sledding party

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Given that I'm located in the Southeast, I am hoping our winter days are numbered. In the Northeast, however- the cold is around to stay for a bit more. I was (almost) jealous of our wintry northern neighbors when I received these pictures of a sledding party in Massachusetts. Look at that deep, plush snow! 

Supermom Annmarie has four young kids- with three birthdays in January- so the fact that she can throw any party, let alone three super parties, is beyond me. You'll remember she threw the Parisian Candy shop birthday, and just a couple of weeks later- this great wintry-themed party for her son's 6th. She even made a baked Alaskan ice-cream igloo cake! Happy Birthday, Roan.

gen + ben

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Gen's wedding had many beautiful details. As you can see, her 'concept photos' (yesterday's post) translated beautifully to the actual event.

Details to note: 
-pennant flags: the pennants were used both as table markers and for the altar area (blown up large and affixed to wooden dowels)

-customized affordable items: her dress was very simple- but she added the yellow trim detail, the yellow sweater, and the vintage flower pins to make it feel more personal and 'expensive' looking

-southern touches: while neither Benjamin or Genifer are really 'Southerners', they wanted to make sure their wedding had a touch of the South. Country elements included a meat + three menu, bold floral patterns, an invitation suite that included 'y'all' and 'yee-haw'; as well as the location itself- Cheekwood Gardens, located in the heart of Nashville.

As with any large event, there were glitches. The great vintage serving ware she used for the 'family style' menu got broken and wasn't adequately sized to feed a crowd. Coordination was difficult because the property was spread out. But the good memories prevail, and it was a beautiful (and beautifully-styled) day to celebrate my dear friend's wedding.

sources:
-bridesmaids dresses by J. Crew
-bouquets by Ilex
-photos by Amy Dickerson
-invitations and ephemera (program, pennant flags, table markers) by me 
-floral tablecloths- custom, with Denyse Schmidt fabric
-white planters from Ikea
-gingham flower girl dresses by Pears + Bears

Any other questions you have, just leave in the comment box and Gen will answer!

it's all in the...

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DETAILS! Party planning is all in the details, of course. There's all the not-fun detail stuff like creating the guest list and addressing the invitations- and then there's the fun stuff- the 'concepting', the choosing of materials, the menu planning...

Unfortunately, the not-fun stage usually lasts longer then the fun stage, so I make sure to enjoy every second of the fun part! 

I've posted 'concept photos' that were taken for Gen's wedding. When trying to pull together a big event- like a wedding, an anniversary party, or the like- it can make all the difference- and help you figure out the general 'theme' or direction of a party. Of course, going to all this effort really doesn't make sense for a smaller affair, but it can be well worth the effort if you're planning a larger shindig that is in need of some cohesion.

I love these photos Gen created for her wedding, and thought they might be helpful to you. The 'theme' is so strong (modern meets country). She referenced these-just as a mood board- and could easily make a decision as to whether something 'went' with the other pieces of her big party. 

Tomorrow, I will share the wedding photos- so you can see how these concept photos translated into real life. (I had posted some photos from her wedding a couple of months ago, but took them down until I was able to do a more thorough post).

mini farm party

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Joslyn, you know me too well. Thank you for passing along this adorable farm birthday party! So many great details- the linen tablecloth, the mini bales of hay, the vintage farm toys, and an adorable birthday girl to top it all off. See more here.

By the way, you can email me at hickspapergoods(at)yahoo(dot)com with party pics.