As film director Will Packer’s daughter approached her 21st birthday, he knew he wanted to host a memorable celebration for her. She envisioned a lively party with a concept that infused her home city of Atlanta and her Los Angeles home at the University of Southern California. Cardinal and gold, as a nod to the USC Trojans, served as the color palette along with a fun leopard pattern used for accent pieces.

Despite the drizzle and cloudy skies, The Wife of the Party team hustled and bustled the day before the big event to set up a dynamic lighting scheme, a personalized DJ booth, food areas including a “Maya’s Waffle House” area, in-theme pool floats and oversized metallic orbs sitting atop the water, and strands of lighting and a glittering disco ball were suspended over the pool to create a perfect mesmerizing look. The scene was perfect for the birthday girl and 150 of her friends, who danced, sang, and noshed the night away under the starry night.

The barbecue menu was extraordinary with Fatboy’s BBQ serving hearty brisket sliders, wings in a variety of tasty flavors, potato salad, baked beans, and warm made-to-order waffles towards the end of the night. A fun detail of the party was Shot O’Clock, where Maya invited her friends and family to join her in taking a shot in unison, fueling guests to keep their energy on the dance floor. Halfway through the evening, Will Packer and family wished Maya a happy birthday, presented her with a grand cake designed to match the theme, while her closest friends carried fat heads and sparklers to paint an amazing, memorable setting.

It was so much fun, the party had to be extended because no one was ready to leave, and when it was finally time to end the festivities at the private residence, Maya’s sorority sisters performed a traditional celebratory dance around the pool keeping up the energy of the night before they headed to an after-hours celebration offsite. Happy birthday, Maya! It was a 21st birthday party for the books!