Shay’s 30th Birthday Soirée at Mission Hill Winery

Well, for a global pandemic, we sure have been blogging a lot about (socially distanced) parties! LOL! As most of you know, I love throwing parties for people, so much so that I think it’s my love language. I truly didn’t know how many parties I planned and hosted a year until trying to execute them during a global pandemic. Having said that, this year, I have really had to pivot and shift the way that I celebrate the ones I love. Including Shay’s 30th birthday celebration that I have been dreaming up for the last year!

One thing I love more than throwing parties is throwing milestone birthday parties! This year Shay turned 30, and to say I was excited to plan this milestone birthday for her was an understatement. Not only has she been with me since the very beginning (Hello, 8 years!), but she has helped me plan so many of our family events, from baby showers, birthdays, Justin’s proposal, funerals and everything in between. I had planned to throw her the party of the year, but of course, we were restricted with covid, but we still managed to gather a small group of her favourite people for a night that she will always remember!

Entertainment

First things first, I knew that in order to make this night one that she would always remember was to hire a local band as entertainment for the evening! There are so many businesses struggling right now, but my heart goes out to all of the local artists that rely heavily on events. Which we why we decided to hire Kentucky Eileen for the evening. As long as you are throwing a safe and small outdoor gathering, I would highly recommend hiring a local band!

Venue

The second challenge was finding a venue that could host a small outdoor event. There are so many stunning vineyards in Kelowna, but the location and architecture at Mission Hill Winery seriously feel like you have stepped out of Kelowna and transported to a European getaway! The night of the event, they set up the perfect outdoor covered space along with a few heaters, and all of the staff made sure to remind us of the COVID protocols and regulations. Even though the event ended up being a lot smaller than I originally deemed up, I knew that it would still be an extraordinary evening for Shay!

The Soiree

On the night of Shay’s 30th birthday party, I was SO nervous! We had secretly planned her entire birthday soiree without her even finding out (which is hard when she practically runs the business! 🤪). So, we ended up telling Shay that we would be going out for a nice dinner with myself, her fiance Cam, and our Photographer Rachelle!

Rachelle was such an important part of the plan because I wanted to make sure that we could document the entire surprise! Before Shay’s arrival, we had the Bylands team drop off some stunning daisies and sunflowers. Everything ended up coming together so nicely! The evening of Shay was so excited to head out for dinner with the 4 of us, but when she arrived at Mission Hill Winery, she was beyond surprised (we pulled it off! Woo!). Even though COVID switched up our plans, I still feel that we could organize a night Shay will always remember! Above all, I know she felt special, loved, and appreciated!

Even though this year has been all about pivoting and shifting plans, it is still easy to make someone feel special on their birthday! Below, I have rounded up 10 ways that you can still make someone feel loved on their birthday!

10 ways you can spoil someone on their special day

1. Book a cameo video shoutout from their favourite celeb. You can book a video from me here!

2. Hire a local band for an evening of socially distanced dancing and signing

3. Send your loved one their favourite flowers.

4. Even better send them their favourite bottle of wine (or other alcohol!).

5. Create a photo book of all of your favourite memories together from Artifact Uprising.

6. Ask your friends and family to record short videos and compile them all to share with them on their special day.

7. Send them their favourite local treat! I love sending friends and family cookies from Izabela from The Cake Mama.

8. Write a special message in a handwritten card!

9. Pamper them at their favourite local spa!

10. Take them out on an outdoor adventure, picnic basket included!

Even though we aren’t able to celebrate with as many people as we used to, doesn’t mean we can’t make the most of it with a handful of people! Don’t let the limited guest list hold you back from planning an amazing celebration!

xo

Jilly

I want to thank the team at Mission Hill Winery for working with Team Jilly on this event! Not only did they set-up an amazing space for a small gathering they made sure that all of the guests were safe and made Shay feel like a queen. They did provide us with a media rate in exchange for a mention in this blog post. However, as always all thoughts and opinions are our own!