Baby Boy’s 1st Birthday Party. Event Planner Andrea Eppolito. Decor & Design by Javier Valentino. Images by Susie & Will Photography.

When baby boy Milan turned one his father, florist extraordinaire Javier Valentino, knew he wanted to go over the top in celebration. After so many months of quarantine, the family wanted to bring everyone together to celebrate little Milan. It was the first time many would be seeing one another, and it was really important to Javier that the event was something that could be enjoyed by adults and kids alike.

With Lotus House as the backdrop for the event, we immediately decided to take advantage of the high ceiling and white-washed walls by installing a balloon cloud ceiling. The goal was to bring the space down a bit so that it felt intimate and not so cavernous. With the clouds in the sky, we then set up a series of socially distant tables that's sat two, four, and six guests - all grouped by family and household. Tables were topped with pale blue linens that echoe the bright sky, white blooms were set throughout the room, and each napkin was wrapped with silk ribbon. The ribbons and bibs featured calligraphy noting each guests’ name serving as a place card.d A massive topiary of greenery was fashioned and sculpted to look like an airplane taking off for an adventure.

On one side, we installed a gift shop (so much nicer than the ones you find at the airport!) that featured gifts for adults and children. Customized candies and snacks, little boardgames, and personalized embroidered sweaters were set up on white and gold shelves. Personal shoppers were available to take guests through the space and help them pick up their goodies.

On the other side of the house was a towering doughnut wall and a beautiful, baby blue birthday cake. On each side were tiny little cars; Baby’s first Bentley and Lexus!

DJ Shai was on hand to provide entertainment throughout dinner. His announcements began with, “This is your captain speaking…” And let guests know throughout dinner that they were on a magical flight to an unknown land which would be revealed shortly.

With beverages provided by The Craft LV and food served by Cut & Taste, Baby Milan sat sweetly and quietly napped, waking up just before the “landing” as dinner came to a close. Through the white drapes, a ballerina appeared with a red bouncing ball and a helium balloon. Suddenly, a cloud of smoke filled the space, and the ballerina coaxed guests outside as they departed their in-house flight.

As they stepped outside the music changed, lighting began to move, and they were suddenly at the carnival of Milan’s dreams. a ten-foot clown danced while fire-tossers and jugglers performed on each side. There was a caricature artist, a street-corn vendor, hand-spun cotton candy, and a large tub filled with bubble mixture that a performer pulled and played with for the kids. Milan was toured through the space by his two older brothers and played with his cousins while the adults enjoyed cocktails and late-night bites.

At first glance, you would never know that this event happened during a pandemic. A closer look, however, revealed all of the precautions that were taken. Guests were tested in advance, with many choosing to quarantine for a week prior to arriving at the party. At the front door, we had a socially distanced line where guests presented their “boarding passes” at the check-in desk. There they were temperature checked and given their seating, sanitizer, and masks. Inside, we maintained socially distanced tables, have markers on the dance floor and created clusters of activities set throughout the one and a half acre grounds. This allowed guests to move through the space and experience everything while remaining safe and secure.

Now more than ever, it is important that we celebrate all of the good things in life, especially babies! Little Milan was able to bring together family and friends, and we were thrilled to create an environment that allowed them to forget all of the noise for just one night and focus on the future of this beautiful baby boy.

Always…