Hi, Islanders! If you follow me on social media, today's Throwback Thursday(TBT) post may look familiar.
It's from Melina's surprise birthday party and, let me tell you, it was a really nice event. It all started when her fiance reached out to her mom for help planning a surprise New Year's Eve party. From their conversation, Mrs. Lucy's mind took off. We were in a whirlwind and set out to plan a themed party. She asked me to make the invitations to her specifications - DONE. All of my other responsibilities were in support of Mrs. Lucy's vision.
I used her supplies to embellish the wine bottles she spray painted. She had several bottles placed on the bar. They were a subtle nod to the theme.
She tried to jazz up plastic champagne glasses but they didn't have the look she wanted. Plus, they didn't stack well. Seriously, what good is a champagne tower that will fall if you breathe the wrong way? I recommended we purchase glasses from Dollar Tree and, as always, their selection didn't disappoint.
The party space was super chic. It had a pool table in the center, a sofa, a pair of end tables and a built-in ledge mounted on a wall that was covered in mirrors. I moved some things around to determine a layout that would work and even used some items from my stash.
I know it's blurry but you can totally see the coffee filter poms made the perfect pop under the sofa, right?
I was super excited to pull out some of my thrifty pillows and I am very pleased with how they helped pull the space together.
Ms. Lucy covered the pool table with table cloths and I created a uniform layout for the food buffet.
Other elements I loved included:
- The bar with Christmas lights
- The Foosball table covered with Gatsby boas, hats, and headbands:
- The Handmade headbands:
Ms. Lucy cut beaded elastic headbands in half and sewed them to cheaper bands. She glued feathers and sparkle embellishments to each headband and they turned out fabulous!
- The entryway photo area:
- The themed attire:
Nothing makes my heart smile more than women all dolled up and guys lookin' dapper. Bow ties? Headbands? Feathers? I'm all in!
The birthday girl received an anonymous delivery on party day. A box, a note and an outfit on her porch left Melina with a ton of questions.
She arrived, she was super surprised and Melina appreciated the awesome party. I loved helping to bring Mrs. Lucy's vision for this surprise Gatsby party to fruition.
If you're planning to host a party in a venue party room, here are a few ways to personalize the space:
- Replace accessories with items that meet your needs. In our case, the pillows were replaced and we added the coffee filter poms under the seating area. Consider adding photos in frames around the space, bringing in bright light bulbs to brighten a space or even adding room accessories that fit your color scheme and/or theme.
- Add lighting! We brought in Christmas lights which always bring an ambient glow to night events. We also brought in battery-operated votive candles. Consider using lighting to meet the needs of your event.
- Dress it up! Ask your guests to dress up... it helps to build anticipation (finalizing an outfit is always exciting!), it helps to provide a focal point, and it increases the odds that attendees will have a good time (people slip into character when they dress up).
Try something new and make your party GREAT!
Happy #TBT and happy birthday [again], Melina.
