"UNO" THEMED 1ST BIRTHDAY OCCASION

I'm very proud to say I have officially planned, organized, and coordinated my first event as Occasions by Jade™! Not only was this an unforgettable experience as an event planner, but I received the best feeling knowing this unique party was for a special baby girl in my life, my baby niece, Skylar Jade ♡ (she literally has my middle name, how could I NOT throw her the best baby party right?)

Not only was the theme perfect for her colorful personality, but it was an even greater challenge because my youngest client lives in my hometown, Chicago, while I'm based in Miami! But that did not stop me from finding the venue, communicating with vendors, and being present on the day of the party, ensuring all decorations were properly set-up, food in place, and everything on schedule. 

Let's get into the details:

As the event planner for this 1st birthday occasion, I was responsible for venue research, vendor selection, decoration set-up, sweets table, budget management, and Day of Event Management. I was approached with the idea to plan the party and I was beyond happy! Although I have many years in the industry as an event professional (planning, staffing, and day of event management), this would be my first full-service event where I would have complete planning freedom from start to finish.

Party Room is the event space associated with Klassic Kidz - an event rental company in Chicago, IL.

From the very beginning, my focal point was finding the venue. Securing a space for your event is most important and will help determine the overall budget for the event. Within a short week of being proposed the idea, I came up with 4 different venues, already having inquired the pricing for the specific day, number of guests, and time of the event with each venue. My role is always to find the best deal for my client and The Party Room in Chicago,IL was the absolute best deal! Not only was the location ideal, but the venue provided the space for a great price. In addition to the booked venue space, they offer decorations including balloons and tablecloths. Adding decorations to the package cut the extra cost for my client and helped a lot!

Now the fun part begins with the theme! This is where I became the most excited. The colors inspired me and everywhere I literally went, I would divert my attention to those colors. When it came to adding my personal touch, I made sure to create big blocks for the party that would stand out near the sweets table (a photo will be shown in the slide). Personalizing the event meant having "UNO" themed decor and Etsy.com became my best friend during this process. OccasionallyMade had the entire UNO package, from food labels, "Thank You" UNO themed tags for the giftbags. I would highly recommend checking her shop out for more themes.

The only way your guests will be informed that you're having a party is by sending the most important part of your party - the invitation! I can't say creating this invitation was the easiest. It was the hardest part of the planning process. I'm a perfectionist and I pay much attention to detail, so the invitation was a vital part of setting the mood for the guests. And it did just that! I was told countless times how impressed and "cute" the party-goers thought the invite was. 

Last but certainly not least, the main event: PARTY TIME! Oh man.. My fiancé and I were on a late night flight to the Windy City! As soon as the sun rose, we were out and about getting last minute emergencies (tape, toothpicks, scissors, glue, etc.). We had already been by the venue early that Saturday morning, where I got a chance to meet the venue managers in person. I gave them direction on exactly how the room should be set-up by providing a Room Set-Up design. Their communication and understanding was unmatched! 

As an event planner of many years, I've seen the most unexpected occurrences. However, I've never really faced the challenges that came up during this event. But please, do NOT get me wrong at all - I am more than happy that they happened, simply because I learned. Now, the first major problem was the family apparel for the party was not complete due to the company's printing machine not working. This was an important aspect for my client because she wanted this to the wow factor for her baby's birthday. Let's not even discuss the 3 tiered cake. which arrived late and misspelled!!!! This scared me the most, but trust me, I am always prepared. I improvised and the event still turned out flawlessly! I can't wait to work with Nakkia and Skylar again! "Two Cute Tea Party" next.... maybe? 😊