My parents' 35th wedding anniversary was last week. My brother Tim and I decided that it would be great to throw them a surprise party to celebrate, so about six weeks ago, we set to work collecting ideas, crafting the details and inviting their friends and family. My Dad's favorite color is blue and my Mom loves coral, so when I first saw this photo on Pinterest, I knew the color scheme would be perfect!
The invitations: Simply made from craft paper card stock, white doilies and tied with twine, they set the tone for the laid-back get together.
The decorations: We chose a rustic, relaxed feel for the event. Tim and his precious girlfriend Kelli crafted the fabric pennant banner (all 60-feet of it!) and Miss A helped me with the paper doily banner. I also found white paper lanterns in my stash (leftover from a wedding) and we hung those from the ceiling.
The Flowers: The party was on July 6th and all the flower shops in our area closed Thursday for the holiday weekend. Luckily, my coral rose bush was blooming and we snipped blooms and harvested petals for the buffet table. Wildflowers from the roadside filled in the rest. We created the simple bouquets in mason jars decorated with scrapbook paper and ribbon.
The Photos: Tim built this wooden frame out of pallet wood, stained it and added rope to hang photos of our parents through the years. We put it on my wood buffet and added some decor. It was a huge hit!
The Food: The party was at 6pm, so we planned a "heavy appetizer" buffet. The menu included Glazed Kielbasa Bites, Lemon-Dill Cucumbers, Marinated Cheese, Hummus with vegetables and crackers, Caprese Bites, Ranch Mushrooms and a relish tray (I'll share recipes and party tips this week!)
Lots of tea light candles nestled between the dishes made the buffet glow!
The Cake: I've watched my Mom make cakes several times and I voraciously read the Wilton cake decorating how-to section, but I was still nervous about this! But with my husband Michael, Tim and Kelli cheering me on, we did it!
We even made them feed each other cake. :) The cake was blue velvet and I made buttercream icing (with FIVE cups of butter), vanilla and almond extracts. It was delicious!
The Beverages: Kelli was the brains behind this gorgeous assortment of fruit and herb infused waters. I found the giant mason jar dispenser and the blue carafe at Garden Ridge. We had Lemon Blueberry, Strawberry Lime and Cucumber Mint and they were all so yummy!
And finally, after all the guests went home for the night, we snapped a few pics of the family. The only one we're missing is our other brother Nick, but he couldn't make it home from California in time. He was able to call though and we loved hearing his voice!
We want to thank everyone who was able to attend and show their love for our parents. It was such an enjoyable evening and I loved seeing my home filled with people laughing, chatting and having a great time!
Check back later this week and I'll share my tips for easy entertaining and all the recipes for the appetizer buffet!
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