30th birthday soirée - ball pit, bubbles & besties!

Hello to the big thirty! I can’t believe it - I’ve finally hit the big 30th birthday milestone! Naturally, I decided to host a party to celebrate and take on the insane pressure of creating my own birthday cake.

I wanted to create a playful space that made people laugh and brought out their inner child. Random ideas of having a bathtub, ball pit, crates - and MORE! - came together beautifully. My friends affectionately referred to my birthday party as an ‘adults playground’ - which I love!

I hope my own personal party serves as great cake and party inspiration for your upcoming celebrations. Don’t ever be afraid to do something different, make a statement and bring out your inner child!

I decided to create a playful and intimate space, that brought out everyone’s inner child…”

THE STYLING

When I initially started party planning, I was convinced I was having a very ‘pretty’ party - including hiring out a venue with high ceilings, balloon garlands, muted colour palettes…something overall that looked quite sophisticated for my very ‘adult’ milestone birthday.

And while I actually love these types of styled parties (so no hate), I quickly realised I wasn’t connecting with the idea because it didn’t feel like ‘me’.

Scrapping the idea entirely, I started from scratch again. I decided to create a playful and intimate space, that brought out everyone’s inner child and forged connection between my different friend groups.

The ballpit bath was a key feature in my party plans and the element I was most excited about! It was fun and incorporated an interactive element to the party that was great for photos ops and breaking the ice.

Floral + Frozen created a beautiful floral ice bucket and ice-cubes, which was the perfect addition to the party table that ‘awed’ everyone. I seriously love their work!

Also a big thank-you to Amity Trophies & Engraving for the last minute letter signage - ‘Hello Thirty’ - for my greenery wall! It simply brought the whole look together.

It was an amazing late afternoon soirée with great chats, ballpit bath shenanigans, delicious food and - into the evening - enjoying pizza by candlelight. It was simply a wonderful and memorable celebration!

THE CAKE

I always struggle to design and create cakes for my own personal celebrations - there is always so much pressure to create something amazing and I can be very picky (which my husband can attest to haha), self critical and change my mind frequently (because I can’t rest on one idea!).

However, I knew I wanted to make a statement and immediately opted for my favourite colour scheme of pink and red for that punch of colour.

After much experimenting, I gravitated towards an organic and ‘imperfect’ decorative finish to add character and grace. This resonated with me, considering that life isn’t perfect.

The whimsical gold flower, made from rice paper, added that final touch and adds suits the organic and clean finish I wanted for the cake.

Check out more of this amazing event below!