50 & Fabulous Soiree

Written by Angela Mazanti | Photography by Jamie Sue Johnston

Jennifer's husband, Frank, contacted me to plan a surprise birthday party for her 50th. He decided early in the planning process that he was going to need her input on some things and let her in on the secret, but wanted to leave as many details as possible as a surprise. 

Set the stage. 

The setting for the party was at their beautiful, historic home. Jennifer recently took her daughter on a graduation trip to France, and I was inspired by that, as well as the English Tudor-style home. She has a love of antiques, beautiful French colors and patterns. I used those things as inspiration for the decor that included watercolor linens in greens, blues and yellows that mimicked the tones in a Monet painting. 

The Decor:

The flowers looked as though they were hand gathered from an English garden. Jennifer’s favorite color is yellow, so I incorporated it with French blue for the flowers, cake, linens, invitations, etc. I enlisted the help of Lindsey Cross at Mrs. Post Stationery to help pull together the perfect invitation. 

The Menu:

The cake was designed by The Flour Garden and was a mixture of chocolate and yellow butter cake with toasted Pecan Bavarian filling. The menu was artfully presented by Wade & Company Catering. It consisted of a fresh fruit and cheese display, bacon-wrapped artichokes with parmesan parsley dust, honey smoked salmon with candied citrus zest and sun dried fruit, Mediterranean chicken salad baguettes, beef tenderloin sliders, asparagus and peppers with lemon aioli, warm New Orleans crab dip, summer orzo salad and apricot-glazed chicken kabobs.

Special Details:

Jennifer and her guests enjoyed dancing under the stars to the Memphis Allstars Band. In lieu of gifts, she requested that donations be made to Southern Reins in honor of a special friend. 

Host Your Own:

If you want to throw your own party for someone special, whether you go for a surprise or not, try to make sure all of the details are inspired by the guest of honor. Use their favorite colors, flowers, food and music to create an atmosphere that truly reflects who they are and your guests will leave feeling like they were at an experience that was unique and inspired.