Hattie Mae’s Birthday | The Details
For my daughter’s first birthday we celebrated Charleston style and it turned out so amazing that I tried to convince my husband to let us decorate the house like it. If you know me, I truly am not the type to brag about my work, it’s just not who I am, but if you ask me about this party I would shout it from the rooftop. I poured my heart into every detail of this party to make it as special as my little girl (if that is even possible).
In this blog I am going to talk through all of the day-of party details. These are the items that I create (and sell) for parties to help not only elevate the party experience but also make the event as unique as the guest of honor.
If you are inspired by anything in this blog and want to hire me to help bring your vision to life for an event please fill out this form.
I was inspired by Courtney of Pizzazzerie to incorporate Rainbow Row into a party. They live near the real Rainbow Row and their rainbow baby loves to visit the houses so it was so fitting to use that theme to celebrate her birthday. I not only wanted to incorporate Rainbow Row into my daughter’s birthday but all of the things that make Charleston special. Read her blog here
Once I decided on Hattie Mae’s birthday theme I started creating her custom event Life Logo. A Life Logo is the name for the design I created that helped me plan all of the details for her party. I used it to keep my colors, patterns, and elements all cohesive so the party had one consistent look and feel from one detail to the next.
Okay let’s get started..
Welcome Sign
As our guests were approaching the party they were greeted by a large sign welcoming them to the party. This was located at the opening of the event tent but facing the path our guests were using to enter the tent. I added some hydrangeas around the welcome sign to make the space seem a little more full.
Garden Flag
On the other side of the welcome sign, along with another hydrangea, was a custom garden flag. This was a special little touch that many probably wouldn’t have noticed but when I host an event I try to make the event as homey and welcoming as I can so small touches like a garden flag help do that. The design on the garden flag was a little different from her Life Logo so we could keep using it through the Spring and Summer months to help add color to our outdoor space. Also it can remind us of the special day and the reason we were celebrating.
Cake topper
Since the cake was intended to be smashed by our little one I decided to keep the cake plain white and trimmed with pink polkadots then topped with a pink acrylic monogram. To fancy up the acrylic cake topper I made a colorful ribbon bow and attached it to the base of the monogram so when it was time to smash the whole thing came off in one piece.
Cupcake topper
I originally had this beautiful two tier cake with a rainbow row around the base and a palm tree planned but as the party approached I changed directions and decided to go with cupcakes and a cute topper. This was more of a time decision rather than a detail based decision. Sometimes you just have to go with what you have time for and your specialty. I tried creating the rainbow row out of stickers and acrylic buildings for the cake but the sizing wasn’t working and I needed to put my energies into other details so these dainty circle acrylic toppers with a white monogram is where I ended up. Honestly I don’t think the guests missed out on anything not having the cake I had envisioned and at the end of the day the cupcakes were easier to serve so it all works out in the end.
Hand towel
This is another one of those “homey” details that I like to include when I am going out for an event. I think if you have a drink area or a space that you want to make extra special a custom hand towel can help make that happen. I also did it in the same design as the garden flag so it is a little different than her Life Logo but that allows it to become something we can use as decoration further down the road.
Vinyl banner
Since her Life Logo is the focal point of all the party decorations I wanted to make sure it was displayed large enough that it would help tie all of the decorations together in person. To do this I went with a 24” x 24” vinyl banner with coordinating ribbon flowing down each side. This hung above the food table to help balance the mini Rainbow Row in the middle and the pink and white stripe background with tassel banner on opposite side of the tent.
Cup stickers
For the cups I decided to go with a sticker on clear plastic cups. To be completely honest something happened with my mom-brain and her custom party cups didn’t get ordered completely. I literally cried when I figured it out but it was too late to reorder so this was the last minute change of plan. Honestly I think they were just as cute and came out to be much cheaper. I truly love when people have custom party cups to help celebrate their events but sometimes when you have so much going on, a sticker on a cup is just as good of an option and can help keep you on a budget if needed.
Stir sticks
To keep things consistent I used the same design from the cupcake toppers on the drink stirrers. They were five different coordinating acrylic colors all with a white “HM” monogram. It made me happy to see these with the cups because I don’t think the guests missed out on a special experience not having the cups I originally planned.
The best thing about parties is that most of the time, the planner and those involved in the details of the planning process, are the only ones who know when details or items are missing or changed and the guests have no clue. As much as I love to focus on the details and making sure the party looks perfect, the most important part is spending time with your guests while they are there.
I would love to bring your party vision to life for your next event so if you want to order a life logo, or any of these items above and more please fill out this custom party form here.
I will get back with you within 48 business hours.