Photo: Sean Brady, Chris Martin
When it came to planning her 40th birthday extravaganzaChristine Chiusaid, “Why not go all out?!”
TheBling Empirestar pulled out all the stops for her milestone bash, choosingEmara,Prince’s former private estate in Turks and Caicos, as the venue for the elaborate multi-day celebration. The secluded property features 17 bedrooms spread out across two villas, Emara East and Emara West, and is located on a small peninsula in Providenciales.
When deciding on the perfect location to celebrate her birthday, Chiu tells PEOPLE that she “ultimately selected Turks and Caicos after falling in love with the story behind Emara and the property itself.”
Sean Brady
Aside from its pop culture significance, the estate offers panoramic views of the island’s stunning crystal clear waters and is “better staffed than any 5-star resort we’ve visited,” Chiu says.
Lisette Gatliff
As for the festivities, which the reality star held on her actual birthday on December 13, Chiu wanted all things lavish to make her special day complete — including fire dancers,DWTSstars performers, a traditionalJunkanooband and fireworks.
Despite recalling the party planning process being something of a “nightmare” because she had to fly in all of the party materials and entertainment, Chiu tells PEOPLE having her loved ones there made it all worth it.
She adds that she will never forget the “spontaneous pajama karaoke nights we would have at the villa at midnight,” along with the “pounds of caviar poured over baked potatoes and bottomless bubbles that kept the singing and dancing (hubbies too!) until the sun rose.”
Reflecting on the past two decades of her life, Chiu says she’s ready to enter her forties feeling grateful and optimistic.
“While I had plenty of fun, my twenties were filled with question marks and insecurities. I was trying to figure out who I was relative to the world around me,” she explains, revealing that her thirties were focused on expressing her authentic self and not caring about anyone’s opinions.
She adds, “I am excited to see what my forties have in store… maybe some new ventures and projects?! Feathers flying and sparkles shining, I am singing and dancing my way (literally) into my f—ing fabulous 40s!”
source: people.com
