Ever since her daughter was a little girl, Ann-Marie Murphy of Gracie’s Party Ideas has been dreaming up this oh-so-lovely, Shabby Chic First Communion celebration. Initially inspired by the gorgeous dress and veil that her daughter wore during the ceremony, Ann-Marie incorporated accents of beautiful lace all throughout the party. I especially love the well-wishes tree, with messages from loved ones written on pieces of lace-adorned paper making up the “leaves”… such a thoughtful way for the guest of honor to remember her special day! :)

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Whimsical birdcage centerpieces filled with pink roses & tulips
• Gorgeous fondant pearl & lace adorned cake by Cake Beautiful
• Rhinestone encrusted, flower topped cake pops & chocolate covered Oreos
• Ice cream sundae making station for the kids (and adults!) ;)
• Pictures of the guest of honor displayed along the tables in fancy frames
• White lace table overlays, crocheted doilies, and paper doily embellished favor bags

PARTY DETAILS, as told by Ann-Marie…

I have been planning my daughter’s First Communion from she was in Pre-K. There is no one more easy-going, no frills kind of girl than my Gracie. I wanted to capture her spirit and the occasion. I chose a simple but elegant below-the-knee dress and because I love everything lace, I got her an all-lace mantilly veil.

That set the stage for the white lace overlays on the tables. I bought 30 yards of this beautiful white lace @$4 a yard and covered my cake table, favor table and the party tables. I wanted umbrellas instead of a tent because my backyard is not flat. I had the umbrellas stand alone around the long tables. I loved the floral arrangements — very soft and not overpowering. The tables were decorated with doves and different sized picture frames with pictures of Gracie. The arrangements were done in both mason jars and fancy vases with lace doilies randomly placed.

The beautiful cake was done by Ashley of Cake Beautiful. I love how she tied in the cake pops, cookies and the chocolate covered Oreos. The favors were trinket boxes shaped either like crosses or angels. They came wrapped in a grey box, but in keeping with the theme, I made doily wrapped gift bags to put them in. The favor table also had an antique bible on it, which was one of my favorite details. As a last touch, I lined my driveway with flowers in mason jars hanging from shepard’s hooks.

The thing I loved most about this brunch is that all my vendors were stay-at-home moms who do really amazing work.