A Valentine's Day Brunch
Valentine's Day is just a week away; so to get in the spirit this past weekend, I invited a few girlfriends over for a little ladies' brunch.
I wanted to create a sweet party that was equal parts girly and unexpected- lots of bright pinks, balloons and bubbly combined with pops of black, gold tones and all the cold brew coffee.
It was a beautiful- and delicious- afternoon for us girls, and just one special gent.
Here is how it came together:
Pick your invitation
Nowadays there a few different avenues you can go for an e-vite. But I've been a Paperless Post girl from the start. Their selection doesn't disappoint and I love how easy it is to track your invites and follow up with guests. I chose this simple invitation and carried the pink theme throughout the brunch.
Plan Your Theme/Decor
I've been dreaming of a hot pink meets black and white themed party for a while now. Truth be told, I wanted to execute it for MM's Alice in Onederland themed first birthday; but it seemed a bit too sophisticated, and way too much work. Over the past few weeks I collected a variety of brightly colored decorations- floral print napkins, garland, and pretty pink plates.
I found these black and white runners on Amazon, and loved them for both the table and the banquet-turned-bar. And the floral tablecloth was a last minute Home Goods find that surely to use year round.
When it came to florals, I turned to our local McArdle's. They never disappoint- they even did our wedding- and this centerpiece was no different. I told them the general color scheme, and I just loved how these pinks and greens popped against the monochromatic black and white.
Choose Your Menu
If you've been paying attention, you've noticed this is not a cooking blog. In fact, the majority of recipes under the "eats" section of Lilies and Lambs lean towards easy three ingredient apps or the occasional cocktail. I thought about trying my hand at whipping up a few very tempting Pinterest recipes for this little brunch, but I'm not quite that domesticated yet.
I've used our local Aux Delice for a few events now- my baby shower, MM's second birthday- and its beyond easy, delicious, and pleasing to the eye. I've found that lighter bites fare best for a ladies' brunch, so I opted for their basket of pastries and Smoked Salmon Roulade. And I couldn't resists their Ham and Cheese Quiche, because its just too good.
I knew I'd be serving wine, so I put together a last minute cheese plate consisting of cubed sharp cheddar and gouda alongside some dried apricots and chocolate almonds.
For dessert, I collected a variety of festive candies- mostly from Home Goods- and served White Chocolate Chip cookies from our local KathsKookies.
Add a Fun Activity
Pictured above is a candid snap our photographer from Candyshop snapped for us before the party started. Sadly, for MM, this was an adults only event.
But we did sneak in a little fun and festive activity.
This past Christmas my family tried our hand at Secret Santa, and now we're pretty much full blown addicts. So for this brunch I put together a Secret Cupid. Its super easy to coordinate through a website called Elster {here}, and its just so much fun to give and receive a little trinket or two.
Pick your Poison
In addition to my go-to Pinots and Rosés, I wanted to have a few special drinks for my guests. In this case, I put together a mimosa bar with fresh squeezed orange juice and blood orange juice. And because it was Saturday morning, and most of us are mamas, I served my favorite cold brew coffee from Rise Brewing Co. I'm a big fan of their original black flavor, but their blood orange was a fresh take on the drink and perfect for a V-Day event.
valentine's day brunch details
Floral Centerpiece c/o McArdle's Florist
Nitro Cold Brew Coffee c/o RISE Brewing Co.
Catering from Aux Delice
White Chocolate Chip Cookies c/o KathsKookies
White Fleece Top and Pink Blanket Scarf c/o Dudley Stephens
Photography c/o Candyshop Photography