Garden Party Photoshoot April 10th-Luluthia::The Party Room
text by Stephanie Segal for 9PBM
photos by Studio Photo Cookie et sa garde-robe
When 9 Plus Bebe Mama Magazine tells you it will keep you in the loop on the newest, cutest, and best of what’s out there for baby we really mean it. This time, I’m so excited to introduce a one of a kind resource for the party planners out there (aka all of us with children or expecting children!), perfect for a baby shower or child’s birthday, or to host a classic tea party or garden party. There is so much to love about the new party room on the 2nd floor of floral art mecca Luluthia Floral Design, you will find any excuse to hold an event there.
The unique concept, of having a party room above a flower shop, is a work of magnificence. As you climb the stairs to the party room, the heavenly scent of fresh flowers envelops you, and has a most calming and lovely effect. It’s a perfect sweet smell for the party area, matching and enhancing the bright, airy, pretty space. At once quaint and current, it’s decorated in an old world/new style motif. The feel is inviting, warm and comfortable, not ‘don’t touch that, it’ll break’. The stations set up around the room go from cute to cuter and sweet to sweeter. Invited there courtesy of 9PBM to blog about the Spring/Summer photo shoot featuring pint-sized models with chubby thighs and heads full of curls, I experienced the magic of the room in action.
The design of the intimate room will definitely help a party flow. In the center is a simple wood table prepped with everything children need to craft up a storm…colored pencils, crayons, paints, pom poms, rolls of white paper. Every party includes an age appropriate craft project for the children to stretch those imaginations. At the shoot the mini-models sat on the chic tufted cubes around the table and colored. The children interacted with smiles, not a tantrum to be seen, perhaps under the same spell of floral aromatherapy that was making me feel mellow and marvelous. There was so much for them to see and do, the brilliant Kathleen Girard of Studio Photo Cookie et sa garde-robe was able to snap away and capture a myriad of natural, happy moments. Imagine the delight in children who get the full animator and hostess-led experience, planting, playing, and partying.
Oh, did I forget to mention that the rental of the room includes an animator and hostess? To the right of the door is a children’s sitting area full of charming mini garden furniture that fits them to a T. It is here where the feature event of each party will occur, the arranging and potting of flowers the children get to take home after they’ve flexed their creativity. The professional animator will guide the children as they work (and play!) with earth and flowers to pot their own arrangement, and develop a greater appreciation for the beauty in nature and in what they can achieve with their own two hands. The garden supply area, complete with little aprons hanging on hooks and pots for the children to fill, is an adorable first stop before heading over to the miniature garden chairs and tables set up for potting.
Other zones in the party room include a little sitting bench between two giant windows that let light stream in from behind the gathered white curtains that offer the room a breezy and spring/summer fresh feel, even in the grey slush of February. Here I envision a pile of gifts waiting to be opened. Beside that is a large table to lay out your spread on a handmade, layered ruffle tablecloth. Whatever catering you decide to bring in, from home or store-ordered, will look fabulous on the platters and serving supplies offered by Luluthia Floral Design. Don’t forget the drinks and cake, and don’t forget the candy! There is a corner set up to offer your guests a candy shop experience, adorned with a hand crafted ‘Happy Birthday’ banner hanging overhead, courtesy of Karen Alexandra Design. One little model snuck a gummy worm, and the allure of jellybeans, lollipops, licorice, or rice krispie treats (to suggest a few) will be irresistible to young and old party guests alike. The jars are all beautifully labeled, again by Karen Alexandra Design, to exemplify that every detail is stylized to perfection. Personally selected candy collections and potted flowers? Supreme lootbags you didn’t have to think up, run around to collect and bag up yourself. Candy and flowers make the world go round, and make your party a success! All your edibles can be delivered as early as the day before to ensure peace of mind on party day!
I watched the models and modelettes move cheerily around the room, discovering it, delighting in it. They pretended to water the beautiful flower arrangements set up around the room in bursts of purple, and shaggy green rugs that resembled grass, ogled the candy, reached for an apron, tested out the kid-sized seating. More color pops from Purple Oranges Design custom personalized wall hangings, perfect for any nursery or playroom, adorable, unique and an excellent gift for that new baby in your world.
An antique style glass drink container is perfect for a few liters of pink lemonade to put the finishing touch on a party in progress. It was easy to imagine birthday parties full of family, friends and flowers that will create memories to last. Book yours, soon and don’t forget to press one of the birthday child’s flowers for safekeeping after the fact.
In my lead paragraph I said this was an ideal space for a baby shower or a child’s dream party. Please don’t think that it’s a space solely for little girls. That would leave me out as a mom with deux sons (sorry mom, I refuse to try for a girl.). So, guess what? Boys LOVE getting their hands dirty and potting flowers means dirt to spare. Plus, it's good to start them young on the pleasures flowers bring to others (say, their mothers, for example). After all, an enchanted garden needs both a princess AND a prince. Think ‘Amazon Reptile Party’! The party room at Luluthia is a bouquet made up of style, quality children’s activities, and originality that will impress all bebes, mamas and the beloved people they share their celebrations with.
www.luluthia.ca/party-room for full package information.
Stay tuned for the next issue of 9 Plus Bebe Mama Magazine, to see the photo spread from the shoot, with the cutie pies never looking cuter than while modeling the spring/summer lines from l’Enfantillon, la Petite Ferme du Mouton Noir, Mexx Kids, les Enfants Deslongchamps, Kid Biz, Chaussures Laura-Jo and Mama Mia Kids. Fashions perfect for their next party at Luluthia Floral Design’s party room!
