As two busy working moms (like most of you!), our Happy Wish Company styling concept is to create parties that are lovely but still easy to pull off. We believe in the prettiness of keeping things clean, classic and simple, and we thought we’d share a few ideas and tips for creating a sweet and simple birthday party using our whale-themed celebration supplies.
After you’ve selected a party theme, choose coordinating invitations to serve as the inspiration for all of the details. This adorable spouting whale invite set the stage for our orange, white, navy and sky blue color palette. And of course it wouldn’t be a whale party without lots of whales!
We think it’s perfectly fine to stick with just desserts at a children’s birthday party (just make sure you don’t schedule the party during a time when people will expect food), but if you decide to serve a meal, we’re all about “boxed” lunches that can be put together ahead of time. This will allow you to enjoy more of the party rather than being stuck in the kitchen!
For our whale-themed party, we picked up orange plastic beach buckets that could double as lunch containers and take-home favors for summertime play and sand castle building. Plan a menu that includes the birthday child’s favorite foods. We used adorable packaging in the party’s color palette to pack each bucket with a sandwich, fishy crackers and fruit. Simple, right? And to wash it all down, we included a container of “ocean water” punch.
A dessert table is a must-have at any birthday party! Not only is it a place to put the sweets, but it can also serve as a focal point and part of the party decor. We like to include a handful of basic elements on all of our dessert tables, starting with a backdrop. We created this one by hanging burlap and draping natural-colored fish net over it. A delightful starfish makes an appearance, and we topped it off with a fabric pennant banner hanging above.
Fill a beverage dispenser with punch or juice that matches the color palette. Add glass jars that are filled with scrumptious sweets that fit with the theme and colors. We chose blue raspberry gummy rings, orange gumballs and blueberry salt water taffy reminiscent of cruising the boardwalk! Sugar cookies are always a delicious addition, and we had to go with whales for this party. Use cake stands to display the birthday cupcakes or cake.
Always make sure to have some sort of activity to keep the guests occupied and entertained. We recommend a game or craft that fits with the theme. This could be anything from a scavenger hunt to sugar cookie decorating.
We’re all about the edible party favors! Kids loves sweets, and their moms will love you for not sending them home with a bag full of plastic trinkets! For this party, we gave each guest a personalized fabric bag to fill with candy from the dessert table and take home as a special treat!
Follow these tips, and your little party guests are sure to have a “whale-of-a-time.” We hope we’ve given you some inspiration and ideas for your own sweet and simple birthday celebrations!
