Real Celebration: Gigi's 1st Birthday Party!

So, when some of your absolute favourite people in the world make a baby, life is pretty great, right?! Now, when those friends ask you to help them celebrate said babies first birthday? It doesn't get any better than that... That is just what happened last Spring, when I had the honour of planning a very special 1st birthday party for some of my closest friends adorable daughter, Georgia (aka. Gigi). Having the opportunity to help my friends celebrate this incredible milestone in their lives was absolutely wonderful, and it was so much fun creating a magical space that could be enjoyed by kids, friends & family alike. Set in the beautiful gardens of Starling Lane (a favourite of mine!), guests were treated to a lovely afternoon of visiting, baby snuggles, and lots of delicious food.

When first starting the planning, I had lots and lots of conversations with Tara (Gigi's beautiful mama) all about Gigi's favourite things. A colour palette was quickly established, based off of her nursery design, and then our conversation turned towards her love of animals and books. We took inspiration from one of her favourite books, The Crown on Your Head, by Nancy Tillman (if you haven't seen this book, I highly recommend it!). It is overflowing with beautiful animal illustrations, as well as darling quotes, many of which we styled throughout the gardens. The crown theme was also carried throughout the party, including a fun crown station for all the guests to partake in! My absolute favourite crown of the day had to be the feather crown made for Georgia. My Mom actually made it (she's a pretty rad lady!), and much to everyone's delight, Gigi wore it the entire afternoon!

This was an incredibly special afternoon, and I absolutely love looking back through the pics and remembering this day. I am so grateful that we have such wonderful friends in our lives, and love getting to be a part of their families milestones!

**Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the complete list of all the a-team vendors that helped make this day so incredible! All photos courtesy of Kim Kalyn Photography.