I’ve always loved a good party, and I’ve contemplated throwing a giant birthday bash for years. Initially, I feared it would appear a bit self-indulgent to plan an elaborate party for myself, but I decided not to worry about that. I’ve got a lot to celebrate! My 20s were wonderful to me. I got married, had a baby, found my footing in my career, and traveled all over. But they were also really hard — I had a traumatic miscarriage and multiple psychiatric hospitalizations, the most recent for psychosis. Making it to 30 feels like a BFD, and I decided I was going to celebrate.
My 30th Birthday Party Recap
The hardest part of the whole planning process was finding a venue that wouldn’t charge me wedding prices! I landed on Willa’s, one of our favorite local restaurants with an incredible ownership team. They graciously worked with my budget and created a fantastic hors d’oeuvres menu that was a hit. Stressing out about the party wasn’t the goal, so I kept it extremely low-key. I found a photographer (Carolyn Rowe) and baker (Ellie Mae’s), and Vagner found the DJ (NELo).
I was willing to splurge on my outfit because you only get one 30th birthday party! My dress was Selkie from REVOLVE. In my opinion, it ran slightly big, especially up top. I compensated with fashion tape, but I’d probably try the size down if I ordered it again. I bought shoes from Loeffler Randall that are still available in a few sizes. I’d recommend finding your size in-store if you can because they’re final sale — they’re sold at Saks and a few other retailers.
My makeup was done by Modern Glam By Monica. I’ve used her twice and love her talent! I got a sew-in with leave out from Loyal Beauty By Resha, who was worth every penny. I wanted to look great at my party, and I felt so glamorous thanks to the professionals I hired.
Final Thoughts
This sounds silly, but my biggest concern was whether anyone would come! Waiting for RSVPs made me feel like I was back in middle school. Thankfully, we had a great turnout. Vagner invited 60ish people, and we had 49 people attend. It was so wild having people from all walks of life — college, church, work, family — meet and mingle. I feel like you traditionally only get all your loved ones together at a wedding or a funeral. Glad I didn’t have to remarry or die to make it happen! 😅
Would I do this again? My gut reaction is “probably not” — maybe when I turn 50? It was a significant expense and took a lot of work. But I’m so glad that I did it for my 30th birthday. There’s nothing I love more than throwing a good party, and it was definitely a night I’ll remember for a long time.