Big Bold Ben

Location: Central London

Floral: Rob Van Helden

Photography: Blake Ezra

A funfair Bar Mitzvah, which gives you enormous scope if you commit to it properly. Children and adults were separated at the drinks reception, so the children got arcade games and activities while the adults had canapés in peace. It worked better than keeping everyone together.

Downstairs the main space opened on a carousel bar, with a candy floss scent piped in to trigger the nostalgia before anyone had seen a single prop. Vintage bumper cars, neon signs and distorting mirrors followed. Tables ran on hook-a-duck, carousel horses, coconut shies and coloured candlesticks. Place cards were Coca-Cola bottles printed with each guest's name. The menu carried the theme through to a Swim and Tonic, served in a bag with a plastic goldfish. The family, all lifelong Spurs fans, watched their team win that same night.

Indoor carousel with gold horses and illuminated sign reading "BEHIND" in vintage Americana style
Decorated banquet hall with a long table set for a celebration, featuring colorful candles, candles, and balloons; stage with a screen displaying "BB15," and mounted carousel horse statues on the side walls; vibrant lighting creates a festive atmosph
Decorated birthday party table with colorful candles, fairy lights, and a sign with the number 3, set in a venue with stage and lighting effects.
Decorated banquet table with colorful candle holders, glassware, and party favors at a themed party with bright lights and a whimsical carousel horse decoration in the background.
Multiple yellow tickets with blue borders arranged in a grid, each displaying a guest's name and table number for an event, with some tickets showing the logo 'BB15'.
A carnival-style booth with colorful lights and a sign that says 'Tornadoes'. Inside the booth, there is a tray with various sweets including a milkshake with a straw and donuts.
Decorated banquet table with tall candlesticks, candles, and colorful elements in a large, elegant event hall with a big screen displaying "BB13" in the background.
Decorative banquet table with colorful candlesticks, candles, glassware, and centerpieces at a festive event.
Bar with colorful string lights, liquor bottles, green apples, coconuts, and a carnival-style game box labeled "Dunk a Duck" with a miniature carnival scene inside, and two golden carousel horse decorations on either side.
Two women sitting in a pink vintage car at a lively party or event with colorful lights and other people in the background.
A person wearing a black hat and glasses holding a clear plastic bag with sliced cucumbers, carrots, and lime in a dimly lit environment, possibly a bar or party.
Decorated banquet table with colorful vases, candles, and sweets, set for a celebration event in a dimly lit venue with a large screen displaying "BB13" in the background.
A carousel horse decoration is hanging above a table, illuminated by colorful stage lighting, with candles and table settings in the foreground.
A lively indoor celebration with a large crowd, with one person jumping into the air, holding a microphone, above a large flag.
A person standing among an audience in front of a large screen displaying a digital graphics projection with a person at a desk working on a computer, and a raised hand in the crowd.
Crowd of people dancing and raising hands at a party or concert in a large indoor venue with dim lighting.
People dancing and socializing at a lively indoor event with stage lighting and candles on tables.
A blue and white fast food box with an illustration of a woman with shoulder-length hair and a bow tie, alongside the text "BFC" and the slogan "It's Finger Lickin Good".
A grand neoclassical building illuminated with blue lights at night, featuring tall columns and an open door revealing a chandelier inside.