Boho does party planning………….the first thoughts about my 40th birthday party

I’m 40 this year! there you go I said it! It’s not actually half as scary as when I turned 30, in fact it’s not scary at all, I’m actually looking forward to it! I didn’t really do much for my 30th Birthday for one reason or another I have decided that my 40th is going to be BIG! My husband Nik is 30 this year (que the toy boy/cradle snatching jokes!) so we have decided to have a joint Birthday party to celebrate. So the venue is booked for Sunday 3rd June (bank holiday weekend)

As I didn’t write this wedding blog when I was planning my own wedding, I decided to document the whole party planning process and share with you my plans.

(photo source)

So far we have booked the venue Woodlane Country Side Centre, which quite conveniently is only 5 minutes from our house. I have a wedding here in September and another one booked next year and I did one here in 2010, so I know the venue really well. It’s a great space, quite rustic, with a big outside garden, they literally give you the keys and let you do what you want!………..happy days! and perfect for me as I will have a totally blank canvas to do what I want with it.

As you can see from the picture it’s quite rustic, so I’m keeping to that feel for the party. I’m going for yellow and green for decoration, yellow is my favourite color and green is Niks, and I think hey are nice natural colours to fit in with the ay the venue already looks.

I do feel that I am spoilt for choice in my job I get to see all the best ideas, and pick up so much inspiration, I do have to remember though that this is a party NOT a wedding and I really can’t go to over baord…….PLUS we don’t have the budget of a wedding, so I am planning on getting creative and doing a lot fo the decor myself.

My first mini DIY project started here and made a money pot out of an old mayonnaise jar. I glued the lid on, made a slit in the top, spayed it white and decorated with ribbons. It was a bit fo a trial run for some jam jar ideas I have for decoration. I’m not to sure about it to be honest, so I know what not to so with future projects, but for keeping money in its fine!

So far I have:

Budget:
Put together an excel spread sheet to keep an idea on expenses

Venue:
Paid the Deposit. We have it all day and up till Midnight, so thinking fo doing an afternoon to evening sort fo thing, with our friends DJing in the evening

invitations:
Not sent out yet but have sourced who will me designing and printing them ( I like a bit fo DIY but I don’t have that much patience)

Food and Drink:
The venue let you bring in outside caterers so we are thinking of a hog roast or a BBQ, a hog roast works out more cost-effective and I have found a company that do chickens instead of pigs, so I may go for that as I’m not a massive meat fan.
Drink we will be buying in a tone of alcohol, mainly bear and wine, we’d like to supply as much of the drink as possible, so we recon this is where the main bulk fo the money will go.
I would also like a cake table and hope to ask friends to each bring a cake with them, to add to that homemade rustic feel.

Entertainment:
During the day we will have a photo booth, as well as some outdoor games, in the evening we will have our friends DJing. we are lucky to know loads of DJs so hoping they will all be able to have a go.

Decoration:
I’m thinking lots of paper chinese lanterns hanging from the beams, as well as some paper pom poms. Otside in the garden some hanging lanterns from the tress, as well as hanging jars of flowers, and more jars of flowers inside the venue. In the night-time lost more lanterns dotted around the place.

So still lots to do but I feel I am on top of things at the moment.

I have put together a couple of inspiration boards just to get a feel for the day.  All my ideas can be seen here on Pinterest

Photo source left to right top to bottom 1) wedding chicks  2) love wed bliss  3) wedding wire  4) nonesense and sensibility  5) intimate weddings  6) diy wedding  7) style me pretty

Photo source left to right top to bottom 1) the wedding artist collective  2) project wedding  3) style me pretty  4 ) boho weddings  5) shine food  6) boho weddings

So let me know what you think, and if your a friend reading this please save the date (3rd June) invitations will be coming out in mid Feb.

Big Boho Love

Kelly x