As Summer temperatures rise and the light fades later each evening, I began dreaming of an alfresco event to unite my friends and family to take in the beauty of the season in a magical setting, and what better excuse than on my 30th Birthday! With that in mind, I started to plan a Boho Chic party that was elegant and playful with attention to detail, hints of blush and nude tones, and, in essence, an event that would convey the feeling of barefoot luxury. So, this month, I’m sharing exactly how I put everything together so you can plan your own Bohemiam vibe soirée!
1. DEFINE THE CONCEPT
The first step in hosting a party is defining a theme you would absolutely love! This is an essential part because you can’t really plan anything until you’ve chosen your concept. The tool I enjoy using the most when I’m searching for inspiration is Pinterest, as there are plenty of creative ideas that you can be inspired by. I dedicate some time during the course of a few days pinning images and ideas that I like onto a designated board, and thanks to this brainstorming process, the concept normally matures and evolves to something even better than the idea I initally had in mind. After collecting all of this information, I normally make a small selection of the images that I like the most, in order to make sure in the future steps that I’m aligned with the overall aesthetics and style. This step is especially fundamental if you will be counting on others to help you materialize your event, as communicating your ideas can sometimes be a bit tricky, and having images to show the look you’re going for makes it a lot easier!
Some of the moodboard images of the relaxed boho theme I was going for: blush tones against neutral hues of white and beige, the combination of fresh and dried flowers like pampas grass, and an ecclectic table setting!
2. DETERMINE YOUR BUDGET
Next, decide how much you would like to spend. This is really important because this way you can really prioritize in which elements you would like to splurge in, and which ones are not so important to you. If you want to go all out, have in mind that you will need to dedicate a large portion of the budget to rental material like chairs, tables, tableware, flowers, a decorator, a caterer… With a budget in mind and after settling the basics of the event, you can decide if you would like to go the extra mile to include a beautiful photocall or different wine pairings with the food.
3. WHERE, WHEN & WHO?
There has been a recent increase in demand of home gatherings, and throwing your party at home is a good idea especially if you have the space and are looking for a more intimate setting. Setting a date is also important, as depending on the time of the year you will need to make sure that it isn’t too hot or cold to host in the outdoors, and in this case remember to plan accordingly to include heaters, appropriate shading or cooling fans. Finally, send your invitations out on time with an RSVP date, so you are certain on how many people will be attending in order to organize the quantity of rental material, food and beverages. One to two months in advance is a good moment to send your invitations out in order for guests to save the date in their calendar.
4. ORDER YOUR BIRTHDAY CAKE
If you’re planning a birthday party, you musn’t forget this! Order it a couple of weeks in advance to make sure it’s ready on time, especially if it has a special kind of aesthetic or theme. I wanted to have my favourite type of cake which is carrot cake for the event, so I sent Deseos de Azucar the inspiration images of what I wanted the cake to look like, and we agreed with the flower decorator to create the final touches. Make sure you also get in advance nice candles for the cake that suit the overall colour palette!
5. PLAN YOUR PARTY FOOD
Unless you really are a great cook or enjoy cooking, if there’s one thing I highly recommend enjoying on this special day it’s the luxury of a caterer. This way you can really focus on being present and enjoying the day, instead of worrying if everyone has enough to drink during the party or rushing to make the food in time for the event. In this case, I looked to Grupo Alabardero, who provided excellent service and food which all the guests thoroughly enjoyed. I had the pleasure of including some of my favourite appetizers like oysters with mango ceviche, homemade guacamole with nachos, as well as a fine selection of Andalusian cheeses. For the main course, I wanted an authentic Andalusian rice, so trusting true local specialists in paella was a natural choice.
Another great idea for a party is to hire a professional chef to cook for you at home, and really give the food a centre stage, creating a true sensorial experience for your guests!
6. ENTERTAINMENT
Apart from enjoying the food, it’s great to think about what kind of entertainment you would like to have at your party, whether it’s a live band or a dance floor! I opted for sending out to my guests a few weeks before the party a playlist where they could add their favourite music to, and that would be playing during the whole day!
A lovely highlight that we all remember from this day was the Manifestation Ritual that my sister organized which took place as the sun went down. Each one of us wrote down on our name tags something positive we wanted to manifest on this day, and then we lit them all in the fire to send the message out to the universe!
7. DRESS CODE
Setting a dress code was a great way to really bring the boho chic vibes to the party! Most ladies appeared wearing their favourite long flowy dresses paired with comfortable wedge espadrilles, and men stayed cool in their fresh linen shirts. This style of clothes ensured everyone was feeling good and comfy the whole evening, and it transitioned perfectly from the warm temperature in the daytime, to the pleasantly refreshing sea breeze at night.
8. SIGNATURE COCKTAIL
Incorporating a Signature Cocktail is a great way to jazz things up and add a personal touch to your party! If you decide to skip having a barman at your party, a fun idea is to create the cocktail mix together with some of your friends before the party. I assure you that it will make it even more special and laughs are guaranteed!
I absolutely love passion fruit, so I chose the Pornstar Martini to be my Signature Cocktail. According to its creator, Douglas Ankrah, this cocktail is described as daring, elegant and playful. To make this zingy passion fruit cocktail which is perfect for celebrating with friends, you will need:
2 ripe Passion fruits, halved
60 ml Vanilla Vodka
30 ml Passoa liqueur
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp sugar syrup
Serve with a shot of chilled champagne on the side!
ENJOY YOUR EVENING!
As wonderful as it is to create a beautiful setting for your guests, they have come to see YOU, so be sure to enjoy your time with them. No one will notice if the napkins aren’t perfect or the details that didn’t finally go exactly as you had planned. What they will remember is the experience they had in your home, so make sure that your focus is more on really being present, going with the flow and spending quality time with your family and friends!
Find out how to decorate your party table in a bohemian style in next week’s post! From how to mix your tableware, to choosing the centrepieces that will create that “wow” effect on your table, stay tuned to discover how we achieved a boho chic birthday party setting!
All of the recommendations in this post are my honest opinion, from the amazing catering by Grupo Alabardero who guided me from the first moment I decided I wanted to celebrate my 30th Birthday, to Ceci Correnggia who helped me bring the vision I had in my mind to life! A special thank you too to my partner in crime who was by my side to make this dream come true, to my family who flew out all the way from Chile to be here for my special day, and all my friends who made this day truly unforgettable! You can read this full article published in Society Magazine!
DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTY PLANNING TIPS? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU’D LIKE TO APPLY FROM THESE TIPS FOR YOUR NEXT PARTY OR EVENT? I’D LOVE TO KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!
PHOTOGRAPHY: Carlos Carretero & Benjamin Ramirez
Leave a Reply