We Make Pretend

Abby Sheehan wanted her wedding reception to be something more than ordinary.  She wanted it to be memorable.

And so she turned to Joe Pari, co-founder and President of Ten31 Productions. His seven-year old, Rhode Island-based company provides living-art performances for any occasion, especially weddings.

"Our installations are a living extension of the décor," Pari said.

Since Sheehan and her husband Brian both met in law school and are now practicing attorneys, they ordered a living statue of Lady Justice from Ten31 Productions, complete with scales and a sword.

"She was a huge hit," said Sheehan, who married June 9, 2007 in Portland, Connecticut.  She added that many of her guests initially thought the statue was just that: a statue.  "There was a lot of ‘did she move?’ It was a discussion piece."

Not all of Ten31’s installations are statues.  Clients can also order architectural performances from gargoyles and columns. There are plantlike performances from living topiaries, birch trees or a cherry tree arbor.  And there are roving, animated performances from things like butterflies, fairies and woodland nymphs. 

The company owns hundreds of costumes and constantly makes new ones. It prides itself on the ability to create that extra "wow" factor at weddings worldwide.

Pari described one couple who wanted to celebrate their union in a big way. He says the bride and groom integrated 20 performance artists into their formal, indoor/outdoor reception at the Crane Estate in Ipswich, Massachusetts. The performers appeared at different times throughout the evening. 

"We started with gargoyles and columns, and some living vines and a cherry tree arbor during the cocktail hour," Pari said. Since the theme was Shakespeare’s "Midsummer Night’s Dream," Pari had Puck come out and ring a bell to call guests from cocktails to dinner, while three fairies floated around during the meal. Butterflies also came out as people left. 

Pari and his partner, Eric Auger, never set out to open this type of company. "It really grew organically out of our passion for making costumes and dressing up," Pari said. The company’s name—Ten31—reflects the owners’ favorite holiday and their web address—"we make pretend"—reflects their favorite activity.

As for attorney Abby Sheehan who ordered Lady Justice for her reception, she said the statue accomplished what she set out to do. Her bosses had their photo taken standing next to Lady Justice and when she returned from her honeymoon she noticed the photo taped to the refrigerator at work. "It really was something fun that people remember," she said.

Written by Marisa Carbone; Photography: Richard Davia, Ten31 Productions