I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream… For her 4th birthday, Princess Madison was gifted the most Bibbidi Bobbidi Beautiful Cinderella Birthday from the Queen (aka Mom), Dana Nussbaum. Dana recreated Cinderella’s entire world, from a dressing room stocked with gowns to get ready for the Royal Ball, to Prince Charming’s castle, where Cinderella lived happily ever after. And with a visit from Cinderella herself, this party was a reminder that {birthday} dreams do come true!

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Castle cake & cupcakes tower, golden star fairy wand cookies + a Princess Madison cupcake topper
• Pink & blue tablescape with candy-filled Cinderella slippers, sparkly place mats & balloon bouquet centerpieces
• “Once Upon a Dream” photo booth backdrop, magical carriage cutouts & Fairy Godmother wand making activity
• Disney Princess tote bags, Princess bubble party favors & custom Cinderella outfits for Madison & her baby sister

PARTY DETAILS as told by Dana…

My daughter Madison absolutely adores Disney’s Cinderella, so when it came time to start planning for her 4th birthday party, the theme choice was an easy decision. It was important to her that she and all of her friends really feel like princesses and was it important for me not to rely on a ton of licensed products, but rather recreate the feeling of a truly enchanted storybook moment. From the moment guests walked in to the moment they left, I wanted them to feel transported to somewhere truly magical. We achieved this by organizing our backyard into a series of “destinations” within a kingdom. Children were even given maps upon arrival to make sure they visited each of the special spots and didn’t miss a thing. Some of the highlights included…

Cinderelly’s Kitchen: was one of the first stops and a place for kids to get a glimpse into Cinderella’s life “before the ball” complete with pint-sized dress up aprons.

The Once Upon a Dream Dressing Room: let children could dress up in gorgeous costumes (provided by the incomparable Leesa Zelken from Send in the Clowns), fill custom made purses with little trinkets such as rings, bracelets and necklaces or even get a sparkly glitter tattoo.

At Prince Charming’s Castle: children could choose from a variety of fun and whimsical activities to prepare for their evening at the ball,

Including:

• Fairy Godmother’s Wand Station (where they made their very own magic wands!)
• Royal Jewels Kaleidoscope Shoppe (custom kaleidoscopes made with jewels, sparkles and fun little trinkets)
• “A Dream Is A Wish” Wish Boxes (decorating miniature wooden treasure boxes and filling them with charms and making a wish)
• Potion Shop (filling vials of gorgeous, sparkly fairy dust, essential for a day full of dreams come true)

Because no Cinderella birthday would be complete without a gown for the ball, we took great care in finding something fun for Madison and her sister to wear that was in keeping with the theme. Madison wore a gorgeous apron designed to look like Cinderella’s original pink dress (her favorite moment from the film) over a beautiful pettiskirt while her sister’s outfit was a nod to Cinderella’s more humble (albeit adorable!) beginnings in a faux tattered apron.

As the afternoon wound down, each child left with a Cinderella playset and magic wand kit so the magic could continue at home.

The day was straight out of a storybook and the smile on Madison’s face made it all worthwhile. She still takes about her “day in the kingdom” and I know it will be a memory we will all cherish for years to come. Because the theme was all about a “dream come true,” we felt it was important that we use this day to somehow make dreams come true for other children as well so many of the supplies and decorations were actually donated to a children’s charity after the event; this is a tradition we will absolutely continue year after year.