Well… it doesn’t get much more adorable than THIS! Christi from P is for Party and Kelly from The Party Dress and WH Hostess teamed up to bring this adorable monkey-themed birthday party to life… so I guess with that much creative juice in the room it shouldn’t be surprising that the party turned out so amazing!

A few of my favorite details found here: darling monkey bubble favors, beautiful ribbon moss balls hanging from shepherd hooks, white chocolate-dipped Oreos topped with fondant bananas (!), both adult AND kid-friendly pink signature drinks, and of course the fabulous DIY ribbon backdrop that was set up behind the smash cake!

Read on for LOTS more gorgeous images (as captured by Ellen Zilla) and all the creative party details, as told by Christi…

“When my friend and client, Shannon, first approached me to help with her daughter’s first birthday party, she had already chosen the monkey theme and had also already contacted Kelly of WH Hostess, who created this inspiration board for her.  I was thrilled!  I thought the theme was precious and working with Kelly is always a treat!

Shannon was a dream client. She had a clear vision, but looked to me for all of the creative decisions.  The end result turned out beautifully and there were so many special touches throughout the event.  One of my tried and true photography sources, Ellen Johnson of Ellen Zilla Photography, did a remarkable job photographing every detail!

Here are the details on some of my favorite parts of the party:

To highlight the area where the birthday girl would dive into her smash cake, I created a ribbon backdrop from a mixture of satin and grosgrain ribbon in all of the party colors.  I purchased ribbon in widths varying from 1” to 3”.  The backdrop was stunning since the ribbons hung from Shannon’s 12 ft. ceiling!

THE DESSERT TABLE was so much fun to create! The table was to be placed on a large white wall and instead of building a fabric backdrop, I decided to anchor the table with a bright pink monogram decal from Open Heart Creations and hang poms, in various shades of pink, on both sides.

The treats: Macaroons from Maison Burdisso added a nice pop of color to the front of the table. White chocolate-covered Oreos were placed in mini baking cups from and adorned with a small banana fondant piece from Kids Cakes. Birthday cupcakes were decorated with monkey cupcake toppers and sat on two gorgeous Rosanna cake stands.

We also set out a variety of candy – including rock candy, gumballs and banana taffy – in tall glass jars from Pottery Barn.  All of the treats were adorned with labels by WH Hostess.  White gable boxes decorated with a coordinating flower-shaped sticker were placed near the table for guests to pick up and fill with treats to take home.

THE FLOWERS were breathtaking and one of my favorite elements of the party! In the inspiration board that Kelly initially created for Shannon, she included several moss arrangements that Shannon loved. (Click here to see the board.)

I enlisted the help of one of my favorite Houston florists, Lisa Tran of Wedding Flowers by Lisa.  I knew Lisa would transform our vision into a reality!  As guests walked up the pathway to the front door, they were surrounded by the most gorgeous ribbon moss balls hung on shepherd hooks.

THE INSIDE TABLES were another focal point. Each table was draped in a pink linen and held three small arrangements.

I found the daintiest ceramic vases from Heart to Heart, which Lisa filled with bright yellow Billy Balls, pink roses and hydrangeas in pink and green.  Lisa also designed a creative moss cone that she adorned with pink spray roses and yellow Calla Lilies.

The outside tables were special as well! Pink Daisy Grass Mats (an HWTM find!) were placed on each table, along with one of the same ceramic vases as the inside tables.  It lent for a more casual, outdoor feel.

The backyard was set up as the play area for the many kids in attendance. (See image #4, above)  I sporadically placed pink & white beach balls and large pink exercise balls throughout the area.  The kids loved running around kicking and throwing the balls!

There were so many fun touches at this party!  Tissue Poms in shades of pink, yellow and green were found everywhere; from counter tops and mantles to the arms of chandeliers.

Pink striped straws from Hey Yo Yo were preset in cups waiting to be filled with pink mojitos (for the adults of course!).  Pink lemonade was offered as well which was another nod to the party colors!

THE FOOD

The tiered monkey cake was a showstopper (see image #1, at top).  Cakes by Gina handmade the monkey cake topper out of cake & icing!  A Fare Extraordinaire catered the event and the food was delicious!

As a special touch, frozen bananas dipped in chocolate and presented on a banana leaf, were passed out to guests.  I must add that the attentive wait staff came dressed in hot pink ties to match the décor!

PARTY FAVORS

As a parting gift, the little ones got to take home a plush stuffed monkey and a coordinating bubble tin and wand by WH Hostess.

This party was an event planner’s dream to work on and I could not have done it without the incredible talent of Kelly Lyden and my sweet client, Shannon!”