Come One Come All- to Juliana's 2nd Birthday Carnival!!

 



Well this is LONG overdue to say the least!!! :) My sweet baby girl turned 2 this February and I threw her a fun Birthday Carnival to celebrate with family and friends! And I'm just now recovering 4 months later to write about it-ha! Just kidding- it was really easy this year thanks to a great team of friends/vendors!

This year, I did not spend the many hours working on details that I did for her first birthday. Mainly because I did not have the time! We had a huge wedding the end of January that consumed me so thankfully this theme didn't require as much of me ;) I did design the invitation with the help of my good friend Natalie Chang.                                 

 I always enjoy sketching out Jules' party invite because it gives me inspiration and gets me all excited about the details immediately! So, Natalie takes my sketch and makes it into something way more fabulous than I could ever imagine! The invites shimmered with pixie dust (clear glitter) and had orange and white striped envelope liners with the return address as a "ticket" stamp. It's the little things right ;)

The most amazing thing about her party this year was my good friends Kristin and Joe of Zipario's Catering, did the food!!!!! Having your party catered is really the best gift you can give yourself and your guests ha! It takes the stress level down about a million notches for me- and then I get to focus on the details and making things cute! Zipario's did an incredible job and my friends and family have not stopped talking about how delicious and abundant the food was ;) Your mouth is going to water when you see the pics!

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The party was held at our new home in Germantown. We moved about a year ago so I wanted this to be our first big shin-dig at our new house. However- our house is not a Big Top tent- so my dear friends at Mahaffey Tent & Rental Company "pitched" in to create just what we needed! Our back patio became a Carnival tent with games,food, and a balloon artist and our sun porch and living room housed the photo booth/desserts/face painting/ and favors. We even played carnival tunes of course.

Let me take you from start to finish so we can cover all the details :) Large Polk a dot Balloons tied to our mailbox signaled guests to our house. As they approached our front porch- there was hot pink and orange fabric swagged curtain style over the doorway and a floral Clown on the door. Haute Horticulture (my florist!) did the flowers and never ceases to amaze me! I know Karin thought I was crazy when I asked for a Clown's face made of flowers but as you can see- she is good at that kind of stuff! She also did some popcorn boxes of yellow carnations that we tied HUGE balloons to so they looked like Hot Air Balloons!                  

Inside, the favors lined my dining room table. 9' of large Polk a dot balloons attached to clear take out boxes of animal crackers. Labels reading "Thanks for Clowning Around at Juliana's Birthday Carnival!" adorned each one.                          

In the living room- a red and white striped photo back drop was set up with props such as clown wigs/noses/glasses/boas/fairy wings ect. for everyone to enjoy. This was also part of my plan for thank you notes- I sent guests the pics they took with a thank you note after the party.

The Popcorn Stations were also set up in this room- popcorn chicken and actual popcorn in multiple flavors. Above my fireplace hung a large painting that was a replica of her invitation. Thanks to my good friend Claire ;) She whipped it out in no time so my mantle would match the party!! I LOVE that I'm so blessed with such creative and talented friends!!   

Onto the Sun Porch.... desserts and sweets galore!! Pink Cotton Candy, "hot dog" cannolis, cupcakes, and a smash cake for Jules. I had a lot of fun with the cupcakes and did mini ice cream cones, pop corn buckets, and cherry limeade's- they were delish!! I made special cupcake collars for all of them and used striped liners to keep with the theme.The smash cake was a really large cupcake that looked like a "big top" tent. Each child got a "Big Top" sippie cup with their name on it to drink out of at the party and take home later.

The face painting station and Pasta Bar were also in this room. I used a lot of paper decor which made it bright and fun! Streamers everywhere... and also artwork all over my windows and bathroommirrors just for fun!                                                         

Outside, under our "Big Top" was where all the action was. The balloon artist was a big hit with the kids and created everything their hearts desired! I did a few other games that were more for two year-olds and not really competitive. I had a "Treasure Hunt"- which was simply a sand box w/ buried treasures; the "Hungry Elephant" game- kids fed the elephant peanuts through his trunk for a prize; and last, the "Bean Bag Toss"- a Huge Clown that you tossed bean bags into his mouth for a prize.
It was perfect- just enough and very simple so the kids could just play.    

The food outside was amazing!! From the slider station to the grilled corn- everyone felt and ate like they were at a real carnival.

I did have a drink station in my kitchen which worked nicely (Lemonade/Sweet Tea/Cokes) with fun cups and straws for the adults.

We didn't open any gifts at the party because the kids were having so much fun with all the entertainment that I didn't want to make them stop! After all, the only one that enjoys that is the Birthday Girl and she was busy the entire time!

All of the event was captured by my good friend and super talented photographer- Donny Granger. THANK GOD!!! I think I took two pictures of my own (which even when I know I have a photographer I always take my own pics too!). He's awesome and you should totally have him take pics for you so you can enjoy yourself like I did! I'm so grateful for the amazing vendors I call friends- they helped make such sweet memories for my family and little girl... and hopefully for all the guests that came too!!

Keep your eyes open for an article on Juliana's party this summer in Tennessee At Home, Magazine!

And give us a call if we can help you plan a special party for your little ones! We would love to!

xoxo-Michelle

Miami Chic Engagement Party for Jenni Romanow & Chris Harris

The client approached us about her engagement party and wanted us to bring a taste of Miami to Memphis. Automatically we recommended the rooftop of the Madison Hotel for our venue. We designed the event décor with only a hint of eggplant (the wedding color), and used all white lounge furniture for seating and a few cocktail tables. The client loved the idea and we began work immediately on our “Miami Chic” engagement party.

As event designers, obviously the event design was very important to the overall success of an unforgettable night.  We used an all white monochromatic color scheme with hints of purple flowers to make a statement that was very “Miami Chic!”  We used all white leather couches and day beds, white spandex covered cocktail tables and bistro tables and ghost chairs.  We used white sequin pillows on the couches and day beds.  Even the baby grand piano that entertained guests all evening was white. The bar was a white LED lit bar and had white shadowbox style shelving as a backdrop to house barware and flowers. We also used a white spandex screen behind the cigar roller’s station and lit it with eggplant lighting.

For flowers, Haute Horticulture used mostly all purple flowers:  phalenopsis orchids,

dendrobium orchids, cymbidum orchids and purple callas.  The bride chose an eggplant bridesmaid dress and asked that we that purple in the floral décor so as to bring in some of the wedding colors and to add pop to the white decor. The top of the baby grand piano had a heart shaped purple floral piece to accent it and bring in the bride’s purple color. The contemporary rotating centerpieces were a hit, very dramatic and modern. Most of the arrangements used clear and purple aqua-beads instead of water. The floral designer also used Accent vases with holes through the middle of the vases and did a bridge shape design with big magenta callas going through the middle of the vases. She adorned our white frame for the signature drink with orchids and put small vases of flowers on the bar shelves. 

In terms of lighting we used all 38-par cans with purple gels. Since we were limited on where we could put them because we were on a rooftop, we lit up the entrance and the sidewalls beside the entrance and the bar. We also used uplights on the white spandex behind the cigar roller. We used the existing lamppost on the rooftop for added lighting.

The rooftop of the Madison provides a clear view of the Mississippi River and the lighted Mississippi Bridge. It makes for a romantic setting and provided a great backdrop for our event. To add another visual element (which also served as entertainment) we baby grand piano enchanting our guests all evening. We did typical cocktail/dinner music to keep the guests entertained yet not so obnoxious that they couldn’t talk. The pianist plays for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and is one of the most well known pianists in the city.

Last but not least, we decided since the guests would be enjoying the beautiful outside atmosphere, we would provide them with one more form of entertainment, a professional hand cigar roller (the only American English-Speaking Female Torcedor in the US . She came all the way from Nashville to provide us with her one of kind cigars and custom wrappers.

Since we wanted our guest to mix and mingle and not have to go wait in a buffet line we decided on all butlered passed appetizers.  The food was amazing: Fresh Seafood Ceviche; Mini Puff Pastry Encrusted; Sesame Infused Shrimp Spring Rolls; Hand Breaded Chicken Strips; Miniature Crab Cakes; Chunky Guacamole Dip inside of Avocado Shell with Tortilla Chips; Caprese Salad; Honey Chipolte Glazed Shrimp; Beef Tenderloin on Yeast Roll and Cheesecake Bites.  Obviously the Champagne Bellini Bar was a hit as well!

There is no doubt our goals were met and exceeded as the client wanted to extend the party for two additional hours!

Thank you to Annabella Charles Photography, Haute Horticulture, Mahaffey Tents & Party Rentals, Moonshine Lighting and Gerald Stephens for the successful event!

Sweet 16 at The Cotton Gin!

A few weeks ago we had a client who wanted to surprise her daughter with a Sweet 16 party. Their family has owned a cotton farm for many generations, and they wanted to host the soiree in their retired cotton gin. I was thrilled to use an out-of-the-box venue and excited about the challenge of designing a "Country Couture" event in such utilitarian space.

I began brainstorming for decor details by getting to know the client's daughter. Because the party was a surprise, I had to do so through photographs and stories from her mother. She wanted "country," but not "cowgirl." Her favorite color is teal and she loves shopping at Anthropologie She is chic yet laid back, athletic and a social butterfly (like us!). I knew the client wanted to use resources already available, such as bales of hay and twinkle lights. Check out what we came up with, most images beautifully captured by photographer Angie Gibson Ford, the less professional ones by us! 

 Rice plants and cotton stalks right from their farm were affordable and oh so shabby chic! We love them nestled between the gin's retired utilities.

 To fill the large ceiling space of the gin, we needed more than twinkle lights. Full country moons inspired these round orbs floating in the rafters. Guess what they are - latex balloons! We found 3' diameter circular balloons and had them strung with fishing wire at varied heights. They drew the eye upward and glowed in the party light. A birthday party is not complete without balloons, but we of course had to think of an out-of-the-box way to incorporate them.

 The client had this custom banner printed to welcome guests. You can see the twinkle lights and "moon" balloons peeking through the entry way.

 We got creative to work within the budget. We used wonderful resources at the farm to craft country couture centerpieces. We filled assorted vases with tied wheat and grains of rice. The ribbon and butterflies add pops of color to the neutral, organic palette of the farm.

 Tall cotton stalks add height to table arrangements in dramatic glass cylinders.

We created long tablescapes on each 6' table by staggering clusters of glass vases filled with various materials. Floating candles compliment the white pops of cotton.We mixed in soft, worn cotton linens with our chocolate brown ones to create an eclectic country vibe. 

Short, square chunky vases mix it up. We filled them with rice and planted white paper roses on floral wire. 

Brass lanterns and bird cages sprinkled the gift tables.

To bring country to chic, we created lounge areas with bales of hay and linens. We mixed burlap with teal and white and added chocolate sashes to tie them together. The lounge vignettes fringed the dance floor so guests could flop down to rest their dancin' feet!

In lieu of a candy bar, we created a country tea and lemonade bar with our assorted apothecary jars. We mixed raspberry sweet tea, peach lemonade and other delectable mixes to quench the thirst of those teenage dancers.

The focal point of the decor was a 20 foot burlap back drop strung with a Happy Sweet Sixteen message to the birthday girl. We ordered the letters from Etsy and they came out perfectly! We strung them on twine and ribbon and used clothespins to pin them up. We also strung pictures of the birthday girl - from high chairs to high heels - for guests to reminisce over.

The whimsical cake came from Cakes by Mom and Me was a hit! We elevated it on a stand covered in a burlap linen tied with a chocolate sash. 

Guests signed a framed invitation so the birthday girl would remember this party for birthdays to come.

This party was a great experience for us- we got to think outside the box and utilize a totally different space. We had a great time and we hope the guests did as well!

Stay tuned for our next post- we promise it will be soon!

Eventfully yours- Addie

Inspiration Board for Events!

Good morning readers! Today I wanted to write a quick post about design inspiration for events and a great online tool (that is free!) that will help you organize your ideas. When you start musing about all the creative elements you want to incorporate into an event, it is important to start big and then narrow down. Brainstorm all your craziest ideas- good or not so good- and jot them all down. You never know which ideas you will tweak, tone down (or up!) and utilize in your event. This is just as true for a small house party or shower as it is for a large wedding or party. Let the brainstorming begin!

This past Sunday I did a Sweet 16 party for a darling young girl at her family's cotton gin. Needless to say, a cotton gin is a bare canvas to work with. I took some notes and asked some questions about her favorite colors, what resources were available for me to use, and the theme she wanted. Then I set to work on the research phase of the event. I searched online, listed every crazy idea I could think of, and even looked up interior design/clothing trends that were on theme. The result: I had a whole folder of pictures I saved from various websites, and now I needed to make sense of them all.

So, I did what we usually do for inspiration board compilation and went to www.bighugelabs.com  to their mosaic maker. This is a free tool in which you can upload anywhere from 4 to 36 photos and arrange them in a mosaic grid. Check out the inspiration boad for this Country Couture Sweet 16:

Note how I sprinkled linen swatches of the color scheme to incorporate pops of color and texture. I narrowed all my ideas down to 12 photos. Some of these pictures were from past events of ours and some were found from simply googling ideas I had. Some showcased the actual rentals I ordered for the event and some served as simply ideas to offer the client. Either way, it is a great way to organize your ideas and see them come together.

So, if you are planning to incorporate a good bit of design in your next event and need ways to compile your ideas and creativity, use the Mosaic Maker at www.bighugelabs.com! And, if you want help designing and executing your next over the top, fab event, call the Buterflies! :) Stay tuned for pictures from the actual event!

Eventfully yours,
Addie

Spiral Ceremony

We absolutely ADORE clients who trust us to get creative! This was the case in a recent wedding we did at The Brooks Museum of Art. The client wanted something ethereal and unique for her ceremony in the front plaza. We had a lot of space and nothing structurally to play off of. She did not want a tent, but more of a light and airy frame with some fabric swagged to create a contained ceremony site. The result: a spiral ceremony!

We had the chairs arranged in one large spiral, with the altar in the center on a raised stage. The center aisle was the walkway created by the spiral, so the bride and her party got to wind their way through every single guest.  Everyone got a wonderful view of the bride and this made her moment walking down the isle that much more spectacular. Around the outside of the spiral we set up white columns and swagged fabric between them. This made the space more intimate and enclosed yet still light and airy. We created a chuppa-like structure around the raised altar and draped it with fabric and flowers.

Kevin Barre, owner of Kevin Barre Photography captured all of these wonderful images. He was great to work with on this day and adapted very impressively to our non-conventional ceremony set up! Check out more of his photos:

Above is a close up of the columns framing the spiral as guests began to arrive.

This is the altar area in the center of the spiral. The trees in the background made for a gorgeous backdrop! The altar was open from all sides so guests had a 360 view of the couple's vows. The spiral isle was drenched in rose petals to up the drama!

The ceremony area as guests began arriving. 

The bride and her father making their way into the spiral! They wound their way through each guest during this very gorgeous and intimate procession.

We had a great time creating this look! Special thanks to Classic Party Rentals, The Brooks Museum and Kevin Barre Photography!

Eventfully yours- Addie

Old Hollywood Glam at the VESTA Home Show!

This summer we had the opportunity to design the Memphis Area Home Builder's Association's VESTA Designer Home Show Preview Party! We had a great time working with this organization and we were very pleased with how everything came together. We loved transforming the Germantown Performing Arts Center into a swanky Hollywood cocktail party!

We pipe-and-draped the entire front lobby to transform it into an all-white affair. We used spandex linens on the bars and created white leather lounge areas with shag rugs. Check out Marilyn hanging out in between the two bars! Light boxes glowing a faint blue and hundreds of crystal details brought in the luxe opulence of old Hollywood.

Check out the room after dark! We had two fabulous feather and spandex palm trees to frame the room with. We used feathers and crystals in the centerpieces and the blue glowing light boxes were the only color in the room.

We love using feathers as centerpieces!  This is just another angle of the lobby.

The actual dinner took place on the GPAC Stage! We pipe-and-draped the halls to lead the guests from the all-white lobby to the stage for dinner. With the help of linens, lighting and centerpieces we created a black and red look. We used red rose balls elevated on silver candelabras for dramatically tall centerpieces on some tables, and extravagant black feather plumes in vases on others. Diners were entertained with live piano music from the black grand piano on stage with them!

This is a food station in the middle of the stage. Check out the tall red rose ball up close! Love the black, silver and red look on this stage.

We always alternate table looks. The red rose balls on the black linens, and the black vases and feather plumes on the red ones! Feathers are a glamorous detail you can use over and over again. They add drama, height and they wilt like flowers do.

Stay tuned for the next post about this party! I will show pictures from the Green Martini Room and the Black and Silver Studio!