{Hometown} Originally from New Albany, MS; current home base: Birmingham, AL (for the past 7 yrs)
{Event Site} Laurel Donahoo’s Baby Bee Shower: the home of Rachel Cooley
{Tell us about the occasion for the event?}
We wanted to celebrate our friend, Laurel Donahoo, and help her prepare for the arrival of her baby.
{What inspired your event location and theme?}
Rachel Cooley’s home is open and spacious, so it made a great location for the shower. The theme was inspired by Laurel’s love for bees. We thought it would be perfect for Laurel and a gender-neutral theme.
{What inspired your color scheme/flowers?}
The shower was gender-neutral, so we wanted to keep everything clean and neutral. Gray tones, whites, off-whites, and yellows fit the theme and reflected Laurel’s style. I wanted the flowers to be loose and organic, and I also wanted them to reflect the theme. Simple stems, such as Craspedia (Billy Balls), had a certain playfulness to them that seemed to work well with the bee theme.
{What’s your favorite event detail? Is there a story behind it?}
This party was all about the details. I loved everything from the beehive cupcakes to the “baby bee” banner. My favorite design detail was probably the main floral arrangement. It was elegant and fun at the same time, and the gold stand was so “Laurel”!
{What was your favorite part of the event planning process?}
I loved designing the invitation and establishing the look that we would use for the rest of the party details. It’s always fun to plan for a close friend and incorporate their style into the design! I also incorporated Laurel’s hand-drawn bee from her Lovely Bee logo into the invitation for a special touch.
{What was your favorite moment of the event day?}
My favorite moment of the day was photographing Laurel as she came into the shower. She was beaming with that beautiful pregnancy glow!
{Your favorite picture from the event day?}
Event Planner: Rachel Cooley
Venue: the home of Rachel Cooley
Florist: Sara Beth Cobb