60th Birthday Party in Lafayette, IN
Brent, the birthday girls’ husband, contacted me asking for my help in planning his wife’s 60th birthday party. The party itself was not a surprise but he wanted the elements of the party to be a surprise AND he didn’t want her to have to work or plan anything. We don’t often plan social gatherings so when I get inquiries that fit our schedule I am always so pumped to get started!
Working with Brent was a dream. He had concrete ideas in mind but was very trusting with the exact details. He also gave me creative freedom to dream big!
The first idea was settling on a theme. This couple travels to Switzerland often and the country is the birthday girl’s favorite. They also travel ALL over the world on so many adventures so it’s a common love in their life. I presented the idea of going all in with a Swiss themed party.
Pops of red, the Swiss flag, her favorite Swiss foods and drinks, native Swiss flowers…details that potentially only she would notice and really appreciate.
It’s always a big question of whether or not to have a party be open house style or more of a formal sit-down event. The vibe of the venue and overall of the couple is less stuffy and formal and more playful and social. We opted for an open house. Brent had already chosen and booked the venue- Ripple & Co which is a fun restaurant in downtown Lafayette, Indiana. They had a private event space upstairs that fit the vibe perfectly! Big garage doors that open up the space to a patio, industrial but good lighting and well done. The kitchen in their private event space is open concept so you can see the chef in action and the food is set up on a stainless steel buffet top right by the kitchen.
We were REALLY hoping for good weather to be able to utilize the outdoor space. Who doesn’t love a party with the garage doors open?! Thankfully we had the perfect evening so guests could socialize outside and the band was set up outside too. This allowed for a bit quieter inside for those guests that wanted to talk and not have to yell to be heard.
Brent wanted unique features at the party that felt different from every other birthday party. People love pictures so we had two great photo op moments. The first was a caricature artist because who doesn’t love a good caricature?! The second was a custom gondola set in the mountains. The couple are not into skiing while in Switzerland however they enjoy riding a gondola up Swiss mountains for the views! I worked with a Lafayette local craftsman to create this amazing photo booth. Ron with Halsema Projects totally nailed my vision! We even included a little red gondola on the custom made invitations as a nod to what was to come.
As I mentioned, the food was inspired by the birthday girls’ favorite Swiss dishes. Weiner schnitzel, cheese fondue with Marti’s Swiss family recipe, apricot tortes, Spaetzli were all on the custom menu of which the restaurant had never done before! We were so thankful they were willing to try their hand and it was delish! They also made sipping chocolate from the recipe given from their favorite Swiss hotel and we ordered special wine that the birthday girl loves. It was quite the menu! We did include some more familiar menu items for those less adventurous eaters.
The birthday girl loves tennis so I used Hunny Bunny Bakes from Champaign, IL, to print the most adorable tennis themed cookies. Guests could enjoy them that evening or take them home for later.
The last Swiss elements were the faux edelweiss flowers I ordered off Etsy that the florist incorporated into the bud vases. You couldn’t even tell it was fake! It was the perfect touch! And of course, we hung the cute Swiss flag in the venue because it was the perfect tie for the red flowers and decor too.
If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for live music. It really creates such a vibe at weddings and events. I encouraged Brent to hire Dueling Pianos for the party and he was all on board! Dueling Pianos are so energetic and keep the crowd engaged. They are incredibly talented because you can request pretty much any song and they’ll find it and play it! This crowd wasn’t big dancers but the vibe and background music that Dueling Pianos brought was perfect.
Marti was smiling SO big the entire evening and definitely enjoyed herself by socializing with all her favorite people to kick off her 60th birthday. I was honored to play a role in helping make the evening memorable and special while also helping to take stress off Marti and Brent! Happy birthday, Marti!
Vendor Team:
Venue, Catering, Bar - Ripple & Co in Lafayette, Indiana
Photography - Beyond the Pines
Floral - Rubia Flower Market
Band - Howl2o
Cookies - Hunny Bunny Bakes
Custom Gondola - Halsema Projects
Graphic Design - Alyssa Woodyard Calligraphy
Linens - BBJ
Caricaturist - Caricatures and Comedy by Bill