If fresh flowers make you smile, then this vision of girly elegance by Jasmine Shah of IDEA! event + style will pretty much make your day! :) Kate Parker Photography beautifully captured moments of the day, the playful decor and dramatic desserts by Dot’s Delights for Aleksandra’s special Birdie Inspired “Pretty as a Peony” First Birthday Party!

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Peony Wreath Dessert Table Backdrop and Ombre Ruffle Cake
• Bird Nest Name Card, Pink Plates & Doily Chargers
• Sweet Little Birdie Favors in White Cages + Pink Balloons
• “Pretty As A Peony” Water Bottle Wraps

PARTY DETAILS, as told by Jasmine…

The theme “Pretty As A Peony” came from Aleksandra’s mother Natalia’s love of fresh flowers, particularly peonies. Natalia’s vision for her daughter’s first birthday party included soft pastels, lots of fresh flowers, some birdcages to bring in a touch of whimsy and plenty of sweet girly touches! Some lace and elegant silk ribbon in ombre green added the perfect amount of girly elegance and tied in many aspects of the decor and styling details such as the invitations, the birdcages, the favors, and even the sash around Aleksandra’s pretty little white dress!

Since the family had spent some time living in Asia, they wanted to incorporate the traditional game of “Dol Jabi” in which a series of objects is placed in front of the child, each one corresponding with a career choice. It is believed that the first object touched by the baby determines his or her future career choice. In this case, Aleksandra picked the dollar note which couldn’t have made her father happier being in the finance industry himself!

Being a former professional chef herself, Natalia chose to prepare a variety of hors’ d oeuvres for the older guests which they enjoyed while their little ones were getting their faces painted. For the children we had a variety of desserts and fun foods to pick from! Their choices included the cake of course, a delectable 2 tier red velvet cake with sugar peonies, vanilla bean cupcakes, powdered sugar donuts, strawberry jelly sandwiches, chocolate/vanilla macarons, fresh fruit and sweet rice crackers to honor the slight Asian touch to the celebration.

The decor was kept simple and elegant but still playful keeping in mind the various age groups that were part of the guest list. There was something for every age group to enjoy and appreciate from the ceiling full of floating balloons to the bird cages to the fresh flowers everywhere. Each guest was given a miniature white birdcage with pineapple-flavored marshmallows in the shape of hummingbirds. The cages were adorned with pink flowers and the same green silk ribbon that was continued throughout the decor!

It turned out to be a beautiful celebration for the Keele family, full of love and warmth!