I recently shared part one of my oldest daughter's sweet sixteen succulent party theme and I'm back to share more of the pretty boho themed party details! This party really reflected her personal style which is laid back and outdoorsy.
This boho themed party incorporated her love of sunset colors and succulents. I especially love how all the desserts turned out! I worked with some seriously talented dessert pros and they nailed it.
This was the dessert table that I set up in our outdoor tent area. Here's what it looked like from the outside. We chose to tent the outdoor space and use heaters because this party was the week before Christmas and it was pretty cold.
The color palette was a play off of Taylor's love for desert sunsets. Personally, I feel like the colors really brought this boho dessert table together.
The colors reminded me of the blush and champagne colors from my sister-in-law's wedding and the romantic bridal shower I hosted in her honor.
Boho Party Decor We Used
Just a few decor elements were needed to bring this boho theme to life! See all the details below but here's a quick overview at what we made and gathered:
- Handmade wood signs
- A freestanding shelf to display succulent favors (see image below)
- Organic materials like wood slabs for the dessert table
- Lots of flower and eucalyptus leaves on the tables
The handmade sign above the table read "oh how sweet sixteen."
To make: Stain wood pieces from a local hardware store and then use a Sharpie white paint marker
for the lettering.
Boho Themed Dessert Table
The boho dessert table was front and center and was really the main focal point of the party. The wood sign hung above the table and then the bute boho desserts were displayed underneath.
Let's start with this cake. Because, WOW. It was a "semi-naked" cake because she loved the look of a naked cake but also really enjoys eating the icing.
I can't blame her! The color was a sunset-y peach color and it was adorned with real succulents.
The topper was laser cut from wood and added such a nice finishing touch to the cake. (The flavor was snickerdoodle and it was delicious!)
The cake was really a show stopper.
The cupcakes were topped with the most creative fondant toppers–perfect for our boho themed party. They looked just like mini succulents! (These would also be perfect for a garden themed party!) There were also some flat toppers with boho-inspired patterns on them. No one could believe they were edible.
(You might remember the cute toppers we had at my London's 5th birthday breakfast party? Same talented source, more on that below.)
Here's my secret (because you know I love to keep things simple), these are store-bought the cupcakes (with no icing–just ask the for them at the bakery counter at your grocery store), and then I made the icing and iced them myself.
Half the work, half the mess but still very tasty.
The cake pops were the perfect peach and cornflower blue colors, finished with a dusting of gold paint.
And the cookies.... WOW. There was so much detail going on. We had several different sugar cookies with bohemian designs–each so unique.
I had sent the invitation and told them just come up with something.
They were so detailed and SO GORGEOUS. (Check out the invites in Part One.)
And my favorite part had to be the party favors! I had a vision of a white wall with small shelves to house the succulents and cacti favors and my husband brought my vision to life perfectly!
I loved how the favor display added such a show-stopping decorative element to the space. He's always helping me create that "wow" factor for events.
(Remember the book backdrop for the book themed baby shower I hosted?)
At the end of the night, guests selected their favorite potted succulent to take home. I love that the favor will live on well after the party ends. Succulents are Taylor's favorite so this was such a personal touch to her boho themed party.
I ordered all the succulents online (did you know you could do that?!) and painted the pots and planted to succulents the week before the party. I used these square cement pots
, these white square plastic pots
, and these small terra cotta pots
.
The good thing about working with succulents is that you can prep ahead of time and you don't have to worry they'll die.
We also had a photo booth which kept everyone (teens and adults) busy. It was such a hit!
I was thrilled to find a local women-owned business right down the street from me. She had Taylor's picture and the graphic from our invite right up on the screen inside the booth which was so personalized, I loved it!
She also printed two of every thing and added a strip to a scrapbook that guests signed for Taylor leaving her sweet birthday messages. It was just the perfect keepsake from her special day.
Happy birthday to our sweet Taylor!
I hope you found some inspiration for your own boho themed party. What was your favorite element? Leave a comment and let me know!
A few of the amazing vendors I worked with:
Cupcake Toppers: Edible Details
Cake Topper: Letters To You
Succulents for favors: San Pedro Cactus
More Sweet 16 Themes That Are Similar
If you love this boho sweet 16, here are some ideas that are close to it:
- Desert vibes sweet 16 (you can use the same color pallet but play up the cacti and tan color!)
- Garden party sweet 16. Get inspo from this spring brunch and this
garden wedding - Tropical theme backyard party swapping out succulents for palm leaves
Related Party Ideas
Shanya Duran says
What are the measurements for the sign ?
Tori says
I don't recall exactly, but I believe it was about 4'x2.' As a reference it's hanging above a 6 ft table. Hope that helps!
Beatriz Elias says
Hi.
How did you hang “oh so sweet sixteen” sign?
Tori says
We used fishing line and hung it from the top pole of the tent.
Beatriz Elias says
Hi Tori,
Everything look beautiful. Quick question, how did you hang the “oh how sweet sixteen” sign?
Thank you.
Tori says
We hung it using twine and tied it to the top frame of the clear tent.
Susan says
What a gorgeous party!!! Was it a dessert party or what other food did you serve for this party? Did you do any other games or activities besides the photo booth? Thanks! Getting inspired for a sweet eight party. =)
Tori says
Hi Susan, Glad you like the party! In addition to the dessert table, we did serve dinner. We catered Italian from our daughter's favorite spot. We had one salad option, two pasta options, and bread.
We didn't have games per say as the crowd was all 16+ and mostly adult family. But we did have a "boho style" low table with floor cushions and on the table we had laid out the gold boho temp tattoos. I wasn't sure the girls would want to do them but they were a hit! More of an activity than a game though.
Mohammed says
wow, beautiful party! Your party is gorgeous
Thank you so much!!!
Delaine Stanley says
What size is the oh how sweet 16 sign? You did a great job on decorating for the party. Everything was beautiful.
Jayashree says
Nice that gives very rustic and natural looks live the fence finishing.
Jayashree says
Hi Tori,
Love your theme, am planning my daughter's 16th birthday party and would like to know where can I find or order the backdrop same as the one you have.
The event is next Sunday sept 17th 2017. Southbay area, Los Angeles.
Appreciate your quick response.
Thanks very much.
Jayashree
Tori says
Hi Jayashree! Not sure if you mean the white shelf with the succulents or the wooden sign behind the dessert table but in both cases, we made them.
Jayashree says
Hi Tori,
It's the white washed wooden fense am referring to as the backdrop behind the wooden sign of "Oh how sweet sixteen" have you purchased that.. looked like vinyl to me. I love that look and wanted to know.
Thanks for your response.
Tori says
Ah! So that fence is just my old fence in my yard. You are seeing the clear vinyl tent in front if it.
Lisa Ganz says
Hi! Your theme and all of the thoughtful details are beyond lovely! I'm having a succulent themed 50th Birthday Party in August. A nod to West Texas where my husband and I eloped to. I love the cake with desert sunset colors. I was wondering where you found the steer horns at?
Thank you so much!!!
Tori says
Hi Lisa, I got them from Hobby Lobby!
akshara says
Theme and party is beautifully organized.
Tori says
Thank you!
Staci says
Where did you get the sign or did you make it? the Oh how, sweet 16. Your party is gorgeous and I'm trying to duplicate it:) Thanks.
Tori says
Hi Staci, so glad you like the sign! I made it! Picked up the wood from local home improvement store and then I stained it. When it was dry, I used white craft paint to paint on the words. Tip: Sketch out your words using chalk before you paint them on! That way you can make sure you like the way it looks before you paint.
Jane says
A 'sweet' sixteen party indeed! All the beautifully decorated cakes and sweets look absolutely lovely. Having a photo booth at the event was another great addition! Not only does it provide an excellent way to entertain guests, but it also ensures that everyone can keep a special memento of the day.
Mary says
What a beautiful party! The theme really came out well, and the ambiance of colours and lights added to a subtle, boho atmosphere. Parties are so much more than baking a good cake, and having family and friends over. The venue, lights, music, design, everything really needs to come together, and this party shows that! Thanks for sharing!
Tori says
So glad you like it Mary!
Christine says
When we were young children, we tend to looked forward to our birthdays as these were days that we might be hosting a celebration and be flooded with gifts. Especially for the age of 16, having a birthday at this age can be very memorable for life.
Chris @ Celebrations At Home says
This party is gorgeous, Tori! Love every single detail!
Tori says
Thank you Chris!