Jungle Party -1yr- Catering Hall Jungle

Okay, my passion is party planning (I love themed parties)  So naturally I had to have a huge 1st birthday for my son.  Everything was themed from invitations to favors.  I went with the safari / jungle theme.

My invitation I had ordered online from, Colors by Design.  It was adorable, a bunch of animals around the entire rim.  Even the envelope had the animals all over it.  Enscribed I had written, "The latest Roar!  Friends of the jungle have gathered to say, please join us in celebrating Vincenzo's 1st bd!  (party info.)  Animal print or safari attire encouraged!  My guest loved the dressing up part, they all got into it (all 140 ppl)  My thank you note matched as well which read, "Friends of the jungle had gathered to say THANK YOU in joining Vin's 1st bd"  I attached them to the favors.

I had the entire catering hall decorated for his party.  I ordered animal print gossamer (a sheer light fabric) from Shindigz.  Only came in 2 animal prints zebra and tiger.  I made pretty bows and tied them around each chair.  Every other chair was diff.  I also had made runner going across the table (fabric was 19" wide so it worked out well)  Runner went on black tablecloths which really make the runners pop out. My napkins chose gold and brown. Like a giraff.  I had animal print fans from OT spread out on the tables, little black lanterns with tealights in them on each end of the table. 

The catering hall has sections of the wall that were mirrored so I coverd it with animal print paper from shindigz, giraff, zebra and lion.  Cut patchs ranging from 36"x36" to 12"x12" and just scattered on the walls, overlapped.   For the dias, which was just my husband, I and my son I ordered a banner from Shindigz looked very similar to my invitation which read, "Vincenzo's 1st Birtday Safari" I jazzed up by getting a huge board, don't know what it's called.  It platic about 1/4 thick (some guy who does awning I got it from)  I got it much larger then the banner and put a ton of foliage, jungle leaves and rafia (I bought a ton of fern leaves and jungle leaves at Michaels when they were on sale)  This really made the board up. Looked very professional.  Had this board put right in front of my table. 

Along the sides of the dias I had  bought 2 palm trees (on sale at Michaels) about 8' tall.  Served at a double purpase b/c I have them in my foyer when u walk in now.  I also had 2 huge oversized stuffed animals from Melissa and Doug.  Very realistic, a giraff and a lion.  Again, now they're in my sons room.  Behind the dias is a huge was about 20' wide all mirrored (hate it b/c of pics you get that flash)  so the paper I had put on the walls of the catering hall covered that wall.  I put 3 huge patches going across. Zebra and tiger and put a bunch of small ones around it with a lot of the giraff.  Looked awesome. 

Now for the biggest focal point that night around the mirror I had my balloon guy make a border going all the way around the mirror of balloons.  I chose leopard latex (my favorite)  He made a thick spiral border.  Along the top of the mirrow were a bunch of mylar animals, monkey, zebra, lion and elephant.  On the upper corner we had diff shades of green long skinny balloons coming out which resemble ferns.  Now across the mirror where I had the animal print paper I had his named spelled out with these over sized mylar balloons which were silver.    I really love the leapord latex balloons so I had the ceiling filled with clusters of it with some black pearl balloons in between.  I order these jungle butterflies from shindigz with these hanging monkey with I had hanging from the ceiling and chanderlies (they were light)

For my centerpiece I made fern pieces.  I bought planters from a dollor store, they were the face of a zebra.  I had bought these fern which looked great just like that but decided to go the extra mile.  I bought these gorgous feather butterflies and put one in each bouqet.  I also made a sign ready, Vincenzo's 1st bd safar, same font as invite and had them posted on wood planks and hotglued bamboo sticks around it. I had a balloonist come and decorte as well.  So over the centerpieces there were 2 clusters of balloons.  Each seperated from one another.  He had used clear string so they looked like they were just suspended in the air.  Each cluster had a animal print.  One was zebra and one tiger (to match the chairbows) 

For the table seating I bought these little wooden prepainted animals for 50 cents each. They were monkey, frog, turtle, giraff, lion and elephant. I hotglued them on popsicle sticks and put them in a huge piece of styrofoam.  Had to glue 2 pcs togethers.  At the based I bought green spanish moss.  Looked like a real jungle.  At the very top of each animal I hotglued the place card.  By the way no number.  Each table was named after  parts of africa, ex. Zimbawee, congo, etc  I made a sign on each table with the names (same font throughout showcard gothic with animals from clipart online.

FAVORS: I ordered these frames from Bombay online, A giraff with palm trees around it.  They had these little rhinestones all over it.  I wrapped each favor with the animal print gossamer like you would a tray of cookies with the big poof on top.  OT had these little plush jungle animal pouches that I put my jordan almonds in.  I made a little tag out of green cardstock with Vincenzo's 1st bd safari, which a row of paw prints along the top and bottom.  Cut each one out with a zigzag scissor.  The favors looked great.  No one wanted to open it. 

BIRTHDAY CAKE:  Instead of the traditional cake I had my catering hall make me cupcakes.  They were vanilla flavored with chocolate frosting.  Each one had a diff sugar animal face on it.  Behind was a platic piece with 2 palm trees sprouted out, one taller then the other.  I had him in his lion costume which I switched him into when we were announced into the room.  So cute a dandylion for Step Ahead.  The cutest one I seen.  

GOODIE BAGS: I ordered these little tote bags from OT with jungle animals on it.  Filled the entired bag with goodies.  Binocles, paddle sticks with the rubber balls at the end, bubbles, notepads, bookmarks, clappers, frames they had to put together with jungle animals, sickers.  Everything was jungle themed in the bag and I had them personized.  Extra girlie things for the girls.  Babiies got animal print puppet wash cloths, bibs, feeding bowls, baby biscuits.  On the kiddie talbe was a plastic animal goblet also from OT.  They loved it, and went home with tons of stuff.  I had about 15 kids.  I know this artist who's great.  She does mureals in homes. She does parties on the side.  So I had her with the kids all night entertaining them.  She did face painted (animals) you could only imagine what these kids looked like.  They looked like they should be on broadway lol  She took digital pics of them and had frames that they made.

HANDOUTS:  I had order a bunch or stuff of OT, jung animal visors, clappers, hats, these huge inflatable animal things, animal bandana's, glasses.  Too much too mention. Party was great.  Even had jungle music while my guest came in and throughout cocktail hour and venitain hours.  A lot of work.  Started about 7-8 months prior (hard with a baby)  Totally worth it!  A shame my son won't remember it.  At least he'll be able to see the video and pictures when he's older.