Choosing The Theme
Michael is turning 40 this year, and I knew I wanted to throw him a fun birthday party. Before the kiddos, Michael was a big gamer, so I knew I wanted to incorporate gaming, but with a Super Mario twist.
We had such a fun time at his party, and I hope you get some great ideas for your own Super Mario-themed party.
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The Invitations
The invitation was personalized from Zazzle, and I built the decor around it. I knew I wanted to incorporate gaming and the classic colors from Super Mario. Digital downloads are the way to go if you're not planning on sending paper invitations, which is what we chose to do. Click here for the link to the invitation template.
Outside Decorations
I wanted to emphasize the age Michael was turning because it's a pretty big milestone. Originally, I wanted to use balloons and cute cardboard boxes, but it was too windy on the day of the party for that. Instead, we used a simple chalkboard easel to let people know where the party was.
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Indoor Decorations
I chose Super Mario tablecloths for the guest tables to hammer the theme home, and alternated with red tablecloths to bring out the red in the Mario theme. The centerpieces were a great addition to the tables. We went with the same Super Mario tablecloth for the gift table to tie everything together. I made the sign for the gift table and printed it at home.
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Tablecloths | Table Centerpieces | Red Tablecloths
Photo Area
My cousin and I made the balloon clusters and hung the "happy birthday" banner. We wanted this to be a picture-perfect moment. We utilized command hooks for the balloon clusters. Initially, I wanted to have the "40" balloons and boxes outside, but unfortunately, it was too windy.
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Balloon Arch Kit | Happy Birthday Banner | Command Hooks | 40 Balloons | Box Props
Food and Dessert
Michael's favorite food is BBQ, so we had Princess Peach's pulled pork, Luigi's cheesy potatoes, Mario's mac and cheese, Bowser's baked beans, Yoshi's coleslaw, and Toad's chips & dip. Click here to download the food cards.
The venue does not have a full kitchen, so we utilized crock pots for the majority of the food. The cake and cupcakes were purchased from Walmart. We did a simple white sheet cake with red edges and let the cake topper shine. We got chocolate with chocolate frosting for the cupcakes and used the Super Mario cupcake toppers on top.
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Cake Topper | Cupcake Toppers | Red Tablecloths | Picture Frames
Servingware
We wanted to incorporate the colors seen throughout the Super Mario game, so we chose green dessert plates, blue napkins, red Solo cups, and yellow cutlery to complete the look. Sturdy plates were a must for the food.
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Large plates | Small plates | Cups | Cutlery | Napkins
The Result?
Hey guys, Michael here. I thought I'd finish the post by writing how everything turned out. I am always amazed at how well Emily can throw a party. She knows exactly what I like and how to make it come to life. The meat was smoked by one of our friends in town and it turned out amazing. The sides were classic and the cake was delicious. Above all, I am a sucker for a good piece of vanilla cake.
The best part of the day was being able to spend time with friends and family. There were former classmates there that I hadn't seen in several years and it is always good to catch up with family. As I have gotten older, I don't see my family as often as I should. It's so wonderful to watch my kids interact with their extended family, including their near aged cousins. MJ had a blast running around. Macklin was exhausted and fell asleep in my arms, despite the chaos of the day. It was a great day and a great party. I won't soon forget it.
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