Happy birthday, mother-in-law! Alicia has talked about this 70th birthday since our youngest daughter Frankie was born. She wanted a celebration to share with one hundred of her closest church friends and family that reflected all the things she enjoys. We teamed up with my brothers-in-law Luis, Omar and Jamal to provide her a night she wouldn't forget. Yisel, her only daughter, flew in from Seattle to celebrate amongst us.

We dressed up family style tables with lush greenery as runners. Delicate flowers in all shades of purple peeked out at guests, providing a beautiful tablescape no matter where guests sat. String lights were hung above to provide gentle amber lighting when the sun went down and tea lights were placed around the perimeter of the yard for some intimate appeal.

Alicia's guests enjoyed a traditional Mexican meal from a friend's local business. On the menu? Barbacoa, rice. beans, tortillas and a variety of homemade salsas. For dessert we had three varieties of cake - red velvet, guayaba, and classic chocolate. A margarita machine was serving up two kinds of margaritas at the bar where you could also find a selection of cold beer, wine and mixed drinks.

Extras:

• Guests took unlimited photos as keepsakes in The Happen Booth
• Mariachi performed classics including a few renditions of Happy Birthday in English and Spanish
• Alicia's grandchildren were present to help blow out candles and pass out cake
• Oldies played throughout the night from a select playlist of her favorite hits
• A videographer caught arrivals, speeches and lots of hugs to create a virtual memory 

HOW WE DID IT:

Cake - Merengue Bakery 

Photography - EDLT Photo 

Florals - Anthos Floral Concepts 

Vintage Bar Rental - Circa Vintage Rentals

Lighting/AV/Music - Happen

Photobooth - The Happen Booth

Videography - Nog Navi Studios 

Rentals - Dolphin Rentals