Double the Fun

When a call arrives to assist with the plans for a first birthday, it is a special celebration...when it is for twins...it is double the fun!

As with any event, the questions, who, what, where, when have to be answered. With the guest list in good shape, the who was determined. What was the first birthday celebration for twins and so it was the where that was my first assignment.

Since my client thought the first party would be fun to have at her home, a site visit was scheduled on a Friday so placement of food and games could be decided. As I left and had the weekend to consider the where it seemed to me that this client would be far better off arriving at a party destination than hosting it! I could see how time consuming caring for twins was and taking good care of them, having the house AND yard in order for guests seemed like an overwhelming task for even the most industrious mother and father.

Monday morning, I contacted my client and said, let's revisit the where for this party...let's do it somewhere other than your home. I explained that I wanted the parents to enjoy the celebration and not be overwhelmed with the minutia of details at home. So the search began...since the family lives in the northern suburbs, one of the first locations I contacted was Twin Lakes Golf and Swim Club. Not too far from the family's home and how much more appropriate could the location be for the TWINS' first birthday party...TWIN LAKES!

With the important "W" questions being answered, it was time to start the planning and the first detail to address was the invitation. The direction for decor that I received was "pink and white"...and so the designing process began.

As with most of the print work, I forward the details to my graphic artist, Jo Ann Stachelski with Cartoleria and we begin our back and forth process to find THE look for the perfect invitation - when we feel the design has reached the client's need and direction - off goes a proof to them for final approval and final tweaking until it is perfect for mailing!

With the invitation in place, the rest of the details fall into place. The cake artist, Paula Tassen, a friend of the family, set out to bake a cake that mirrored the images on the invitation.

When the schematic of the room was first emailed to me, I saw the cake table tucked in the corner, so I made a request to have it moved to the entrance where guests would surely stop and enjoy this artist's creative work. Why venues want to tuck such art work in corners is a mystery to me, but it happens more often than not - move the cake so guests are sure to see and enjoy the cake - not only the taste but the aesthics of the design work.

Paula did an outstanding job creating a cake that reminded all of the fun invitation they had just recently received in the mail. The child within us never tires of fun invitations in the mail OR of delightful birthday cakes OR of fun gatherings such as these!

It was a wonderful moment when the mother of the twins told me at the party that while drivng to Twin Lakes on this rainy day, she was so thankful that the party was NOT at her house! How delightful to know that this mother's only focus was on enjoying the party...sometimes it is good to think and party out of the box!

 

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