Well hello and I guess I should say, Happy Fall Y’all (as they say in my neck of the woods!) Labor Day has come and gone and it’s basically Christmas. I’m confused as to how 2015 has apparently disappeared into some sort of speedy time travel tunnel, aren’t you?
Anyways. So you may not know it, but in addition to weddings, I do a handful of small, intimate parties as well, and I really enjoy them. I’ve done baby showers, bridal showers, baptism parties, you name it, I’ve planned it. There’s something about an intimate, small celebration that is 100% joy and no stress! I love it!
My latest small party endeavor was a retirement party with a unique theme. Bob, the retiree, had a career in corporate America but his one true love is baseball. We took this baseball theme and knocked it right out of the park (hehe). A baseball theme can quickly turn juvenile if you’re not careful, but with an elegant setting and custom paper goods, I think I succeeded in making this a grown up baseball themed soiree!
The party was held in a beautiful private room a restaurant in uptown Charlotte, Blue, that’s been around for a long time. Aforementioned elegance – Check! (A tip about booking parties at a restaurant – always ask if the restaurant has a private room and what the food and beverage minimum is to use it. Most private rooms don’t have a rental fee, just a minimum, and usually it’s a number you’re going to hit depending on the amount of people in your party. Instant private party goodness!)
Scratch Paper Studios (an awesome local paper designer I just discovered!) provided all the paper goods for the party, including these classy invitations. (Check out her website, it’s super cute.) I loved the clean look and navy and white stripes.
I rented a navy and white striped tablecloth from Party Reflections for the table to mimic the blue stripes on the invitation. I love renting a unique tablecloth, it means you can keep the tablescape pretty simple but still make a big impact when guests enter the room.
When I think of baseball, I think of hot dogs (odd, I know) and Cracker Jacks (shocker, I think of food…)! Each party guest got to take home a box of classic Cracker Jacks, plus they added a fun table decoration.
I loved the place cards (another easy elegance tip!) that matched the invites. We also created a custom baseball card with Bob’s favorite baseball player on the front and “Bob career” trivia questions on the back! This is what I love about small gatherings, they are so easy to personalize!
In my humble opinion, flowers are necessary no matter how small or large the gathering, and this party was no exception! Bob’s favorite team is his hometown Philadelphia Phillies…
…and the main centerpiece was a simple vase filled with baseballs. The flowers were kept together with a rubber band and kept in water until the party, then pulled out, dried off and stuck in the top of the vase sans water.
Another fun restaurant party tip? Most restaurants will print a custom message on the menu for no additional charge. It makes a great keepsake for the guest of honor 🙂
Finally, a surprise Cracker Jacks cake was brought out (and everyone sang “Take me out to the ballgame!”) from Suarez Bakery.
So there you have it! A super fun and elegant retirement party with a fun theme. All in a days work my friends 🙂 I will be back later this week with more fun stuff I’ve been up to.
Love everything about this party!!!