Better Late Than Never | Holiday Party Recap
Ok, so I know by now the last thing on your mind is what we all did over the holidays. BUT. I got our pictures back from our AFF holiday party and was NOT going to skip sharing them with you. Plus, it was at the beach on an unseasonably perfect day, so besides the wreaths and lights you see in some of the pictures, this really could be passed off as a summer party. We'd had a pretty awesome year here at A Fabulous Fete and it was all because of the hard working and supportive people I have around me. From people on our team, to creative girls that I partner with, to family, to friends... they've all played a part in my, and my businesses success. So (like my invitation to them said), the least I could do was provide a cool place for them to hang out at for the night, get them tipsy, and give back in one of my fave ways... food, cocktails and flowers;)
I decided to host our little get together in the bungalows at Pacific Edge Hotel, a Joie de Vivre Hotel. We spent most of our time in this one, the Billabong bungalow, but also had the Fox bungalow which was very dude friendly and ended housing all the beer because of that. Each bungalow had a sitting area, tv, bar that was perfect for snacks and a full bathroom. All of the bungalows were also connected by one large private deck which was tended to by your own server. You had access to the beach, but it wasn't THAT nice out, so we enjoyed with wine from our deck. It was absolutely the perfect spot to host all of my favorites. I love when I can mix casual atmosphere but make people feel special at a thoughtful event. I 100% plan on coming back here in the summer... not sure for what, but that doesn't really matter with this view + service right?
Read on for all of the other details of the day!
I freaking love putting together gift boxes. I enjoy mini things in multiples. Don't ask me why, I just find joy in it. So I put together 20 of these fab little boxes for the girls. Basically, I included all of my favorite things that I knew everyone could work into their decor, home, or workspace as well. Each box was filled with one of my favorite Voluspa candles (mokara), a tiny brass jewelry box, a glass bottle with matches, crystals and I also hand painted a set of pink watercolor stationery for each.
I didn't want to do full on desserts as it was more of a finger food event anyways. So I bought Sugarfina candy in bulk and added to glass bowls in one of the bungalows. We had Champagne bears, peppermint malt balls and birthday cake caramels. I set out boxes and bags for guests to fill during the party as well as take home. These were a hit and SO much easier than planning any desserts.
FLOWERS! No A Fabulous Fete party or... really anything, is complete without some flowers. I enlisted my friend Naomi from Beautiful Savage Flowers to do two things for me this day. Not only did she bring tons of arrangements to deck out our bungalows, I also had her whip up this flower bar for my girls. WIN. I'm pretty sure everyone was happy to make and take home a bouquet of flowers they put together themselves. Not to mention I took home all of the extras. My house smelled amazing for the following 2 weeks. Naomi will be offering this flower bar service soon for her clients too if you wanted someone to bring this into your party or event!
All of the food for our party was provided by The Deck which is the restaurant connected to the Pacific Edge Hotel. I ordered a few things that they refilled through the night and guests were able to place orders with our server who checked in with us often. But the charcuterie was the one thing everyone raved about during and after. So get it if you are ever there.
I sort of felt like you do on your wedding day. Like you're so frazzled you don't really eat and when you do you don't remember much, you just chewed as quickly as possible so you could talk to someone else. I will have revenge on the charcuterie though... soon. I can say the wine and champagne was wonderful though, I had no problem keeping up with that;)
I asked everyone to arrive a bit before sunset so they could all enjoy it as it is one of the biggest perks of hosting here. The bungalows are available for guests from 11am to 8pm, so obviously Ryan and I took full advantage of having our own ocean front deck the whole day.
So to recap, still dreaming about this day. It was so much fun and ended up going so smoothly. It's funny, since I started this blog so fully focused on parties, how much I've mellowed out about them over the years. Obviously thoughtful details are still very important to me, but now more than ever it's about being with the people around me that I enjoy. The whole point of entertaining, right?
I wish I could've invited all of you that have supported me and AFF over the years! And trust me, I have long term goals to do so;) But until then, THANK YOU TOO for reading and commenting and liking and sharing. It's really what keeps this space going. XO
Photography: Sunny Kim Photography
Venue: Bungalows at Pacific Edge Hotel
Flowers: Beautiful Savage Flowers