Caris' Enchanted Fairy Fifth Birthday!

How is my baby turning 5 already?! It feels like just yesterday I was rocking her to sleep, and now here I am, scrolling through old photos and wondering where the time went. FIVE?! How?!



At first, I wasn’t planning anything fancy—just a small family celebration. With our big move to Orange County last November, we’re still finding our groove, and honestly, the idea of putting together a photoshoot felt like... a lot. But then, I remembered a sweet friend, Jenny, whom I had met through our daughters' preschool and dance class. She used to do photography, so on a whim, I ran the idea by her (mainly as a sanity check lol). Jenny didn't just encourage me to go for it, she also offered to connect me with some of her friends and fellow small business owners. If you know me, you know how much I love supporting local small businesses, so this felt like fate.

Caris has been obsessed with the Velour Ballerina dresses since they made their debut last year, and also since she has been wanting to be a fairy this Halloween, the idea for an Enchanted Fairy Fifth birthday practically planned itself. Seeing her twirl in her element, surrounded by new friends, filled my heart with so much joy. 

Our new friend Sara @saraellenphotography graciously agreed to shoot for us! Her darling daughter Eden even joined in on the fun. 


The mamas and little friends came dressed in our women's ballerina dresses, and big sis June wore a special ballerina tulle dress sample I had originally planned for this season (it didn’t quite work out, but I’m hoping it makes a comeback next year!). June and Caris both adore purple, so it was an easy choice to match the sisters perfectly.

I originally wanted to make wings for all the girls (did not sanity-check this one with my friend obviously), but found the cutest and most perfect fairy wings at the dollar store (!!!) -- which, by some miracle, coordinated perfectly with the dresses.


Alison @airandconfettidesigns helped bring my vision together, from the florals by @eunice_designs to the magical place settings. She was also the best sounding board when I wasn’t sure if a pastel fairy theme would vibe with fall.

Spoiler: it totally did.



June even decided to bake her first-ever cake for the party! Just to be safe, I ordered a backup (since she was still baking the morning of the shoot lol)—but both cakes turned out so adorable that we used them both (June's naked cake is on the tea cart, minimally decorated with little flowers I bought online). The butterfly cake idea came from Pinterest, and the edible butterflies added the perfect whimsical touch.


For a sweet treat, my friends @lebonmacaron shipped the most delicious macarons all the way from Michigan (!!!). And my favorite doll-maker and friend Chrissy @daintycheeks created magical little Uni plushies that became perfect pals for Caris and her friends. These are only available on our site through 10/24!
Shop these magical Uni's HERE. 

We also decorated with the dreamiest garlands and a star chandelier from Meri Meri Party—because what’s a fairy party without a little sparkle? ✨ Cozy blankets and whimsical pillows (in the shape of mushrooms and butterfly!) I found at a local home goods store pulled the whole theme together. 

Seeing Caris having fun, surrounded by friends, family, and a touch of magic made this Enchanted Fairy Fifth birthday one for the books. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day!

xoxo,
Judy

Special thanks again to these wonderful ladies for helping to make my vision for this party come true:

@saraellenphotography
@airandconfettidesigns
@daintycheeks (Uni dolls)
@lebonmacaron 
@eunice_creations (floral)