th birthday?” she says.
Shanda also wanted to celebrate the lives of others. Her husband, her other children, grandchildren and more. So she decided to do it big. With both she and Tiphne’s love of yellow in mind as the color theme, she enlisted the help of event planning company Cherish August. They dressed up the Bonaparte room in the Shangri La Hotel in Paris in the bright shade, along with a flurry of gorgeous florals, to transform the space into a wonderland.
“The moment I met Ada from Cherish August and told her my story, I trusted her to create an experience that honored both my 50th birthday and Tiphne,” Shanda shares. “She used yellow as the foundation to create an impeccable scene with Tiphne in every detail. It was so beautiful, I felt Tiphne smiling. It was as if she was giving me a hug and I felt proud.”
In addition to design, Tiphne was honored through a performance from a dance company, and of course, “Over the Rainbow” was integrated into that.
“She loved singing and dancing, so we had a dance group accompany a gospel choir ensemble as they sang, ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ and ‘For Every Mountain.’ I bet Tiphne was up in heaven dancing and clapping,” she says. “She also loved fashion so much and thought scarves were so Parisian. So Ada and her team designed scarves that we gifted to each guest with yellow accents and with the inscription,’vivre, aimer, triompher’ in it. Tiphne was present in every shape and form. It felt like a warm embrace.”
“Vivre, aimer, triompher” was the mantra for the celebration, which means to “live, love and triumph.” Thirteen years after Tiphne’s passing, Shanda and her loved ones did just that in Paris. And it’s a mantra that she’s holding dear as she continues to move forward.
“These words are the culmination of my life — past, present, and future. It captures where I was, where I am now, and where I hope to go. It truly is the perfect reflection of my life and my journey,” Shanda says.
“Tiphne would be proud of me. She would be proud that I did not give up on taking her to Paris.”
Check out the gorgeous decor and moments from that special day below.
Cascading florals were all over the Bonaparte room, including on the towering birthday cake. They were provided by Hibiscus Events.
To “live, love and triumph” was the mantra for the event, and it showed up in unexpected, clever places, including on the dessert.
In addition to florals, the room was also wrapped in love, music and light, including via vintage light fixtures and candles all around.
Scarves were a gift for guests as they honored Tiphne’s love of fashion and they were inscripted with the ever present “Vivre, aimer, triompher.”
“Tiphne loved flowers, she loved all things pretty and she could never get enough of roses,” says Shanda. So that was incorporated into the decor around the room, including at place settings.
A wide shot of how the room was set up for guests and the birthday girl in the gorgeous Shangri La Hotel.
For table settings, flower petals floated from above guest tables to welcome Shanda’s very special guests.
The birthday girl and woman of the hour, along with her youngest children and husband, made her way into the party in grand fashion in the color of the day: yellow.
Shanda and her family, including her daughters and husband, pose for a special photo to mark a celebration they won’t soon forget.
You can’t get to Paris and not get a Louis Vuitton bag! The fashion house was founded in the capital city, so Shanda’s loved ones gifted her a plush purse from the label for her birthday.
Shanda and loved ones are photographed with the dance group and gospel choir that performed at the party. They did so to the sounds of gospel classic “For Every Mountain” and of course, “Over the Rainbow.”
The gospel choir performs during the celebration. “I bet Tiphne was up in heaven dancing and clapping,” says Shanda.
Shanda shed tears as the cake was lit, thinking of Tiphne, not their physically, but present in spirit. “I had Tiphne in my life for about 16 years and I carry her with me every second of every day,” she says.
Shanda, photographed with her husband, says the party wasn’t just about her and Tiphne. “I have a wonderful husband, sisters, and friends that have helped me deal with the loss of Tiphne,” she says. “I wanted to celebrate them, too.”
Vendors
Planner | Designer | Production: Cherish August
Photography: Cesarem Photography
Cinema: 3 Petits Points Films
Florals: Hibiscus Events
Rentals: Maison Options
Venue: Shangri-La Paris
Parchments | Branding: Print Deco
Entertainment: Eellen Music | Jr Sniper | DJFireNight
Beauty: BeautybyMaeva | Doree Paris
Travel: Travel Your Choice 24/7