CACIQUE PULSE | The Ultimate Retreat
“The yin & the yang are opposite forces. Yet, they exist together in the harmony of a perfect orb.”
Day becomes night. the tides rise and fall. wakefulness follows sleep. the world around us flows from one stable state to another. Stop for a moment though, and you’ll realize that there is rhyme to this rhythm - the forces of nature, it would seem, dance in pairs.
Recently, Cacique International was asked to curate the design for the two dinner events at an exclusive interior design retreat. The challenge was this - how do you craft a pair of dining experiences that are both completely unique, but also fit together as part of a set? As award-winning trailblazers in the international incentive travel space, we are well practiced in finding inspiration in unusual places, and ancient wisdom is always a good place to start.
The what
The answer lies in the centuries-old Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang. This law of cosmic duality says that the universe is composed of competing and complementary dynamics, and only together do they form a whole. Embracing the Teachings of Daoism, we designed a duet of dinners whose key elements were the opposite of each other - beautiful in their individuality, and yet balanced in harmony.
the how
Our general rule was this - where the ‘yin dinner’ zigged, the ‘yang dinner’ must zag. The yin was set outside, and the yang inside. For the yin, the seating arrangements were composed of orderly, disciplined rows. For the yang, we custom-built a pair of dueling serpentine tables that flowed throughout the space. Where the yin’s color palette comprised a multitude of greens and purples, the yang was defined by a single bold shade of orange.
The wow
“Countless words
count less
than the silent balance
between yin and yang.”
Harnessing this Daoist duality is not just a simple matter of crafting opposites - remember, balance is an equally important tenant of the principle. Harmonizing touches determined at the outset of the creative process tied our dinners together.
Notice that in both setups, the table linens reflect the flavour of the settings. For the outdoor dinner above, the linen’s traveller palm pattern matched the foliage used in the floral design. On the following night, the linen’s geometric motif and the room’s architectural style slotted together like fine Japanese joinery.
In the world of destination management, no bullet on the itinerary can be considered in isolation. Just like the white teardrop of yang nestles perfectly into the black of yin, the dichotomy of these dining experiences birthed a balanced harmony. This peaceful resonance elevated our pair of dinners into the Ultimate Retreat.
As the Bahamas’ premier Destination Management, Event Design and Production company, Cacique International Ltd has been driving innovation for more than two decades. To find out more about Cacique, or how we can curate your ultimate retreat experience, contact us here.
Looking forward to the next canvas. ;SMS