It’s certainly not everyday you get to plan a party like this one! And I can say that I was truly honored to be asked to join an absolutely incredible team of vendors, led by the amazing Karleen Roy of The Vanity Group, to create and design a fabulous baby shower for one of pop culture’s most fabulous icons, Cardi B!
I know I’ve mentioned (a few times) how the best events are the ones that step outside tradition and accomplish timeless style differently – with modern twists and innovative, custom creativity. For Cardi B, it had to be both of those things, but it also had to be above and beyond to match her vibrant personality. I believe the best way to complement a guest of honor is to take a cue from his or her personality, so with Karleen’s creative direction, we looked to Cardi B’s hometown for inspiration, and created a fairytale version of the Bronx, NY, right here in Atlanta.
Using the Bronx inspiration, combined with the guest of honor’s love for beautiful flowers and the fact she was expecting a girl, we designed a shower that blended both things in a super cool way. The result was a magical floral oasis, plenty of personality, unique interactive entertainment and, of course, plenty of culture thrown in.
My team of vendors worked at maximum creative capacity to unveil show stopping elements that were Bronx-based, baby girl giddy and completely custom. It started with guests boarding the 6 Train to enter the Fairytale Bronx. They disembarked to black ballerinas dancing to a hip-hop orchestra. Talk about setting the stage.
Guests then walked down the street scene filled with Dominican fruit and ice carts before arriving at the Baby Bodega filled with custom Bardi Baby goods. Guests received bouquets from our floral market wrapped in paper printed with the “ABCs of Cardi B” which was a perfect match the fun floral and alphabet accents we placed throughout the event.
Our design nodded to plenty of Cardi B’s favorites, from a floral archway marked with a street sign where she grew up, to an oversized dance floor with custom decals where her friends and family could let loose for the night. Dramatic floral backdrops made every angle of the party a perfect photo op.
One of my favorite elements was the custom Bardi Baby Library we filled with African American and Spanish baby books. Guests signed messages inside the books and it was a beautiful and sentimental touch that I hope the family will enjoy for years to come. It also doubled as a creative way to include a guest book.
The details continued through the baby shower cake display, which included a custom backdrop decked with gold animals – a nod to the Bronx Zoo – and oversized floral covered animals to continue playing to that baby girl, floral theme.
My favorite part of this event was being able to step back and see what this incredible team was able to pull off. I feel honored to have been a part of it, and still love the fairytale we created. It was such a unique design and I know our mama-to-be will cherish that memory forever. It doesn’t get any better than that! A huge thanks to The Vanity Group for bringing us in to design this event! Photos by Janet Howard Studio.