Open-House Fiesta

Hey, friends! I'm back with a fun post about the open-house fiesta we hosted last weekend! I guess I should start at the beginning though. Let's do just that:

When Ben and I closed on our new home, we knew we wanted to have an open-house type of party allowing people to come, see the house, eat, have fun, but leave whenever they wanted. Sometimes when you call something a "party," it makes people feel like there's a time constraint and they have to be there for four or five hours. Off the bat, we really didn't have any theme or food ideas; I figured that I would just come up with something as it got closer. Lucky for me, Grace & Madd Paperie came to the rescue.

Maddie (owner of G&M) designed and executed the invitations that Ben and I used for our wedding just a year and a half ago, so when she posted on social media that she was piloting a new product called the Fete Box, I knew I needed to submit my party information/attempt to be a member of her pilot group. When I found out that we had been chosen, I was elated! Not only were we going to get to try out this new product [that we knew would be exceptional], Maddie was so willing to help us pick a theme and iron out the details prior to the construction of the box.

WHAT WAS IN THE BOX:

The box included a number of fabulous things. Not only did Maddie make us 15 beautiful invitations, but there were banners, signs, paper goods, snacks, centerpiece displays, food tents, and MORE! Here are some snapshots of what we received [the margarita was not included].

   

   

   

WHAT WE HAD TO BUY:
All that we ended up NEEDING to purchase for the party was food and beverages. When we had a late influx of RSVP's [leading to more guests than we had originally planned], we did pick up a few extra plates and cups. We also picked up a pinata for a fun twist. The taco bar was a very cost-efficient option for a housewarming. I ended up being so pleased that Maddie had suggested it as our theme!
   

HOW THE ITEMS CAME TOGETHER:
We ended up setting the food and drinks up in a buffet style. People were able to grab their plates/cups and help themselves to the food that was set up around the counters. The decorations and colors that Maddie chose ended up looking bright and fun in the kitchen/dining room space of our home. The banners that she provided also allowed for some fun pops of color up higher in the room. We got a number of compliments on everything, allowing for us to plug Grace & Madd Paperie and their products.

   

   

GIFTS:
To our surprise, we received a number of really thoughtful gifts from our guests. From kitchen items to food to a welcome home gnome, we felt very blessed and loved.

   

   

   

To most people who know me's surprise, I'm sure, I did a terrible job taking photographs at the open-house. I literally have no pictures with anyone, no pictures of the party in action... nothing! I guess we were too busy hosting and enjoying our guests to take any. I do have this end of the night photo from after everyone left: a centerpiece from our Fete Box, a beautiful pillow that was made and given to us as a gift by a guest, and our dead pinata. It was a wonderful party, with a great turn out, and we could NOT have done it without Maddie and the Fete Box!

GRACE AND MADD PAPERIE:
To sum things up, Ben and I could not have been more pleased with the service we were provided by Grace and Madd Paperie. Not only did she tailor the box to be exactly what we wanted, she checked in on us throughout the process and was overall just a joy to work with. We would recommend her to anyone looking for paper-crafting services, and we will definitely continue using her for our needs!

   

Check out the Grace & Madd Paperie website here! [You can see our wedding invites in her portfolio!]