Autumn Soiree Recap
Asking for a friend...is it socially acceptable to keep swooning over an event that happened weeks ago?! I had so much fun hosting an autumn soiree with some of my close friends I just keep wishing I could relive the entire evening! From the good conversations, good food, good music and amazing people all in one room, it was such a fun evening to play hostess and bring some of my favorite people together.
Since September I had been dreaming up a way to bring my friends from various friend groups together. Instead of trying to plan a girls night out on the town, I decided I wanted to play hostess - I have so much fun hosting, especially when it's for people I love! I knew I wanted to host a gathering before the holidays kicked into full swing and everyone's schedules were all over the place, so I planned it for the weekend before Thanksgiving. Given the time of year, I started brainstorming what a fun party theme would be and then it hit me, an autumn soiree. My mind reeled with all of the aesthetically pleasing fall things: florals, delicious cheese boards, crafting (DIY, macrame) and all around, cozy vibes!
I designed the invitations for the autumn soiree via Basic Invite which allowed me to customize my invites with gold foil and the color scheme of the evening! Needless to say, the designer in me was ecstatic! I received so many compliments on the quality and design of these cards - the gold foil was seriously the best touch. If you're in need of beautiful printed invites or cards, look no further! Basic Invite has the best selection (and customization options) when it comes to holiday party invitations, Christmas party invitations and Christmas Cards. Don't forget to use the code holi30 for 30% off your entire order.
My best friend Lauren helped me co-host and we loaded up on all of the fall food and beverages for the evening. For food, we went with: cheeses + meats for the charcuterie board, figs, pears, tomatoes with burrata, flatbread, grapes, popcorn, pie (for dessert) and delicious chocolates from jcoco for my sweet tooth friends! For beverages, we opted for La Croix, moscow mules, apple cider (we kept this warm in the crock pot and added cinnamon sticks for flavor and fun!) and red and white wine galore! We rented out the Scandinavian-inspired room on the rooftop of my apartment complex for the soiree. It ended up being the perfect size for mingling and crafting. We kept the fireplace on for that 'cozy factor' and accented the space with candles, eucalyptus and other fall foliage.
However, the main floral centerpiece of the evening was the beautiful bouquet handmade by Seattle-based florist Sarah Abare of The Stemmery. Sarah was so kind to create this stunning bouquet and offer it as a giveaway to one lucky attendee at the soiree! My dear friend Karya won and was so excited to take the blooms home with her. When hosting, a giveaway can be such a fun part of the evening because it gets guests excited and keeps them around longer in anticipation of when the name will be called!
The Stemmery is a subscription flower delivery service; The Stemmery also offers custom floral arrangements, installations, floral services for restaurants and businesses and wedding and event florals. ALSO, I've teamed up with The Stemmery to offer you 25% off your first delivery on any new subscription if you use my promo code WESTCOAST.
Aside from hosting friends for food and beverages, I also wanted there to be a fun "takeaway" from the night aside from meeting new people! My best friend Lauren who helped co-host the party, suggested we do a DIY craft. We landed on embroidery hoop DIY because it's easy and you can purchase the supplies in bulk. I ended up creating a craft corner for those that wanted to put their skills to the test during the evening and also supplied friends with their very own embroidery hoop, thread, needle and design in their personalized swag bag. I can't resist giving out swag bags at events! They are so much fun to create and when I have the opportunity to work with incredible vendors, it makes it even more fun.
The autumn soiree swag bag consisted of goodies from:
- jcoco - I'm still trying to decide which 3oz jcoco bar is my favorite! The delicious flavors I provided my guests were: Black Fig Pistachio, Cayenne Veracruz Orange and Arabica Espresso. I loved these chocolates because of the incredibly beautiful packaging - featuring black and white photos of the jcoco staff's families. I featured the Noble Dark bars on my cheese board because they are rich but pair nicely with the wine options, fruits and cheeses on the board. One of the many reasons I loved collaborating with jcoco on this event is the fact this company is 100% woman owned, culinary inspired and they give a fresh serving of food to someone in need with every jcoco bar purchase!
-handmade jewelry from Silver + Salt. I seriously cannot get enough of these incredibly beautiful pieces! I had so much fun meeting Christine behind Silver + Salt. I even got to visit her adorable studio in Ballard - if you're around, be sure to check it out! All of her jewelry is high-quality and made with care. Because they are handmade, they have that unique, personal touch. She was kind enough to gift each guest with an earring set or necklace. I scored these two pieces and I've been wearing these earrings non-stop. As much as I love wearing gold, I can't get enough of these silver hoop earrings!
-handmade prints from The Fancy Cat Studio. I met Crystal of The Fancy Cat Studio when I collaborated with her on the Style Lab event I hosted and she did such an amazing job on signage at that event I was thrilled when she wanted to collaborate for my soiree! This lady is such a talent and I have so much fun working with her! She provided each attendee with a personalized watercolor/calligraphy print with the best slogans: Girls Support Girls, West Coast Babe and Seattle Babe. Not to mention, she also provided signage for my event's welcome table, food and beverages table and crafting station! I received compliments all night about how amazing the signage was and it's all thanks to Crystal!
- swag from The Stemmery
and the guests' crafting supplies!
I can't begin to thank all of these vendors for contributing such awesome swag for this event!
I truly couldn't have asked for a better evening with my favorite ladies in one place for two hours of mingling, eating delicious food, taking photos and enjoying each other's company. For those of you on the fence to host a group of friends, I highly encourage you to take the plunge (especially when you can co-host alongside one of your besties!) Planning is all part of the fun as is the feeling of pulling off a successful and fun evening. Needless to say, I'm already dreaming up my next get-together!
A huge thank you to all of my wonderful friends for taking time out of their busy lives and Sunday evenings to attend my soiree and support me in all of my creative endeavors.
Here are some additional snaps from the autumn soiree, enjoy!
