Paris Themed Party for Elle's 9th Birthday

Party planning season is officially underway around here since all three of the kid’s birthdays land within the next couple of months. There’s plenty more to come as those celebrations unfold, but before I get swept up in perfecting this year’s get-togethers, I couldn’t help but think back on my favorite to date: Elle’s Paris themed party.

Elle turned nine last year, and it marked nearly a decade of a passion I discovered when planning her first birthday. I adore children’s birthday parties. There is something so sweet, so magical, and so nostalgic-in-the-moment about creating the memories they’ll (hopefully) look back on with fondness and love.

We had agreed upon a smaller party, and my one ask was that it wasn’t a spend-the-night (we had a lot of celebrations in February and I couldn’t take that on). While we were brainstorming, Elle remembered a “trip to Israel” that she took at Sunday school the year before and was inspired by the memory. What if we go to Paris? That’s all I needed to hear.

I told myself that this would be a smaller-scale party than what I’ve done in the past, not just in attendee numbers but also in spend. I can’t help myself. I love kids birthday parties and want every detail my brain concepts to come to life. I did a better job last year, and think since the party was so dynamic, the changes of scenery enabled it to feel as if it hit all the marks conceptually without the cost of creating so many scenes.

The other bonus I had in my back pocket, is that a close friend of a close friend (who I now consider a close friend too) has a grand scale Eiffel Tower in her backyard. Once I got approval to stop by to sightsee, we were off and the party planning could begin.

We picked Passport to Paris as our handle, as one who grew up in the pre-Row MK&A era would naturally do. Not to mention Elle and I saw them when we were in Paris so it was too good not to use. The plan, as Elle directed, was for the girls to get dropped off at the airport (our house), and then we would do “Paris things,” including lunch at her favorite spot, Le Bilboquet. To Elle’s credit she asked to visit a museum for culture, but time didn’t allow – the three hour party could have easily been four.

Scroll through the photos to visualize how I brought this to life…and keep reading for a few tips that truly made the party special, along with a list of vendors if you’re local.