A Young Graduate Styled Shoot
When my friend, Shakira Patterson of Occasions by Shakira asked if I would like to help her style her newest collection of paperware in partnership with My Minds Eye, I immediately said YES! I love My Minds Eye paperware, not only their fun designs, but their quality too. Shakira dreamed up the cutest line to celebrate your young grads (think preschool, Kindergarten and 5th grade) and it was oh so fun to design around! This graduation party is sure to be one to remember!
Shakira is such an incredible mama, creator and hype girl! Since working with her last summer on her sons’ joint Miles Per Hour themed birthday party, she has been nothing but supportive of me and my growing business! I am so incredibly grateful to all of my clients, but especially those who took a chance on me when my portfolio was much smaller.
Setting The Table for Young Grads
For the tablescape, I started with two tablerunners. I cut a blue plaid runner in half and secured it to the table on the long edges. Then I added a pink striped table runner down the center. Note that the blue plaid runners did not touch in the center but the pink stripped runner covered the gap between them.
The second step involved adding alternating pink and green grad cap plates at each place setting. Next I added a multi-colored GRAD plate to the top left of each graduation cap plate. Both plates are substantial in size, but my preference would be to use the cap plates for main foods and the GRAD plates for dessert. The colorful cap cups were placed perfectly centered between the cap plate and GRAD plate. I added coordinating colored grad cap stir sticks to each cup because who doesn’t love a themed stir stick?!? Parker Grove Lane made these for the Smiley Graduation Party last year so I reused my yellow and orange stir sticks and then ordered new pink and green stir sticks. The place settings were finished with the You’re Future is Bright cocktail napkins and a gold fork.
Adding Table Decor
I stopped in one of my favorite flower shops, Golden Flora Shop, a few days prior to this event, showed my talented friend Caitlin my mock up and she selected a few coordinating flowers for me. I used them to put together these whimsical arrangements in gold bud vases and felt proud of my floral skills! Fun fact- 10 years ago my husband was instructed never to buy me flowers. While I loved looking at them fresh, they always seemed to die so quickly. I was always working in an office and never really got to enjoy them in their prime. Fast forward to today and it’s becoming almost rare that I don’t have fresh flowers on the kitchen island. I am much better at keeping them alive, and I’m in my home a lot more today than I was 10 years ago. I’ll move on…
In chatting with the baker, Xochitl Cakes, we decided to go with four smash cake sized cakes representing the Young Grad collection by Occasions by Shakira x My Minds Eye! She created the most stunning and delicious cakes for us! A pink grad cap and green grad cap to match the cap plates, a You’re Future is Bright Sun cake to match the cocktail napkin, and a GRAD cap to match the GRAD plate. I also have to share that the marble flavor cake with cookies and cream cake was a huge hit everyone who tasted it. My daughter has asked me to buy another one, but next time make it bigger! We added the cakes on top of my go-to cake stands in pink, green, blue and yellow were the perfect addition to this tablescape. For these smash cakes I used the small 8.5 inch diameter stands.
Finally we added Chalk Design By Me’s chalk board initial tags to each place setting and a bright yellow felt ball garland winding through the center of the table.
Bringing the Fun
Sweet Bounce House brought the fun with their 8 x 8 white bounce house for this young graduation party. The white house was the perfect backdrop for a colorful balloon garland and ensured our little graduate’s yellow cap and gown really popped in these photos! Air With Flair Decor created a fabulous grad cap mural and stunning balloon garland. It was the gold tassel streamers on the grad cap and throughout the garland for me! Shakira brought this beautiful pastel school notebook and paper garland she created in collaboration with Pearl and Jane that I weaved through the balloon garland. Adding pennant flags was the perfection amount of extra for us EXTRA mamas!
Venue & Photography
This gorgeous event was captured at Curate Studio by the fabulous Kristin Guynn. The perfect venue and photographer for the occasion!
All I can say is that when you hire Little Raleigh Party we will ensure the details are next level! Inquire today for your graduation party or next event!
Links to Products
Affiliate Marketing
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Use code KRISTA10 at MyMindsEye.com for a discount!
You’re Future is Bright Napkins
Magnetic Graduation Photo Frames
School Notebook & Paper Garland
*Not the exact product, but you could use these gold disposable forks
*Not the exact product, but you could use these larger Name Tags instead
