LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD: A FRESH LOOK AT AN OLD CLASSIC
If you have a baby girl and would like to veer away from the usual party themes, a great angle to explore is fairy tale parties. I’m becoming enthralled with this type of party lately, the most recent of which is a party centered on the concept of Fairy Tale / Storybook Characters. (can’t wait to get the photos from this one too!) But that’s a story for another day.
One specific theme that I’ve been keeping close to my chest is the story of Little Red Riding Hood.
Camie: Party Magic’s very first Little Red Riding Hood theme
(Shout out to Den Llanos Dee for capturing the feel and emotion of this party. If you haven’t heard about this amazing photographer yet, you are definitely missing out). Check out my blog post about her here.
The appeal is quite obvious. If you think about it, Little Red Riding Hood has all the right elements that would make a gorgeously styled birthday party:
Innocence, Romance, Intrigue, Suspense. These are the primal emotions that Little Red Riding Hood play upon, and a well-styled party should evoke these feelings through the use of alluring graphics, backdrops, foliage, lighting, and a great ceiling treatment.
The Colors. Red is probably the most important color for the Chinese. We wear this color on birthdays and most important occasions. I think Little Red Riding Hood is a GREAT way to use the color red, but combine it with other elements / colors (wood, greens, browns) that doesn’t make it look too tacky.
Invitation design of Camie’s party, made by Party Magic’s wonderkid designer, Pat de Leon
Woodsy / Forest element. Little Red Riding Hood is all about that walk through the woods. So it’s all about trees, shrubbery, foliage, dangling vines, and an assortment of florals. This is also where the ceiling comes in to bring about that element of intrigue
A picnic angle. Here’s another great element to incorporate into the party. Picnic baskets! Picnics also provide the opportunity for a more “natural” and “fresh” angle to the styling:
Camie’s centerpiece: A picnic basket, a pail, a frame, and Party Magic’s very cute doll version of Little Red Riding Hood.
and most importantly,
No other event stylist has done this theme yet!
An added bonus is that the client is my good friend from high school, Elzerie!
In work, nothing is as fulfilling and satisfying as providing top-notch, quality service to the people you genuinely like and admire.
On a second note, it is equally fulfilling to see the people you admire and care about enjoy a service you so willingly provide:
Above: Camie, Mommy Elzerie, and Daddy Billy blowing the cake!
Cheers to Tazzy Cakes for this wonderful creation!
Now let’s unveil my most favorite elements of Camie’s party. Drum roll, please…
THE STAGE: A WALK THROUGH THE WOODS
This is what I meant when I said intrigue. I love how this photo captures the point of view of a guest peering into the stage, with vines, flowers, and bunting flags just slightly “framing” the view and adding texture.
A longer view of this “framing” can be seen below:
BEWARE THE WOLF! GRANNIE’S COTTAGE IN THE WOODS
In my opinion, no Little Red Riding Hood party would be complete without your own depiction of Grannie’s Cottage. Here’s my interpretation of the scene:
It was so exciting to recreate this scene as there were so many details I could play up on, such as this large book telling the story of Little Red Riding Hood:
How’s that for a dramatic entrance intro!
Once you enter the cottage, a cozy fireplace warms you into a false sense of security:
But wait! You realize something’s wrong when you read the sign:
A feeling of ominous dread begins to fill up inside of you as you read another warning, this time near Grannie’s bed:
I always believe that the best styling tells a story. And what a story this is!
THE DESSERT TABLE: ONCE UPON A TIME…
I absolutely ADORE how the whole table turned out. It looks so lush and romantic, with everything in its proper place visually, positioned just so.
Off the side of the backdrop are opened books depicting Little Red Riding Hood, in vintage drawing. This adds a more historical depth into the narrative as people realize how the story of Little Red has already become embedded in our childhood lives and culture.
The dessert treats themselves are a masterpiece, done by Tazzy Cakes!
A happy, happy birthday to you, sweet Camie!
Love,
Michelle
