Yes I am THAT girl that throws a birthday party for my dog. We threw Lola a first birthday party so naturally when she was turning 2, it was time for another party. I think one of the beautiful things about owning a dog, is you meet some of the best people at dog parks, beaches, or even just in your neighborhood. Some of Lola’s friends have now become some of our dearest friends. Never underestimate the power of some furry love. We have both cats and a dog so we are feeling those love vibes all day everyday.
Wanted to share how we pulled together a birthday fiesta party… for a dog. Well, for the humans too. Since we had 13 dogs coming to the party, we knew certain things needed to be very easy since all eyes were on the dogs. See some of my tips and tricks below!
CATERING // Blake and I love to cook but decided it would be fun to hire a taco truck to help us out on the day of the party. Having our eyes on the dogs was our top priority so it was perfect to have a casual menu for people standing, sitting and running around. While I did make a cold rice salad and serve chips and salsa, those were relatively easy to prep the day before. A little help in the food department kept me hanging out with my guests instead of in the kitchen.
PHOTO BOOTH // I loved the idea of having a Doggie Photo booth. Most of Lola’s friends have an instagram account (and are alot cooler than any human I know!) It was the perfect set up for dogs (and humans!) to snap a photo. I ordered balloons that spelled out “Fiesta” to add to the party theme. Getting the dogs to sit still during the party… now that was the challenge.
PARTY FAVORS // I wanted to give each dog a party favor on their way. The same bakery that make the birthday cake made dog bone cookies and custom wrote “Fiesta” on them for me. This was great because they prepackaged them for me so that was one less thing I needed to do for party prep.
COCKTAILS // A birthday party needs a fun drink. We sipped margaritas in the sun and it was glorious. I loved the idea of pre-making margarita mix and having people add their own tequila. This way the drinks didn’t get watered down and you could make a strong or light cocktail. I shared the recipe here. For those that wanted something different, we filled some buckets with ice and jammed them full with Mexican beers and bottles of water.
DECOR // We needed to keep things simple with all the pups running around. We took the opportunity to spice up our table with table clothes and beautiful hand woven bowls borrowed from my friends at The Little Market. I think finding those little pieces to compliment your party theme go a long way. It doesn’t have to be complicated to be well pulled together.
We had the best time both celebrating Lola’s birthday and breaking in our new home with this Fiesta. Hope Lola inspires some parties in your future. Thank you to all her puppy friends for coming to celebrate with us.
Balloons: Balloonzilla / Cake + Bone Party Favors: Top Dog Bakery
cupcakes: Susie Cakes / Fiesta tablecloth and hand woven bowls borrowed from The Little Market
Birthday Hats: Party City