“Over the years, Jessica and I have collaborated on so many over-the-top thematic events (Maxi’s The Greatest Showman birthday party was a blast). But when she and I first started talking about a baby shower, the concept was simple: Jess wanted to make the party pretty. Simple, yes, but that’s always the kind of thing that sets my brain spinning with all of the possibilities. So, we laid out basic parameters, like the budget, the date, and a request not to have an enclosed tent, and I was off and running. Looking back, I think what made the shower so successful was that we weren’t afraid to push the limits stylistically and stick to one form of interior design or florals or traditional baby shower activities. When a client trusts me like Jessica does, creating something really memorable for both her and her guests is not only easy it’s a total joy. Here’s how Jess and I created Birdie Mae’s special day together:

Once Jessica made it clear what look she wanted to go with, we started sending each other photos of other events that had really pretty elements. I love how trusting Jessica is of my vision, but I always want my clients to help paint the picture for me so I can bring it to life. My first concept was one that gave a subtle nod to the baby’s name. At that time, we were going to go with a darker, more heavily romantic woodland-fairy theme, making the décor like a nest: very dark and beautiful and romantic. During one of our text-brainstorming sessions, I came across these gorgeous agate crystal slices on Etsy, and thought they would make really unique place cards. Jessica agreed. Then I found a bar at Revelry Event Designers that looked like a large block of marble; and with that, the shower took on more of a lush, beautiful earth-elements theme. Jessica and I both loved an incredible event produced by Mindy Weiss in Mexico that heavily used pampas grass, and when I presented the concept to Michael at Mark’s Garden (he’s a genius!) he totally got it.

 

Jess wanted an open, airy feeling that felt intimate, and was determined not to have a tent. But mid-January in L.A. can get pretty cold and rainy, so I worked with Anthony from AAA Rents & Events to come up with a custom-built, open-air wood-plank structure that would give the space shape without closing it in. It was important that the tent have two peaks and could support these grand ceiling installations and chandeliers I knew I wanted to hang. I also wanted the event’s woodsy theme to be balanced with a modern edge, too, so I placed a fun neon sign in the present-opening/lounge area, and mirrored tables in the dining space. We kept the tablescapes simple so as to not overshadow the beauty above, and I used the mirrors to reflect the incredible ceiling installations which made the space feel warmer and was much more cost-effective than enclosing the area with more florals. I also added straight edges to the tables to offset the more fluid look with the other decor. Finally, I sent my inspiration board to Jewel Butler at Found Rentals, who is the queen of bringing my seating ideas to life. Their inventory is so diverse and beautiful (and growing by the day), and Jewel has such a gift; she can always see my vision and she really helped me fine-tune my concept.

Most of Jessica’s guests have had the pleasure of attending more baby showers then they can count, so I wanted the activities for the day to not only be unique and memorable but something that would inspire and intrigue everyone enough to actually participate. Staying in line with the nest/nature theme, adding a paper “element” to the shower in the form of origami seemed like a good idea. Rather than just having an origami artist creating keepsakes, we asked guests to write down messages to Jessica and the baby (the paper ranged from blush tones to vintage sheet music), and then they learned how to fold the paper with the artist. The birds that each guest made went into a beautiful floral nest that Jessica got to keep. We tapped Crown Collective, an amazing company of women we’ve worked with in the past, to host a station where guests could make crystal-flower crowns, which everyone loved. We also had a medium who is an aura photographer and also does readings; each guest got a crystal based on their reading to take home.