Party Favors

Turning the big one? Change things up by hosting your own party to surprise the friends that mean the most to you.

Juliska Tulipieres flank the birthday cake, an Olexa’s creation that artistically replicates the Tobacco Leaf pattern on the china. Photos by Jean Allsopp

Tabletop Design by Patricia Murray, Table Matters
Floral Design by Mary Cox Brown, Marigold Designs

Guess what!? It’s your birthday! And this year, you can have anything you want. Dinner with friends over a fabulous, colorful table setting filled with all of your favorite things? Check. Your very own signature cocktail, plentiful wine, and a charming bartender? Ok. Party games that make you double over with laughter thanks to jokes old and new? Yes. A playlist with yacht rock and Justin Timberlake? Whatever your jam, it’s yours.

Hot pink napkins monogrammed with a pagoda design underscore the table’s exotic flair.

One very creative birthday girl checked off all of this and more when she invited friends to a dinner soiree at the John Hand Club and Hotel in downtown Birmingham. Located on the top two floors of the 1912 classical skyscraper, the swanky space proved perfect for an intimate evening of silliness and elegance. Patricia Murray, owner of Table Matters, and floral genius Mary Cox Brown helped set the scene. “The color scheme and tabletop design all started with the birthday girl’s Tobacco Leaf plates from Mottahedeh,” Patricia says. “From there, we played to the pink hues by introducing the Fish Scale plate in Raspberry by Herend.” Going bold, she worked with Les-Ottomans to design a custom, Turkish silk table cover. “It’s so much fun to mix pattern, color, and textiles,” Patricia says. “The great thing about the Tobacco Leaf pattern is the wide variety of colors you can work with.”

Though the primary theme was pink, Patricia tapped into the pattern’s blues with Nason Moretti’s Burlesque Bourgogne goblets crafted of mouth-blown Murano glass, along with new and antique blue-and-white containers. Laser-cut acrylic chargers lend a contemporary feel. To make it even more personal, the birthday girl used her own sterling, Tiffany’s English King, along with her collection of sterling Wakefield-Scearce goblets. “I wanted to do something small but really nice while staying authentic to the fun we like to have,” she says. And the fine table setting certainly didn’t sway the shenanigans. “The guests had no idea what to expect,” Patricia says. “The whole party was a surprise for them.” Guests managed to surprise the birthday girl too by showing up in memorable outfits with personality: a vintage evening gown, a dress from a high school party, and an Easter Bunny outfit that brought back shared childhood memories. “We had a great time and lots and lots of laughs,” says the birthday girl.

- Sponsors -

Table Matters
2402 Montevallo Road, Birmingham, AL 35223
205.879.0125 • table-matters.com

Mary Cox Brown, Marigold Floral Designs
205.447.4747 • marigold-designs.com

A cake designed by Olexa’s replicates the Tobacco Leaf pattern from Mottahedeh.
An arrangement of peonies, hydrangeas, tulips, ranunculus, and roses pairs with a signature cocktail in silver julep cups to welcome guests.
Floral designer Mary Cox Brown filled the table with single bloom arrangements of peonies, ranunculus, tulips, and anemones in varying shades ranging from pink to red to purple.
The colorful setting stands ready for guests and dinner served from The Bright Star.

Get the best of Birmingham delivered to your inbox

Stunning local homes, inspiring before & after projects, southern-style recipes, entertaining ideas and more!