I started planning the party in February (her birthday isn't until June); my biggest piece of advice is never to procrastinate. Crafts, phone calls, decisions, etcetera always take longer than expected and it is best to be calm and have fun with the process. Procrastination leads to stress!
Alice in Wonderland is one of my all time favorite movies and because Kennedy didn't really have any preference in the matter, I decided it to be the theme. And the Pin-teresting began!
First, I found the invitations that I liked (Etsy has some amazing printable packages) and went from there. The invitations help to decide the exact color scheme and direction of the decorations. The invitation should set the tone for the event; guests will assume the dress and imagine the decor from the style of the invitation.
Again, Etsy printable packages are great. Printable packages, for those who don't know, usually include a custom invitation and an array of matching paper goods like banners, cupcake flags, straw flags, signs, quotes, and others. The packages come to you in the form of PDF files so that you can print them yourself; which saves a lot of money and still looks professional! My advice is to buy 100 weight+ cardstock and either print at home or take it to Kinko's. If you bring your own paper to Kinko's it can save a lot of money.
You can pretty much rent and hire almost anything you can think of. In my experience, people often forget about renting things that would be so useful at a party. Things you can rent include: tables, chairs, Igloo coolers, fans, cups, plates, silverware, tablecloths, decorations, high chairs...really anything. The average rental company will charge you under $15 to rent a table, under $5 for a basic wooden chair, and around $15 for a basic tablecloth. I rented several high chairs for Kennedy's party and they were so helpful with little ones!
Think about matching everything to your theme... not just the decorations. Think about translating the theme to the music, the food, the games, etcetera. With the Alice theme, we decided to serve "Carrot" Chicken Salad Sandwiches (Chicken Salad in a carrot-shaped and colored croissant), "Magic Mushrooms" (Tomato Caprese), Mad Hatter Cookies, and Scones.
Always think of what would make your guests feel comfortable. In having a first birthday party, we expected several guests that were around the same age. I purchased Plum Organics pouches, Annie's Cheddar Bunnies (Kennedy's Favorite), made toddler-friendly sandwiches (Cream Cheese & Carrot), rented high chairs, and made each child's seat "baby proof" (i.e. Sippy Cup, paper plate, & place mat). I also thought of the Moms & Dads and had Champagne Cocktails for all those of age.
One of my favorite touches that I add to every party is a sign-able photo book. Before the party, I made a photo book on Shutterfly (if you haven't done this before, it is life-changing! And only about $30-$40) and intentionally left several random pages blank. Instead of having a traditional guest book, I had guests sign anywhere on the empty pages. This makes for guest book that doesn't get lost in a closet somewhere!
Anyone who reads this in the baking industry may hate me for this tip, but cake prices are probably the thing that (in my opinion) varies most among different bakeries. I definitely believe that there is a difference between cakes and bakers, but I have never truly had a bad cake. It is sugar, flour, egg, and butter...how could it be bad? Really do some research and you can find a small baker that will be very reasonable with pricing and you can get the cake of your dreams without blowing the budget (I only paid $150 for Kennedy's 3-tier cake).
I also made a slideshow of photos set to music that I played on one of our TVs during the party. I set the slideshow on a loop so that everyone could see it. It was a great touch, especially for family, and I now have the slideshow as a keepsake!
Take birthday photos before the party and have the theme incorporated into the photos. Display the photos around the party in frames you have around your house.
Don't forget about the ceiling! Hanging paper lanterns, pom poms, or flags from the ceiling helps to solidify your theme and create the mood.
A few more details:
- I found cardboard cutouts of the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, and Caterpillar and placed them throughout the house.
- I made arrow signs (like the ones the Cheshire Cat refers to) from card stock and glitter pens and placed these below the Cheshire Cat cutout.
- Being a florist, I had to incorporate flowers into the event. Of course, "Painting the Roses Red" was the most obvious way! I bought red floral spray paint, white and red roses, some floral foam, and got to work. I used 1/3 white roses, 1/3 "painted" white roses, and 1/3 red roses to make topiaries. I used the rose leaves to fill in the space between roses and bought some sticks at Hobby Lobby to create the topiary look.
- Colored paper straws in Izzy Soda with flags saying "Drink Me"
- Paper Flags on toothpicks saying "Eat Me" were placed on sandwiches
- I loaded my iPad with the soundtrack to the movie (available on Spotify!) and played it at the entrance to set the mood.
- I played the movie on a loop in the living room as well
- I made a sign (printed off line and blown up on a copier) saying "Down the Rabbit Hole," placed in a frame, and hung on the front door.
- I found black and white check wrapping paper that I used as placemats, silver tray liners, and table runners. Definitely best bang for the buck!
- Alice in Wonderland's Mad Hatter Tea Party should be fancy and whimsical so I rented table cloths, vintage china, chairs, and silver trays. I definitely think that the rental items are what made the party such a "wow". Plus, there is not so much waste to the environment when you use re-usable items!
