If you have been following along, you likely read my recent post introducing the awesome women-owned business collaborative effort that would become my daughter’s magical birthday party. Let me tell you how fortunate I feel to have had my daughter on the receiving end of this party; it was nothing short of spectacular! This event was the result of putting the minds of multiple local women-owned businesses together. Each went above and beyond to contribute towards the theme. The very best news I can share with you is that it was super easy to coordinate. When you work directly with local folks who take pride in their businesses, they will often put 110% into the finished product or service they are offering. This party was certainly no exception. I am not posting to show off my daughter’s birthday party. I am here to show off the talents of local businesses and remind you just how within reach custom and quality results like this are right here in the Greater Portland Maine area when you decide to choose local.

Photography

I’d never be able to share the true beauty of this party without the photographic talents of Amanda Huebner. She was the perfect photographer for the job. Not only is she one of the sweetest and easy going gals you’ll ever meet, but she adept in the art of capturing both people AND products. I got the album back and literally said “holy smokes” over and over again (I was looking through it with my 5 year old). I left the album mid-browse, complemented Amanda profusely, and then came back to finish viewing. I really, really, REALLY wanted to capture these businesses and their talents the best I could. Amanda made that happen. As a result I am able to share these awesome photos with each of the businesses. I couldn’t recommend Amanda Huebner Photography more highly.

The Venue

When I chose Dragonflower Ranch as the venue sight-unseen (besides in photos) I knew it would be a good spot for the party. I trusted Krystal, the owner, after speaking to her. What I didn’t realize was that it would be more than just a good spot to host the party; it would be perfect in every single way. This event space is one of the best kept secrets in Greater Portland and will soon be known to all. For the time being it is still a brand new, fresh space within reach. There is no denying the party was beautiful and had the perfect backdrop of the exposed timber post and beams of the barn. What you cannot see here is that there was also a beautifully appointed apartment adjacent to the space that allowed me a quiet space to retreat once the decorating was complete. It came in handy for nursing my baby, and also when said baby became overstimulated by the party.

We entered the space through the indoor stairway which was inside the barn. It can also be accessed through a stairwell to the beautiful large deck which I think will be an awesome addition to an event held spring through fall. The barn was clean, well maintained. There were horses that were gorgeous and clearly well cared for. The horses could be viewed in the pasture upon arrival, and also through a large picture window both downstairs and upstairs, adding to the the splendor of the venue.

Krystal went above and beyond making sure all of our needs were met for the party. She took it upon herself to grab a giant stepladder to hang our piñata from the exposed timber beam bracing with some nautical rope that I brought. She was so kind and personable, I probably would have left happy even if the space wasn’t as spectacular as it was!

The Decor

When my daughter arrived unknowingly to her birthday party, she was first surprised by all of her favorite faces. Following all of the hugs, she was immediately drawn to the teepee style tents adorned with unicorns and cozy pillows. Keri of Castles in the Sky Events had customized this set up to our theme. The wow factor was certainly there. It was an incredible payoff to see the pure joy in the faces of all of those sweet kiddos. They jumped in the large teepee together, hugged and played with the giant plush unicorns. I felt like a rockstar mom in that moment, thanks to Keri. This was the type of set-up kids could only dream of, until now! I could have never pulled off all of these special touches on top of everything else. The kids would later use the boho-style tables to work on some fun unicorn crafts together, but first….

The Entertainment

I asked my daughter to gather her friends and lead them over to the adorable kid-sized cooking station set-up by KidPowered Pastries. That is right, we had a cooking class activity planned for the kids. They each grabbed their aprons and chef hats and got to work making some edible unicorn dough that they would later place into unicorn mason jars, customized with each of their names. It may seem random to have hosted a cooking class in conjunction with a teepee tent party, but let me explain why it was actually perfect.

First, my daughter is obsessed with all of the cooking classes offered by Laura and Kelsey of KidPowered Pastries. She has attended several classes prior to this event, so it was the ultimate surprise activity for her party. Second, all kids I have ever known like the independence of cooking and making a mess doing it. Lastly, I knew if I handed the theme over to Laura she would run with it and create something truly amazing. Laura was not able to make it due to a snowstorm flight cancellation, but she had completed all of the prep work and planning and Kelsey executed the class like the total pro that she is.

The Cake

Following the cooking activity the kids did some crafts at the boho tables followed by your typical party games and some cake. The cake was a last minute switch-a-roo to Cakes Extraordinaire in Yarmouth due to a snowstorm cancel from another bakery, and it was so delicious. My husband says we will never order cake anywhere else again, and he knows his cake. The cake fiasco is a whole story in itself but lets just say, I was reminded why I am a local business cheerleader that weekend. Steve of Cakes Extraordinaire blew me away when he decorated and delivered our cake within just a couple of ours of my call in the middle of a snowstorm.

The Favors

Later the kids would discover the special items that were included in their favor bags. We were able to feature favors from 2 local businesses in each bag. I set a few of each of the special local favors out on display and the parents noticed. I was so happy to share details on these 2 local businesses with everyone involved and many had not heard of them.

Mallory of Rabbitbrook Toys creates a variety of wooden peg dolls. I had only asked Mallory to create miniature versions of her signature gnome dolls in the colors of the party but she wanted to take things a step further and had a unicorn prototype over to me in what couldn’t have been more than just a couple of days. I have no idea how she did that, but I am glad that she did! This is a great example of going above and beyond with details. All I can say is even if you cant picture what you might be looking for, run your party theme by Mallory and see what she can come up with for you.

When I learned the other day that The Sensory Mess had only been around for a year, I was shocked. Rachel has created such an amazing business and is already well known and loved for her handmade playdoughs and messes-in-a-bag both near and far. I knew I would be using her favors as soon as I discovered her last year. I went with her “simple” playdough favors. Rachel can customize your favors to a theme, by color and even provides custom labels at no additional charge. Using The Sensory Mess for favors was the easiest decision I had to make, and I must say, it was a good call.

The Result

So, there you have it… the most beautiful collab of local businesses you have ever seen. All I had to do to make it happen was reach out to some remarkable people that take real pride in what they do. Local business owners will rarely if ever steer you wrong, and will almost always go above and beyond. Every single business owner involved went above and beyond and then some; it’s just who they are. The experience in working with all of these women-owned businesses (and the bonus male-owned business too) was nothing I will ever forget.

Mentioned in this article:

Amanda Huebner Photography– @amandahuebnerphoto

Dragonflower Ranch– @dragonflower1111

Castles in the Sky Events– @castlesintheskyevents

KidPowered Pastries AKA MePowered Pastries– @mepoweredpastries

Rabbitbrook Toys– @rabbitbrooktoys

The Sensory Mess– @thesensorymess

Cakes Extraordinaire– @cakesextraordinaire