Game, Set, Match: Over a Decade Ago on a Tennis Court, We Served the First Look at the Venue Report

Before hashtags were hyperlinked and “cottagecore” had a name, there was a round table on a tennis court at Fairmont Grand Del Mar. It was dressed in sunny yellow checks, wrapped in a breeze of gold bows and preppy green...

by Cortnie Fausner

TVR Exclusives | Reporter on the Road

Over ten years ago, we styled our very first editorial shoot—not in a ballroom or beachside villa, but right smack on the tennis court. Why? Because gatherings, like a good backhand, are better when they break the rules. We believed then (and still do now) that a group celebration should feel as playful as a serve-and-volley rally with your best friends, and that togetherness should always come with a twist of citrus and a side of nostalgia.

So, there we were: a sun-drenched afternoon, pink stucco walls glowing like a peachy filter IRL, and a table set like it belonged in Slim Aarons’ daydreams. Yellow gingham linens fluttered in the breeze, green slipcovered chairs wore their preppy piping like proud collars, and gold bows cinched each napkin with country club poise and cocktail-party glee.

In the center of the court stood our cocktail table, crowned with topiaries and a draped green garland that looked like it had been whisked in from a Wes Anderson tennis scene. Pink and ivory spiked lemonades were iced and ready, poured by a bow-tied bartender who could’ve moonlighted in an English Catalog.

It was a brunch party disguised as a tennis match, or maybe the other way around. On the menu? Sangria popsicles to keep guests cool, followed by egg frittatas with spinach, tomato, and goat cheese for that perfect protein power-up. And of course, no proper sporty gathering is complete without carbohydrates: old-fashioned waffles topped with roasted pear and cinnamon cream were served in petite stacks, dusted like a secret. The losing team (with good humor and a little dramatic flair) was made to take lemon drop jello shots, because every match should end with a laugh and a little zing.

We were wide-eyed and honored when Rue Magazine later featured the shoot, alongside a story about who we were and why we believed in gathering differently. It wasn’t just about the table or the tennis court. It was about the mission. To help people find places made for memory-making. To prove that togetherness could be both effortless and extraordinary. Seeing our little dream in print, wrapped in gingham and gold bows, felt like the world whispering back: keep going. It was our first real toast, the kind that clinks louder because of the feeling that maybe, just maybe, you’re building something that other people believe in too.

And the friend group? Oh, the fun. They played doubles in cheeky pops of fluorescent flair—think pleated Ted Baker skirts, visor hats that meant business (and brunch), and grins wide enough to rival a Wimbledon final. They played, they laughed, they sipped, they gathered. And that was the point.

This wasn't just a photo shoot—it was our mission in motion: to inspire joy, creativity, and the kind of gatherings that make your cheeks hurt from laughing. To show that celebrations can happen anywhere—a tennis court, a mountaintop, a long table tucked into a vineyard—as long as you're together.

Fast forward to today, and Game, Set, Match is back.

We’re re-serving the spirit of that original shoot with a brand-new campaign, spotlighting venues that put the "love" in "15-love"—from stylish country club courts to boutique hotel hideaways with clay courts made for group getaways, to real-life events hosted courtside with cocktails in hand and confetti in heart.

Because whether you're planning a bachelorette bash on a tucked-away tennis court in Ojai, a birthday dinner with friends who always play to win, or a low-key retreat where you break a sweat before breaking out the bubbles, we’re here to help you plan the serve-and-celebrate gathering of your dreams. At Venue Report, we’ve always been about connection. About long tables and little moments. About the unexpected venues that become the backdrop of your best memories. And over a decade later, we’re still on that mission—one doubles match, lemonade toast, and group trip at a time.

So here’s to celebrating wherever the game takes you.
To wearing fluorescent with confidence and toasting with spiked lemonades.
To country club dreams and court-side scenes.
To a decade of gatherings, and the ones still to come.

Game on. Gather well.
Love, Venue Report.