What I love about parties goes beyond pinspiration and picture-perfect moments. For me it's about the celebration itself, the joy of bringing people together. Whether it's showering a mom-to-be with love, celebrating a milestone birthday, or saying hats off to the grad, life is full of important moments that deserve to be treated as such- important! In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, especially in the buzzing SF Bay Area, relationships are so often pushed to the backburner. I started Me & You to help those busy bees prioritize their family and friends again. Every party is planned with, not for, the client- there is no one-size-fits-all. With that in mind, I always begin my process with an open conversation- What's important to you? What is your vision for this celebration? What theme or 'feel' do you want to highlight?
Take The Bundle of Joy for example- this lovely company is turning one, and its founder Caroline reached out for inspiration for a hypothetical anniversary party that's both feminine and fun. The party we envisioned should celebrate women as mothers, friends, and entrepreneurs. After all, Caroline started the company with the spirit of giving between fellow mothers! From there it's always easier to narrow down a venue, decor, and activities.
I like to give a couple venue options for clients to choose from. To take advantage of the warm weather, a garden party would work nicely, whether it be a flower-filled backyard of a friend or one of the many reservable sections of Golden Gate Park such as the Dahlia Dell picnic area. For a venue that works in any season, though, I would recommend The Riddler- an SF champagne bar entirely backed by women. If we went with the latter, I would complement the space's gold leaf ceiling and marble tabletops with even more feminine vibes- oversized pink balloons with gold tassels in the windows, a modern mixed-height tassel garland along the bar, luxe gold DIY vases with simple florals on each table, and upscale pink/gold/marble paper goods to pull everything together.
A Sunday brunch would be the perfect setting for this celebration- lots of sunlight, time to relax, and of course, a little bubbly. In addition to the tater tot waffles, caviar, and complimentary popcorn at The Riddler, I'd also add a cake- what's a party without one? While snacking and sipping, guests could browse through the Bundle of Joy options and learn about the inspiration behind them from Caroline and the local business owners that produce some of the items. To honor the anniversary of the company there would be a bulletin board for posting note cards about how a Bundle was meaningful to you or someone you gifted one to, as well as suggestions for what you'd like to see in future bundles. They are of course made with the very real needs of moms in mind! Another tenet of the company is giving back, so proceeds from purchases made that day would go to a non-profit.
This party would be designed with Joy in mind. The joy of supporting all the mothers in your life. The joy of engaging with and giving back to the local community. And of course, the joy of ringing in one year of hard work and celebrating where The Bundle of Joy will go from here. Cheers to that!
Images from the inspiration board: Plates: Harlow & Grey's Goddess Party Collection | Cake: The Knot | The Riddler | Vases: Wedding Chicks | Tassel garland: Paper Fox | Main post photo: Great Galas on Etsy