A Fancy Afternoon: Piper Turns Two!

So my friend Lindsay has a fabulous friend Emily, who owns a fabulous company called Wiley Valentine along with an uber fabulous lady named, Rachelle. She emailed me to ask if I would shoot her daughter's birthday party and I of course said yes! I've actually been dying to share these photos with you all, but had to wait patiently so that they could get some online fame and adoration on some awesome blogs (which you can see at On to Baby, Daily Candy and at Oh So Beautiful Paper).
I have to admit that I am a fool for details. I go overboard trying to capture the tiniest of details in just the perfect way, and there was a lot to capture at this fancy affair! Pink, gold, and sparkly.. with just a touch of aqua blue (Piper's newest favorite color!)

And there was all sorts of girly fanciosity! As Piper's little friends arrived to the party they were bling'd out! Necklaces, rings, and bracelets... all matching the colors and fancy theme of the afternoon. I loved the way Rachelle chose to display the jewelry.. appreciating the time and thought that went into making the party gifts as special as possible! By the way, Rachelle made those necklaces herself! Wooden beads, neon pink string and paint all found at the hardware store!
In addition to the bling, party guests were given a paper bag that had a mini copy of Piper's favorite, Fancy Nancy and book tags to adorn their personal libraries. They were all done up with a gold wand and a letterpress tag featuring a Dr. Seuss quote. Major party planning bonus for showing some love for reading!!

As if all of that wasn't enough.. the food was even more amazing to shoot! Hi photographer.. here's a bunch of colorful food, setup in a creative way, in a kitchen with amazing light. *I die*  The ice cube trays were for the kids, (pretty sure I saw more than one adult enjoying them as well), and Piper's daddy was outside manning the grill, cooking for the grown ups. The Patron and mason jars seen below were also for the grown ups. After all, whats a fancy afternoon without tequila?

The day was gorgeous.. made even better by perfectly fancy party decorations placed strategically throughout the backyard. The sweets (including the birthday cake!) were handmade by Piper's grandmother! Love all of the personal touches! (And I have to add.. those treats were delicious!!)

In addition to all of the yummy treats and pretty details.. there was plenty of fun things to do too! Rachelle set up aqua blue picnic blankets made out of felt, and had coloring books and crayons for the party guests. There was also a "tattoo bar" with self designed tattoos that Rachelle made using tattoo paper. Even grandpa joined in on the fun getting his "Proud Grandpa" tattoo on his forehead. :) Finally, there was a photo booth made up of a glittery gold backdrop and props that included, silly glasses, bead necklaces and of course... feather boas!!

 Love love love this photo of Piper and her momma!

Then it was cake time! As I mentioned before, the cake was made by Piper's grandmother. It was sugar-free, made with bananas and apples. The frosting was sweetened with honey and colored with BEET JUICE! Who thinks of this stuff? Amazing!

I normally don't get this creative with photoshop, but couldn't help myself because of how great the pink details were! And how cute are the pictures of Princess Piper, her cake and her family?!

And I'll end this post.. with sweet pictures of the birthday girl. I only spent a few hours with Piper, but by the end of the day I could already tell that she is incredibly loved, incredibly full of spunk and personality, and incredibly adorable!
Speaking of love.. her "auntie" Emily made that tent with PVCs and fabric. No. I can't believe it either.  SO friggin cute! And if you're wondering whether or not Piper loved her fancy afternoon, check out those last two pictures. UH-dorable!!

Piper.. it was so great being a part of your special day! I hope when you're all grown up you'll love looking at these photos so you can see how loved and special you were even at the tiny age of 2! Rachelle, thank you for having me there! Your attention to detail and the drive to get these photos featured for your friends and vendors were incredible! xo

Credits:
-Invitations, book labels, and favor tags: Wiley Valentine
-Styling: Wiley Valentine and Courtney Pooler of Flourish Styling
-Tattoos, “PIPER” letters, Painted Necklaces, Sequin Florals, Food, picture frames for photo booth & tattoo bar: Wiley Valentine
-Cake Garland, Cake Topper & Hand Forged confetti: Potter and Butler
-Birthday Crochet Crown: Solar Flair Boutique
-Tissue Tassel Garland: The Flair Exchange
-Wands of Wonder, gold wands in the favor bags & the gold painted Fancy Frill Fans: Everly Lane Design
-Crochet Ring Party Favors: Sahrit
-Gold Spangled Photo Backdrop: Drop it Modern
-Glitter Bracelets: Old Navy

And to see more pictures from this fancy event.. click here--> APP