Today is the sixteenth birthday of our dear Katie. She is such a wonderful daughter and sixteen is such a great age that we, of course, had to have a big celebration for her. We are party people after all.
Katie picked old Hollywood glamour as her theme. I have to say her friends really ran with the theme. Many of the boys came in tuxedos and had top hats and canes. The girls were inspired by the dresses of the 20's 30's and 40's. There were many gowns and gloves, fascinators and feathers. I loved how creative they all were. The invite said "dress to impress" and they took it to heart.
May I share with you some of our pictures?
This was the entry into the party room. My friend Tricia made this for a dance at her son's school and she very kindly lent it to me. She also came and set it up, for which I was profoundly grateful.
We had to have a red carpet, of course, and what is a red carpet without paparazzi? I even rigged it so their flashbulbs lit up. The rope line was Tricia again. She's a master crafter.
The table decorations were pretty simple. I was actually contractually prevented from using confetti! :). There was a gold oscar statue and balloons as well as old Hollywood glamour shots and publicity photos on the table. Red, black and gold was the color scheme.
We matted some of the photos and set them on these mirrored ledges. The hall was decorated in the 70's sometime I think. Lots of mirrored tiles. :). What I forgot to take a photo of was the posters. I had a bunch of the glamour shots blown up into posters (very cheap at Staples if you use blueprint paper. I think it was $3 per). We had William Powell and Bogey and Bacal, Viven Leigh and a few others covering up the mirror behind the buffet table.
Cake and candleabra for the candle lighting ceremony. Did you know you can buy these custom made candle things for about $200? Or you can go to Michaels and spend $18 and twenty minutes with a glue gun and a can of spray paint and make your own. Seriously. And I'm not crafty.
Daddy got to light the first candle. It was actually Dave's birthday on the party day. I was happy because he is, now, much older than I am again. :). God's in his heaven and all is right with the world I am younger than my husband again.
That's me. Erin was in charge of dripping wax.
She dedicated a candle to her brother Ryan and asked his closest friends to come up and light it with her. It was very sweet and moving. I told you she was a good girl.
Her best friend. The nicest girl a mother could wish to have hanging around her daughter. She Katie's tiara? That dear girl surprised Katie at the hair salon and gave her the tiara and long white gloves to compliment her outfit. So thoughtful.
Little sisters had their own candle. Where Bridget go that hat I have no idea but love the look on her face there.
Little brothers. You can just see Brendan under Kevin's chin there.
Father daughter dance. See the Hollywood letters there (on another mirror)? Tricia again.
Of course there were more candles and more moments. Suffice to say that a lovely, memorable time was had by my Kate. She is a lucky girl to have such wonderful friends and family and she was so very grateful.
We are very grateful to have her.
Happy birthday my darling girl, you are the sweetest sixteen and Daddy and I love you very much.
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