Ally’s Birthday Disco

 

It’s been over 3 years since Ally turned 16, but have you heard the phrase “better late than never”?  These photos have been just sitting in my dropbox waiting to be journaled.  Three years late, but I still think this disco party is so cute, fun, and filled with inspo for your next groovy get together.

When it came time to celebrate Ally’s sweet 16, I went all out, starting with the theme: Disco.  The first place I always start is the invite.  Invitations set the stage for the party, so for the disco, I made invites that looked like records, with the details printed out like the track list, which then slipped inside an album cover.  How cute right.  

 

Instead of a typical party space, I chose a boat for the venue!  I worked with Waterways Cruises , located on South Lake Union.  They were a dream to work with, and let me deck their boat out in full disco glam. We turned the Puget Sound into our own disco dance floor for the ultimate 16th birthday bash.   

 

I live for unique party details, so I enlisted the help of Creative Amme for custom acrylic signage, drink charms and party napkins.  I don’t think we got a photo of it, but we had a big acrylic sign that said “Ally’s Birthday Disco” and hung it from a fringey backdrop which made a super cute photo opp for the kids.  Stadium Flowers put together gorgeous florals for the event and the rest of the decor came from my personal collection of party supplies (vases, candleholders, cake plates, linens etc).  

 

 

For food I asked for all things pink!  The chef at Waterways was a delight to work with and did an amazing job turning all Ally’s favorite foods into every girly girls dream.  From pink sliders, maple bacon deviled eggs, chicken and waffles, to pink mocktails, everything was perfectly pink and delicious!

 

The dessert table was an absolute sugar overload but in the best way possible. Buttercream sugar cookies, macarons, crispy cubes, mini cupcakes, and the debut of what would turn into our famous almond smash cookie. I tried to do small mini sizes so the kids could enjoy everything (or at least try). The cake was a salted caramel lovers dream, the sugar cookies were made from a custom cutter of Ally’s name to match the invitation. These desserts are still some of my favorite treats to date.

What’s a disco without music?! I thought the kids would love a DJ and I was so glad I went with my gut.  The DJ kept the energy high all night, mixing up a playlist of classics and all the kids favorite songs.   With the water beneath us and the skyline glowing in the distance, it was the perfect place to let loose and dance the night away.

I love a great take home favor and kids love “merch”, so that’s exactly what I made for the favors.  They weren’t even “taken home” because the kids had them on before the party was even over.  Dan STILL wears his, so it was definitely a keepsake. 

  

By the end of the night, with the Puget Sound in the background and everyone still singing along to the last songs, it was pretty clear, Ally’s 16th was a night to remember.  We danced, we sang, we ate pink food, and we made a memory we’ll never forget.  I still have a screenshot of a text Ally sent me from late that night after we were all tucked into bed.  It was a long text thanking me for every detail, how much fun her friends had, and that it was the best night of her life.  

I’ll never regret any amount of time or dollars spent celebrating my kids.  It’s something I love to do, and will continue to do for as long as they let me!