What do you do when your 30th birthday falls in winter? You have an outdoor dinner party of course! Ok, we know it doesn’t seem like the best idea when it’s cold out, but after 29 years of never having bright colours or frilly flowers for her birthday, Monique decided she wanted to do something extra fun for the big 3-0. ‘It was a sit down dinner for 18 people,’ said Monique. ‘Living in Southern California, we lucked out with perfect weather and clear skies. The trick was the theme. I loved the idea of glamping (glam-camping) and doing a party under the stars seemed suitable.’ The glamping theme was perfect in the cold weather as Monique encouraged guests to dress cozy for the occasion. She also ensured that the menu was reminiscent of camping (with a little American BBQ influence), serving food like Cream of Potato Soup, Pulled BBQ Pork and Chicken Sandwiches, and MYO S’mores! Monique also got super creative for her party and DIY’ed most of the decorations. The napkins, picnic tables and tent were all put together by Monique’s good friend and event planner Heather Ransom. ‘The table centrepieces were a collection of bottles spray-painted white and gold which served as candleholders,’ said Monique. ‘I hand dripped mason jars in gold paint, which we used for drinks, and used a collection of vintage silverware which we borrowed from a close family friend, and I designed and printed the dinner menus on craft paper to give them a rustic look. Finally, we had a table set for hot cocoa, coffee, and tea.’ If you love the idea of a camping party, but don’t think you can put civilisation aside to embrace the outdoors, we suggest you check out how Monique made camping oh-so-glam for her 30th birthday party below.

Photography Shea Taylor | Event Planning Heather Ransom | Event Styling Heather Ransom | Decorations Heather Ransom | Event Venue Private residence

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