Glamping Party Planning.... The beginning

We at Over the Top Weddings and Events hope that all of you had a very Merry Christmas! We all did and are still playing with our kiddos and recovering from the madness. Now that the Christmas rush is over, it is time for me to focus my attention to Annaleise's 7th birthday party! For all of you parents of little ones with January birthdays, you feel my pain here. About the time that we are able to catch our breath from Christmas, we have to go into full on party planning mode. For me, I stay in that mode due to the career path I chose, but it is different when it is your own event, I promise! I usually try to begin my planning mid-summer (I know, I know! It's the event planner in me!), but in between finishing up grad school in 16 months (graduation just happened on December 14! Whew!) as well as running my business- both the wedding and event side and our new stationery side, and the holidays that seemed to sneak up on me this year, I am running a bit later than normal. But, back to the matter at hand- the impending birthday party! Just like every year, I am so (so, so, so, so, so) excited about the theme! This year, we will be Glamping! What better theme for 6 and 7 year old girls?! I have a vision of a huge slumber party that involves hair, make-up, s'mores, a hay ride, tents, and lots of giggling and fun. I will be posting over the next few weeks to take you all step by step through my planning for this party. The main components are already taken care of- date, time, and theme. Moreover, I have already designed the invitation (preview below), which almost always sets the color scheme for my events. I also have the perfect venue booked, but more on that later!

At this point, I think we will be inviting about 35 girls. A good rule of thumb is around half will show up. I typically plan for about 75% because people are not the best at RSVPing and siblings tend to get added in, especially at a co-ed party. Last year at the Carnival party, my philosophy was the more the merrier. This year... not so much. Notice that I gave a deadline on RSVPing on the invitation. I do this a lot on my own events because I usually include personalized elements. Sometimes this helps, sometimes it doesn't. But it doesn't hurt to add it on there. This year, I have a lot of great ideas, many of them personalized, and my head count matters. I'm afraid I will be "that mom" that sends texts, emails, or makes a quick phone call to try to get a close as possible at least a week before the party. 

First up is one part of the favors! As I have stated many times, the favors are probably my most favorite part of a party. I love to have a memento to take home with me to remember a grand event, but I also love one that is either theme oriented or functional. This time, I am striving for both. I am (attempting) to make each girl their own A-frame tent as part of their favor. These tents will be made in a variety of fabrics that match the color scheme, as well as provide decoration at the party. They will be set up prior to arrival and will be the perfect size for each girl to unroll their sleeping bag inside of to sleep in as the night winds down. It will also serve as something fun to take home to play in and "camp" at home. I am planning to begin these tomorrow, so watch for my next post with pictures to see how they turn out and how easy (I hope!!) they are to make!

I also plan to take you through other elements of planning as well. Other favors, selection of other party elements, and all the fun things that will make this glamping party take shape and come together. I have a massive checklist and less than a month to complete it all. Please wish me luck and plenty of sleep filled nights! Or at least lots of caffeine!

XO,

Brittany