Do you believe in love at first sight? Because it sure feels like that’s what occurred when I first laid eyes on this vibrant & contemporary “Let’s Feather Their Nest” baby shower from Amber Karson Events!

Turquoise chiavari chairs adorned with feathers & ribbon, gorgeous flower arrangements peeking out from chic, modern birdcages, brunch napkins fashioned from Michael Miller’s “Tweet Tweet” fabric, signature drinks station complete with a rainbow-like buffet of mixers & garnishes… what’s not to love?! And to play on the artistic vibe of the party’s mixed-use gallery location, old childhood pictures of the parents-to-be were framed and hung on the walls, while some of their favorite childhood momentos were put on display as “special exhibits”. Sweet + clever!

Read on for lots more beautiful, inspiring pics + all the creative party details… (P.S. I’m also filing this one under Bridal Showers… because don’t you think this styling could inspire a seriously fabulous “Love Birds” theme too?!)

PARTY DETAILS, as told by Amber….

“Our first task was finding a great venue to facilitate a co-ed brunch cocktail party and Fathom Gallery – a former-auto-garage-turned-mixed-use gallery space – worked out perfectly!  Guests arrived at the gallery and were escorted upstairs to the open loft space.  We hung old childhood pictures of the parents-to-be in frames displayed throughout the gallery, which was a great way to personalize the space.  We also created a “special exhibit” using their childhood mementos — old baby blankets, favorite toys, a Boy Scout pine-wood derby boxwood car, etc.!  The guests of honor loved seeing these “art pieces” that have been in the attics of their parents house for years and the grandparents-to-be loved working with us on these projects!

We worked with Windows Catering on a fun brunch inspired hors d’oeuvres menu — tray passed french toast sticks, pancake wrapped sausage (a brunch version of pigs-in-a-blanket) and mini quiche to name a few — along with a custom bloody mary & bellini station.  Guests loved creating their own cocktails & mocktails using all the fun garnishes on display!

Another fun feature was the “guest book wall” — guests left the parents-to-be special messages using a dry-erase pen on the gallery’s super cool cabinetry.  It was a hit during cocktails!

After an hour of co-ed cocktailing, the boys left the gallery and headed next door to Churchkey for a private beer tasting (they have over 500 beers on tap) and a lunch we arranged for them, while the girls stayed at the gallery to open gifts and enjoy a seated brunch. The guys especially loved the format of the event — they felt included without having anything too girly to sit through!

In terms of our design vision, we took the “Let’s Feather Their Nest” theme found on the invitation and ran with it. We really loved the clean look of the gallery, so we kept our color palette primarily white with pops of color (like the turquoise chiavaris which we tied a white feather to with pink bows). The Enchanted Florist built amazing floral arrangements in a collection of bird cages. Custom napkins made from Michael Miller’s “Tweet Tweet” fabric added another nice pop of color, and the twig flatware was a hit and really completed our place settings!

The white chocolate bird’s nest cake topper was as gorgeous as the cake was delicious.

We found little bird cocktail tables that we spray painted chrome (as a nod to the space’s former life — an auto garage– which still has the original garage doors hanging!). Flanked with two ghost chairs, they made the perfect little seating areas!

My twin sister Emily (also with Amber Karson Events) makes these little sock carton baby gifts. They are adorable and matched the theme perfectly – so of course we had to include!

Emily and I always try to infuse our client’s personality into the events we design, so it was especially rewarding to plan for my own family.  We were able to create a highly personalized, unique event keeping all our guests (gals AND guys) in mind!”