Lifestyle · Feb 06, 2020

For the Love of Lilly

When Lilly Pulitzer designs the cutest prints for Valentine’s Day, you naturally plan an entire Galentine’s Day Brunch around it and call your best gal in Nashville to collaborate! That’s exactly what Mary Huddleston from Mrs. Southern Social and I did and it could not have turned out more fantastic. Both lovers of Lilly, this soiree was too much fun to put together.

Honestly, I think Mary and I work so well together. We both share the same aesthetic and we both trust each other with what we do best. My strong suit is the paper goods, so Mary let me take full reign on this one.

I loved the navy and pink in the Lilly Pulitzer love pineapple print and used that throughout all the paper for inspiration. Once the invite was created, I designed coordinating items like menu cards, stationery, gift tags, return stickers, envelope liners and napkins. If I am planning a party, I really like the invite to be the inspiration, after all it’s the first impression, and all the other items match so the party looks consistent. If you ever need paper products for your next event, I am your girl! P.S. all the paper items we used can be purchased on my website www.sweetcarolinedesigns.com.

Since Mary is the master delegator and the venue was in her hometown, I let her take pretty much full control of the tabletop for this one. When we decided to do this, she quickly emailed me an inspiration board and of course I loved it all. If you didn’t know, Mary and her husband own a pretty fabulous rental company called Please Be Seated. We were lucky to be able to use some of their items like chairs, china, glass and flatware. If you live in Nashville or around the area (they travel) you definitely need to hire them! For the tablecloth, we rented that from La Tavola Linen. You can never go wrong with a pink large check tablecloth!

For personalized touches, we sourced the cutest mini piñatas from Lula Flora Designs for place cards that were filled with pink candy. Mary found mini champagne bottles from Paper Source, which also served as great party favors as well. We tied some personalized gift tags on the bottles that I designed for that extra special touch. The custom menu cards also added that extra flair.

For flowers, we wanted something simple but also something budget friendly. We didn’t want the flowers to overpower the table and we wanted something short and compact so the guests could see across the table and have conversations. I typically am not a huge fan of carnations but when packed together and for a monochromatic look, they turned out pretty amazing and just the look we were going for. They were so easy to pull together and something anyone could do!

For the bar, Mary and I both have the same bar cart from Serena and Lily, which I one hundred percent recommend. The rattan cart is so chic and the perfect size for a small gathering. We loaded the cart up with all the best things, like desserts and the most perfect punch, which we call “Strawberry Poodle Punch” recipe to follow at the end ;) This recipe is from Mary’s secret source and when you pour the champagne, the whole punch froths and bubbles up like a “pink poodle.” I did not taste it because you all know I am pregnant but it smelled and looked delicious. We also served sparkling brut from One Hope Wine, which not to mention is so cute but also money from each bottle sold is donated to various causes. Wine or champagne with a purpose? Yes Please!!!!

Mary found the most darling heart shaped glasses from Michael’s, which if you are planning a party always make a pit stop there. They have the cutest seasonal items. We added our favorite stir sticks to each drink, which if you have been following me for some time, you know I love a stir stick and these are from my favorite brand Acrylic Sticks. They have hundreds to choose from on their website so for sure check them out. They make drinking cocktails that much more fun! I also always love a personalized cup at a party so I included some “XOXO” coordinating cups and beverage napkins that match.

Since we were in Nashville, I did not have time to bake, because you all know I love to bake a cake, so Mary called in the experts! She introduced me to two amazing companies, the first one Caroline’s Cakes. First of all, I love the name “Caroline’s Cakes” but the best part is that they ship nationwide to your doorstep. I was so impressed with the cake and how tasty it was. We ordered a new flavor, Strawberry Champagne Cake, and it did not disappoint! We added a few flowers and some sprinkles on top. For the cookies, Mary sourced these from Summer’s Sweet Shop. They knocked it out of the park! They matched our Lilly inspired theme so perfectly and all the paper products. So talented, not mention also taste so good!!

Well I hope you enjoyed our fabulous Galentine’s table as much as we do! Valentine’s Day to me is all about celebrating love and surrounding yourself with the people you care about the most! I wish I could have spent more time with Mary. She is the real deal and a delight to work with. I love that our passion for tabletop and party planning as led to an amazing friendship. Happy Galentine’s Day Girls!