An All White Occasion
So at the healthy age of 8 months we finally got Nathan christened. What a scorcher of a day we got....I knew there was a good reason we waited. We went back to the church where we got married up beside the famous Johnny Foxes pub, which is a nice little tradition we have got going on. I was sooooo last minute with all my prep this time around but managed to pull it off with the help of my hubby, family & a few great suppliers.
The Food
When it comes to an occasion like this, I always get great compliments on the food we do. It's not that we do anything spectacular but we do try and use fresh, organic, healthy produce. I personally love a bit of everything on my plate and regularly get food envy so I lay it all out on platters and let people serve themselves. We always opt for an array of salads, fresh baked breads and even though we are vegetarian we do a meat and fish platter for our guests. Alannah thinks it's so weird having it on our table but I guess at large occasions like this you have to make exceptions.
Instead of bowls of sweets I made up fruit pots for the kids, because let's face it a big gang of kids is crazy enough without having them tanked up on sugar too! Oh, and my new rule is if family or friends offer to bring something....say yes!! I am terrible for saying no, but many hands really do make light work and I'm always glad when someone arrives with a plate of something!
We made up a batch of lemonade and serve it with loads of ice in a Kilner drinks dispenser. Always goes down a treat!!
The Cake
So, I am a sucker for a really cool cake! And Nathan's cake is my favourite to date! Breda is an artist!! I wanted something fun, and she sent some ideas and as soon as I saw the toy box, I knew I was going to struggle to cut it up! And, I very nearly froze it, ask my guests..they were hovering for hours near the cake table before I finally gave in!! And yes, it was delicious!!!
The Outfits
The kids outfits were ALL from Zara. It's always a winner for all ages! They each got so many compliments and a few of the grown up's wanted Amelia's playsuit for themselves! Alannah's outfit was a skirt and tee combo; perfect for that tween stage. Fun but grown up enough...a delicate balance people!!
I wanted Nathan in all white. He had the sweetest little chord shorts with braces paired with a crisp linen white shirt. The shorts were A-dorable!!! You can read more on their outfits and shop the looks here.
So being a busy mama, I rarely dress up these days but I really wanted to feel good about myself for his special day. I picked up my dress very last minute, the week of the christening in a boutique in Greystones called Shadore. The staff are so helpful there and I loved that the dress was a bit unusual with the cut out detail. David, well, he wore his day two suit from our wedding. Again, Zara. Although, I'm pretty sure 4 years later it's no longer in stock, I find that Zara replicates classic pieces time and again. So, if the man in your life needs a suit, it's worth a look!
The Décor
So, I've had lots of questions about my wall art, balloon paint splatter decoration. You can read how I went about creating the statement wall here. Basically, it was a bit of grown up fun for me. And well, surprisingly the kids didn’t complain about the balloons being on the wall. Amelia, just kept telling me, "Oh wow Mom, it's sooooooo cool!" Enough said.
The Set Up
We pretty much took all the clutter and hid it upstairs. Seriously, it's the only way!! We opened the back doors and had chairs and benches laid out making it easy for everyone to congregate, have the chats and mingle. For the kids, we literally left the slide, water table, trampoline and an art table. The kids had a ball, but I reckon had I have given them a single balloon off the wall, they'd have had as much craic. Pity, I was so mean.
We had such a lovely day with our family & friends! Days like this are so special and as much as we complain about the work involved, we secretly love it! Oh, and we're still working on that family photo...
Much love,
Aisling xxx