When your mom's the head of marketing for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, you can be sure that your first birthday party will be nothing short of a three-ring circus. While there weren't roaring lions, skilled tightrope walkers, or dancing dogs in sight, birthday boy Brooks was dressed as a ringmaster [1], his big sister was dressed as a circus performer, and a face painter named Mollie the Clown [2] transformed guests into circus-goers.
The birthday celebration took place at the guest-of-honor's northern Virginia home, where the big top was scaled down for pint-size guests. The party invitation [3], which used classic circus typography, was enlarged to greet guests at the door, and vintage Ringling Bros. signs decorated the room. A makeshift tent housed a magic show by a circus clown, and traditional circus favorites — animal crackers, popcorn, cotton candy, corn dogs, and candy peanuts — covered the treats tables. Swirly rainbow lollipops [4] featured a sticker with each guest's name, and a cake from the local grocery store rounded out the sweets.
It was beautiful, zany, and slightly over-the-top, but it was full of fun details that anyone can use when planning their own party under a big top! Read on to see all of the details, elegantly captured by T. Nicole Photography [5].
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [6]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [7]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [8]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [9]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [10]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [11]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [12]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [13]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [14]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [15]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [16]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [17]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [18]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [19]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [20]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [21]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [22]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [23]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [24]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [25]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [26]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [27]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [28]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [29]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [30]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [31]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [32]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [33]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [34]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design [35]
Photographer: T. Nicole Photography [36]//Entertainment: Mollie the Clown [37]//Apparel: Cupcake's Cottage [38]//Ringmaster Outfit: Cupcake's Cottage [39]//Invitations and Custom Labels: Freshly Squeezed Cards [40]//Cupcakes and Cake: Wegmans [41]//Lollipops: Bulk Candy Store [42]//Cotton Candy: Oriental Trading [43]//Popcorn Bags: Oriental Trading [44]//Popcorn Machine: Amazon [45]//Submitted via Two Bright Lights [46]
Source: T. Nicole Photography + Design via Two Bright Lights [47]