Tuesday, July 31, 2012

{engagement party: jeff+ katie}

{the newly engaged couple- get Katie's cute dress here!}


Jeff and Katie are some of our closest friends and as soon as they got engaged, a few of their close friends along with Chris and I started brainstorming ideas for an engagement party.  Jeff and Katie are a very fun and light-hearted couple.  They love to have a good time and we knew they would want their engagement party to have a relaxed and fun vibe.  After Kay and I choose some general inspiration, we went to work on all the little details for their celebration while Chris worked out the food and drink.


 {floral arrangements by Chelsea of Hello Gem}


 {paper drink flags for the whiskey punch}


 {the drink set up for the evening in addition to the normal wine and beer selections was centered around champagne and a big batch of Gold Rush Whiskey Punch which was based off of this cocktail recipe}


 {to keep with the fun vibe of the party, we created a DIY slider bar for the guests to snack on throughout the evening. We hired Stephanie Ha to cook up sliders and veggie sliders to be garnished by the guests from an array of different toppings and garnishes.}

{We created the large slider bar menu with some Jeff & Katie inspired menu suggestions such as "The Deloitte Burger" named for the work place the two met during a college internship. Those who needed a little inspiration for their burger could reference the suggestions on the board.  Some of the favorite toppings of the night turned out to be (unsurprisingly) the bacon, truffle aioli, and sauteed mushrooms.}


 {my slider topped with avocado & truffle aioli for the win}


{dessert table set up adorned with festive confetti system}


 {how adorable are the cookies on the left provided by the bride-to-be's mother!?! 
snickerdoodle cupcakes on the right were made following this recipe.}


 {by far the most fun part of this party was the temporary tattoo set up!  Since both Jeff & Katie's last names start with a C, I thought it would be hilarious to design a little play on the classic Chanel logo along with their upcoming wedding month to be used as a temporary tattoo for guests to indulge in.  Kay & I were able to print these directly onto temporary tattoo paper and then cut them out for the guests to apply.}


{a few of the guests showing off their temp tats!}

I absolutely loved this party- engagement parties are quickly becoming my new favorite reason for celebration.  I cannot wait for Jeff & Katie's big day next year and this party was a fabulous way to kick off the array of wedding related activities that are to come in the next year. 


13 comments:

  1. where is the dress you are wearing from?

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    1. Katie - the bride to be- in the first photo is wearing a white Rachel Roy dress from Macy's. Hope that helps!

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  2. the temporary tattoos was such a good idea!

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  3. Absolutely stunning! I love the color scheme, the sliders, the tattoos...you are just an inspirational hostess!

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  4. Those temporary tattoos are genius and that fringe tassel banner on the dessert table is so cute! What type of slider buns are those?

    xoxo,
    La Petite Gigi

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    1. We actually special ordered the Brioche slider buns through our friends LA restaurant, Fundamental LA, but you can find smaller slider buns at Trader Joes. If you are having a big party, I recommend contacting a local bakery.

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  5. Great post Natalie, where is your black shirt dress from?

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  6. Loooooove the drink dispensers that you always have on hand. Classic style that can translate from party to party. Where are yours from? They are a must have in my book!

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  7. Hi Kristina,

    My dispensers are from Costo, but I can't seem to find them on their website :(. They may have them in store though- they are a definite must have and only $45!!!!

    -Natalie

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  8. Replies
    1. Let me know when you book your flight to Chicago! :)

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  9. Hello Natalie
    Your ideas are so beautiful! Can you give me a bit of instruction for the picture banner? I am going to do this for my daughters graduation party...and tape them onto the fireplace brick (outside)...any tips on how to keep them to stay up and how did you attached them to the ribbon and what type of paper did you use?
    Thanks!

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  10. Hi there,

    First I cut out the "banner" shape on the white paper. Then I cut the photos into squares that could fit into the center of the shapes and used double sided tape to adhere them. The shapes were hot gued along the string that holds it up and you are done!!! :)

    Hope that helps!

    -Natalie

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