Have you ever found yourself googling “florist atlanta” or “atlanta party rentals” but wishing you had a truly curated list from someone who would lovingly sing the praises of said vendors? After a decade of throwing kids parties, I figured I would compile what I consider to be my go-to list of people, places and things that make my parties special (beyond, of course, the many hours I spend curating them myself). It’s truly the details that make the celebration and these are the vendors who don’t just meet expectations, they exceed them.
Whether you’re located in Buckhead or the surrounding Atlanta area, here’s the who’s who on my short list.
Atlanta Party Planning? Here’s My Born on Fifth-Approved Vendor List
Atlanta Florists
- Bouquet Atlanta: Amanda has helped me with Elle’s Paris Party, Elle’s Harry Potter Party (where she also did the food) and most recently Elle Bilboquet. She has a beautiful eye and can also help set the table (she’s been trained at French culinary school). Be prepared to invest in flowers, but have the best looking table in town.
- Ginger Rose: Alyssa and I first worked together on Elle’s Swan Lake Second, which we had published on the cover of Mingle Magazine. Our partnership and the at-home party I threw for Elle’s fifth birthday was also featured in A Loving Table, a beautiful book by Kimberly Schlegel and Shelley Johnstone. Alyssa is thorough and talented.
Atlanta Party Rentals
- Party Bound: Brianne and her team continue to be my go-to source for Atlanta party rentals to elevate special events. I’ve worked with them many times, notably on my Mrs. Alice luncheon, Elle’s Paris Party and most recently Elle’s tenth. Whether you need tables, chairs or furniture, they top the list. They will also customize pieces by painting them, which comes in handy when you’re hyper specific like me. One note, when I’ve needed Chiavari chairs, I’ve gone through my caterer Added Touch.
- Fête: Angi Evert and her delightful daughter Maggie are at the helm of this ship, offering stunning Ginori, glassware and linens for personal and party use. The process is simple, the selection is second to none and you’ll really enjoy their shop, too. You can see how I styled their pieces at Elle’s Ninth and Tenth birthday celebrations.
- Atlanta’s Luxurious Bounce: If you have littles, bounce houses and soft play sets are a wonderful way to keep them entertained. Atlanta’s Luxurious Bounce offers so many options, and many of them are aesthetically pleasing, which is hard to come by in the bounce house industry. Highly recommend as far as Atlanta party rentals!
- Luxe Bounce: Another great bounce house option. We used them for Jennings’ second and third, since they were outdoor parties and the kids had a blast.
- Super Sprinters Atlanta: If your celebration calls for transportation around Atlanta, I highly recommend Super Sprinters for a luxe party bus experience. We used them for Elle’s ninth to take us from place to place and had a wonderful experience.
Atlanta Caterers
- Added Touch: There’s no other caterer that comes close, and though they require a fairly substantial investment, you get what you pay for and more (to infinity). The food is next level, the service and attention to detail can’t be replicated and they are dreamy when it comes to themes. From my Mrs. Alice lunch to Elle Bilboquet (and many more parties not on the blog), Added Touch is the only caterer I work with.
- Kenny the Bartender: If you are handling the food and need a delightful bar hand, call Kenny Springer! Tell him Emily sent you. (404) 838-6831
Atlanta Party Venues (Specifically Kids Birthday Party Places)
- Swan House at Atlanta History Center: If you’re into over-the-top and don’t have the backyard for it, the Swan House would be my top pick. Be prepared to work with a planner like Simply Charming Socials in this case, there are a lot of rules and regulations best handled by a pro. I have held an adult event here (Swan Royale, a theme I loved), but never a children’s party.
- Swan Coach House: Perfect for a tea party or girly affair. I haven’t hosted here but it’s on my radar.
- Oodazu Buckhead: See Jennings’ Spiderman Fourth party. We’re about to have George’s fourth here too.
- Camp Atlanta: See Jennings and George’s joint third and fifth pawty.
Atlanta Birthday Cakes, Bakeries and Sweet Treats
- Sugar and Slate: Whitney is the most skilled cake artist in town, but she is strictly referral only at this moment. If you know someone, you might get lucky!
- Henri’s: Can’t go wrong with their shortbread cookies or custom petit fours.
- Sweet Cheats: I’ve had to pick up from her bakery on Kirkwood, but other friends have had luck with delivery. Either way, the desserts are delicious.
- Pum’s Sweets: Alicia has done beautiful cakes for me in the past (Elle’s bows and blush third birthday was a favorite and her super sweet sixth and the book come to mind), though it has been a while since we’ve worked together.
- The Sprinklenista: If you need cotton candy, we’ve loved their cart!
Atlanta Photographers
- Mary Catherine Brownfield: Elle’s early years were captured by Mary Catherine and they’re some of my core memories. She’s also a wonderful newborn and family photographer. Elle’s Super Sweet Sixth (a dj party) is an all time favorite MC shot.
- Alice Park: While Alice is not necessarily on the party circuit, she may be able to point you in the right direction, as she mentors many photographers in town.
- Heidi Harris: Another gal who was pivotal in Elle’s early years, she shot Elle’s floral first birthday party which was published on Lauren Conrad’s blog – at the time a huge deal!
- Kathryn Ann Waller: Kathryn Ann shot Elle’s eighth birthday, a Harry Potter party and those delightful shots are ones I love looking back on.
Atlanta Balloon Artists
- Mom’s Kloset: Lizeth and her husband are make-it-happen kind of people and have done everything for me from filling bathtubs with balloons to making mini balloon arches (for Elle’s Fairy Garden fifth birthday). They’ve ballooned Defenders for Jennings’ first, bounce houses for his second and built walls for his third (A Very Blue and White birthday). 10/10 recommend (if you can get on their calendar, that is.)
- Balloonacy-Flowers by Holland: Holland Muscio has helped me with Elle’s Fourth, a pastel princess party, and some non-profit events. Holland is lovely to work with as well and a big pro: she can also handle flowers.
Atlanta Party Entertainment
- Atlanta Party People: We’ve worked with them countless times (both for personal parties and non-profit events I’ve chaired) and have enjoyed Spiderman (for Jennings’ fourth). Their talent can do more than just show up, and they offer services like balloon animals, face painting and crafts.
- DJ Yvonne Monet: Yvonne stands out, and if you need a DJ like we did for Elle’s Super Sweet Sixth, I would choose Yvonne again and again. She is wonderful with kids, and really makes parties fun!
Atlanta Party Supplies
- Lucy’s Market in Buckhead: If party time is right around the corner and you realize you may have forgotten some bits, Lucy’s Market is a great go-to for last minute supplies (plates, cups, favors, etc.)
- Oodazu Buckhead: Their party shop stocks soup-to-nuts party themes and have so much Meri Meri, my favorite kids party supply brand. They also inflate balloons, which comes in handy!
Atlanta Paper and Printing
- Dear Elouise: While I only sent physical invitations for Elle’s early birthdays and now reserve printed pieces for special family events, Brent at Dear Elouise is my go-to resource in town. She has the magic touch when it comes to delivering dreamy designs and runs a tip top shop!
Atlanta Party Planners
- Simply Charming Socials: I worked with Kristine and her team when I held an event at Swan House because with a historic venue come many regulations. They were an amazing help and have a wonderful portfolio of events.
- Clafoutis Events: Based in NYC, but open to remote planning, Anne from Clafoutis Events was a wonderful help in managing the details of Elle’s Harry Potter themed eighth. She added so much value, you can read a little bit more about the process from her perspective at the bottom of this post!
I am sure I’m forgetting someone. Let me know in the comments if there’s someone I should work with in the future, or any more Atlanta party rentals and resources worthy of this list. We have a bat mitzvah coming up in a few years, after all.
Favorites from Atlanta Parties Past
Snapshots of some of my favorite celebrations, in no particular order.
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