Engagement Fiesta!

We LOVE throwing a great party–and when our family throws one, we spare no details, especially for our loved ones! So when our brotha from anotha motha put a ring on our cousin, we just had to throw them a fiesta!

Llamas, poms, and build-your-own bars…here are some of our favorite details and moments from the party, along with some tips for you to DIY your own next party!

J&D Engagement Fiesta Invitation

DIY this using an oil-based gold Sharpie! (Un)Pro-tip: No need to worry about making a mistake and not being able to re-do the sign or not being able to reuse your precious mirror! Just wipe away with good ol’ acetone nail polish remover. Voila! Ready to use/start over again!

These were upcycled Kombucha bottles! One of the bride’s friend enjoys one a day and has been saving them. With some elbow grease to remove all the labels and just a little creativity with an oil-based Sharpie…voila!

Found these llama cutouts from Michael’s for family and friends to leave the sweet couple their well wishes and advice! I’ll put them together with some pictures in an album as a keepsake for the two to remember the day by!

DIY Photobooth!

DIY poms & cactus cutouts on a pallet!

And back to the party…

So super trendy for the past few seasons, and likely not to go away for a bit, as it’s really easy. Now, I don’t want professional bakers to get so upset!!!! But my sis totes made this with boxed funfetti cake mix and pre-made frosting! The topper was literally made right there during the set-up, last minute by grabbing two boba straws and tying off a string of my DIY pom balls! Voila! Seriously, you CAN do this!

The kids loved it, of course!

For the eats and drinks, we had a taco bar, a boba bar, and an agua fresca bar.

The eats: {TACO BAR} With my mom and aunt as my sous chef, we had three different taco options. We made shredded chicken that was flavored with taco seasoning, a few cans of diced tomatoes with green chilies, and tomato sauce. We tossed some Italian meatballs into a slow cooker, poured some enchilada sauce, and crumbled queso fresco over top of it–lemme tell you, those ‘albondigas’ were GONE! My husband smoked pork butt for four hours on his Big Green Egg–and it was a hit! To complete the bar with little work: we grabbed an assortment of tortillas, chips, salsas, and hot sauces!

The drinks: {AGUA FRESCA BAR} Being the official mixologist of the family, Manny was in charge of this. I’ll remind him to blog about the agua fresca recipes but we just had the two options in punch bowls and encouraged guests to mix their own with their fizzy or liquor of choice! Those ice balls were a labor of love over a couple of days, that Manny pre-made and transported from CLT to the event in a cooler filled with dry ice!

The treat: {BOBA BAR} The bride and groom LOVE boba tea; so although it’s not really a fiesta type treat, I had to have a Boba station for them. I had to get help from my mom on this because I don’t know how to cook tapioca pearls, but her main tip is to buy the ones labeled “cooks in minutes.” Otherwise, she says they will take forever to cook with lots of stirring! I did some research on how to make Thai tea at home, and after reading a bunch of blogs: the consensus was purchasing the brand Pantai Thai Tea. We put out coconut milk, half-and-half, honey, and Karo syrup for guests to craft their own treat. Before just jumping into Amazon.com to buy your Thai tea mix, pearls, and boba straw; don’t be scared to venture out to the closest Asian store in your neighborhood. Mine had everything I needed for much, much cheaper than on-line options! Plus, you never know what new treats you may find in your store to try out!

Everyone had a great time at the party and really enjoyed celebrating our two llamas in love! We can’t wait for their official big day to come. If you’d like to see more fiesta outdoor party inspiration, head over to our Pinterest page: CLICK HERE! Hope some of these tips come in handy for your next party.