When Sara Platt began brainstorming themes for her daughter’s first birthday party, she knew what she didn’t want: reindeer or snowmen or anything else holiday-related. “I didn’t want it to feel like a Christmas party,” she says of the December bash. “She’s going to have her whole life to compete with Christmas.”
Staying far away from green and red, Sara looked to December’s other big day for inspiration: New Year’s Eve. She envisioned a magical, sparkly soirée that would be a celebration – not just for 1-year-old Sloane, but for family and friends who’d been an important part of her first year.
Using a pink and gold color palette as her starting point, Sara wasted no time getting to work. Starting in early September, she began collecting ideas and reserving vendors. She spent hours handcrafting props for the photo booth and finalizing custom invitations, which – in a novel touch – were printed on balloons.
In early December, when the big day finally arrived, Sara got to sit back and enjoy the spoils of her labor. After being greeted by a giant balloon sculpture in the front yard, guests were wowed by a shock of pink and gold in the Platts’ Dallas home. Sara, an interior designer by trade, outdid herself with numerous pink and gold balloons, ambient candlelight and, of course, lots of sparkle. Had the star of the show – clad in a shimmery dress and oversized bow – not been present, the party could have easily been mistaken for a swanky adults-only affair.
After dropping off a gift for Toys for Tots, guests grabbed a drink and went in search of the birthday girl. If they weren’t lucky enough to snag Sloane for a photo op at the “photo booth” Sara created by pinning balloons to a bare wall, they headed out back, lured by the scent of wood-fired pizza. Urban Crust set up a mobile oven in the Platts’ backyard, creating quite the spectacle. For those who saved room, there was a s’mores bar, mini-cupcakes, popcorn favors and birthday cake.
Although all stayed up well past bedtime, Sloane included, the general consensus was that the evening was every bit the fabulous, sparkly celebration Sara had envisioned. “I really enjoyed being able to mesh being a mom and being a friend,” she says. “I got through the first year and I was thanking everyone else for being such a big part of her first year.”
