LAUNCH PARTY
Farewelling
November 21, 2019
Karen Bussen and I met for dinner a couple years ago and mid-way through our omakase, she spoke very cautiously about a new business venture she was considering and wanted my thoughts. I was so honored to be consulted.
“As an event planner myself, the best thing I can say about Anne is that when I launched my new startup, she was the pro I called to run the show. I've worked with Anne on many projects over the years and she is always flawless, passionate, and a great collaborator!”
- KAREN BUSSEN, CEO OF FAREWELLING, AUTHOR OF ‘SIMPLE STUNNING SERIES’ AND CREATOR OF #KARENBUSSENWEDDINGCOLLECTION
I met Karen Bussen back in 2007 when I was overseeing the catering for events at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. Karen has for years been a successful and celebrated event planner and we worked together on several NYC weddings at the museum. I was immediately impressed with Karen’s command of the event and how she (seemingly) effortlessly orchestrated the event from start to finish.
I have admired her for years and looked to her as a mentor in the event planning field.
This was Karen’s ‘baby’ and she entrusted me with the success of this event.
Over the course of the next several months, Karen put her plan into motion and launched ‘Farewelling’, which focuses on funeral and end of life planning.
It can often be a taboo or tough subject and Karen was the only one in the field changing the narrative of planning funerals, emphasizing proactive discussions with loved ones and the idea of a celebration of life.
She came to me to help plan her launch party, which would have a mix of investors/shareholders, clients, media, and colleagues in attendance.
The topic of death and dying can be a tricky one; not everyone is open to discussion. So a ‘party’ to celebrate the launch of this business had to be handled carefully with a delicate balance between celebration and reverence.
We sought out vendors that understood and respected the mission of this startup.
As a seasoned event planner herself, having Karen as my client presented an exciting opportunity; I wanted to incorporate her ideas into the theme and mood for the event, but also was proud to apply what I had learned from her all those years ago...taking command of an event, ensuring all details were interwoven seamlessly.
The event was a wonderful success.
Guests were able to partake in a variety of activities, like haiku obituaries by Ars Poetica and podcast interviews where they were able to answer a variety of questions about death and dying.
Armed with a glass of champagne (and perhaps a little liquid courage), guests were able to be open and honest about their thoughts on death and dying and were able to engage in meaningful and supportive conversation.
