A surprise birthday party is one of the most difficult things to put together successfully. It seems like someone ALWAYS lets it slip early. Even if you sidestep that landmine it seems as though the guest of honor puts it together on the way to the event because they see vehicles, don’t believe in the proposed reason they’re attending the event, or so many other reasons.

I was so excited to be a part of a surprise party that went off without a hitch!

Dr. T’s wife did an amazing job in keeping the birthday boy in the dark and assembling guests. It’s not easy to bring in family from another continent and keep them under wraps until the party.

One thing that didn’t hurt her efforts was putting a large portion of this event in the hands of some fabulous vendors. I know I say this a lot, but the people you select to perform services at your event will make or break it. April utilized the talents of Sarah Burton from ido Signature Events for all of her planning needs. On top of having the party at the gorgeous Doolin House, 2 Chef’s Catering also provided the food and drink for the event. The cake was fabulously designed by Ramona Loman and the beautiful flowers were by Simply the Best.

Everything turned out so wonderfully. The food was amazing, the atmosphere was perfect, and the staff was a pleasure to work with.

As a photographer, events like this are a breath of fresh air.  The evening was very loose and fun. That made it so easy to fade into the background and just capture everything as it happened.

Here are a few images of the wonderful evening.