Lamb-Themed Birthday

First birthdays can be as small or as large as the parents want it to be. I began planning my daughter's first birthday with a very simple party in mind; however, it quickly evolved into a quite beautiful (albeit stressful) affair.

I can't quite recall why I started buying lambs for MaryCollis but I have been collecting them in her honor since before she was born. Though it is unnecessary to have a theme for a first birthday, it was never a question whether or not lambs would be involved in my precious one's soiree. We easily have 40 lambs between my house and my mom's house, so I gathered up every single one I could find and that was the beginning of the end in regard to my "simple party."

Erin Napier of Lucky Luxe Couture Correspondence designed the invitations, and they were a huge hit with the guests. After taking MaryCollis' handprint, she was able to create a truly gorgeous letterpress invitation using salmon and soft grey inks. It will also make such a special keepsake for Chad and I since it has her very first handprint on it.

Bespoke invitation by Lucky Luxe Couture Correspondence

Bespoke invitation by Lucky Luxe Couture Correspondence

Bespoke invitation by Lucky Luxe Couture Correspondence

Bespoke invitation by Lucky Luxe Couture Correspondence

Bespoke invitation by Lucky Luxe Couture Correspondence

Bespoke invitation by Lucky Luxe Couture Correspondence

Hydrangea and lily arrangements (with little lambs tucked inside) acted as the centerpiece for each table. Photographs of the birthday girl were everywhere, and there were stuffed lambs galore! 

Guests were greeted by a sign that said "Welcome to the Baa Baa Birthday Party!" As soon as they entered the house, another sign said "Thank ewe for coming to my party! Please sign the guestbook."

Debbie Tolbert of Sugar Bakers made a 2-tier vanilla cake with cream cheese icing that was as dainty as it was delicious. She also made a cute little lamb cake (complete with a bow on its tail) to serve as the smash cake. Iced lamb cookies acted as the favors, which Sugar Bakers also made.

Each dish was named and was displayed on lamb place cards which were on silver stands. The guests feasted on Little Bo Peeps, Rambunctious Chicken & Cheese Dip, Shear Delights, Mutton Meatballs, Baaad to the Bone Veggie Dip, Hot for Ewe Dip, Hoof Prints, Mary Had a Little Lamb Cookies, Baa Baa Birthday Cake and Three Sheeps to the Wind Punch. The tiny guests had their own food table that said "Kids Graze Here."

A photo booth was available for MaryCollis' friends to snap pictures. The booth consisted of a rocking chair, window pane backdrop and tons of lambs. A sign in an antique white frame said "Don't be sheepish... Snap your photo!"

A photo banner with 13 photos (Newborn - 12 months) was displayed in the gift room. A photo from each month hung on ribbon so guests could see how much the birthday girl has grown since her arrival!

As guests left the party, they were encouraged to take a favor. Iced lamb cookies were placed in hand-stamped muslin bags and placed next to a sign that said "Thank Ewe for coming to my party!"

The party was so much fun, and we look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with our baby girl (and I look forward to planning them!). I'm already debating themes for next year. :)

South Mississippi Wedding

Hope and Jonathan were married in Historic Downtown Laurel in June 2011. Both the wedding ceremony and reception were at the Rogers-Green House on 5th Avenue - where the trees hang over the streets and young couples dream of living. Very rarely does a wedding reflect the personalities of the bride and groom so perfectly. Check out their big day below. The details are amazing!

Erin Napier of Lucky Luxe Couture Correspondence happened to be the maid of honor and the invitation designer. Here's what she had to say about what she envisioned for the stationery:

I've been eagerly awaiting the day when I could finally design this particular invitation. Hope has been my best friend since our 7th grade art class. That year we painted little ceramic tiles of our names, and later they were glued side by side into the backsplash of the classroom. Just like those tiles, we've been stuck like glue ever since. When she and Jonathan began quietly dating a few years ago, I had no clue I would someday be writing their names on such an important document! She wanted her invitation to reflect the fun, informal setting of their upcoming wedding with lots of bright colors and hand-drawn nature-inspired elements, with silhouettes of their likeness to add a touch of tradition.

The invitations were letterpressed in persimmon and peacock inks on pearl white lettra. The bride and groom's profiles were turned into silhouettes and framed to add a personal touch to the invitation. Guests knew as soon as they opened the envelope that Hope and Jonathan's wedding would be an intimate, fun-filled outdoor wedding that nobody would want to miss out on.

The wedding was a colorful and festive affair on the lawn of one of Laurel's oldest homes. The bridesmaids wore floral, vintage-inspired dresses of their choice, and guests played games on the lawn. The bride and maids carried handmade fabric bouquets by Dawn of Hello Dearie.

The guests were given fans to swat away the summer heat. Candy apples, corn dogs and cotton candy were served from a carnival wagon. There were finger mustaches and props for guests to partake in a photo booth. Cans dangled from the back of the getaway car, mason jars were filled with flowers, music from the 50s and 60s filled the air. It was everything you'd imagine a Southern wedding to be.

All stationery (except wish tags) were designed by Erin Napier of Lucky Luxe Couture Correspondence.

All photos taken by Sam McAlister of McAlister Creative. 

Looking Forward: Spring Weddings

I so desperately want to see brides stray away from The June Wedding. They're everywhere.... and to be quite honest, there is absolutely nothing unique about a June wedding. Every year I get about 7 wedding invitations for the month of June. And every year I have to choose which ones I'm going to attend because inevitably at least 2 out of the 4 weekends in June, I will have been invited to 2 or more weddings.

And I always think to myself "Why in the world do these girls want to compete with every other bride in the United States?" The prices of June weddings are 50-100% higher than any other given month. Because June is such a cliched month and the demand is high, caterers, florists and other vendors raise their prices in the name of Wedding Season. And they can charge anything they please because they know we'll pay it. Right? Read an interesting article on June weddings here.

My challenge to you is this: Think outside the box. Look beyond the typical Wedding Season (May - August). Choose Spring, Fall or Winter so you might claim your wedding day as your own as it is not something to be shared with every other bride in the world.

Here are some lovely inspirational photos for you Spring Brides:

Such a gorgeous cake. Photo here.

"Belle" is the perfect invitation suite for a Spring wedding.

Letterpress invitation by Lucky Luxe Couture Correspondence.

I am loving these bright, fun colors for Spring 2011.

Peonies are fabulous for Spring weddings.

Happy Planning!

aarp