How to Throw an Ice Cream Party

The countdown to the end of Summer is upon us, and what better way to close out these hot days than with a cool ice cream party? I was so excited to team up with Lyndsey from L. Avenue to create this incredible ice cream party, complete with custom cuteheads dresses and bow ties for each little one. We invited the children of some of our favorite local creatives and bloggers to attend, and really did it up with the help of event planning and catering wizards A Fare Extraordinaire, and purveyor of sweet treats Cloud 10 Creamery.

Ice Cream Party Details

How to Throw an Ice Cream Party | See the entire shoot at blog.cuteheads.com

We envisioned a bright and colorful party, complete with floral backdrop created by Cake & Confetti, which complemented the decor and dresses perfectly. The bright flowers, the sprinkles, the fun toppings, and the colorful frocks made for some pretty amazing pictures. We were so lucky to have Ailee Petrovic of Snapshots and My Thoughts there to capture the day.

How to Throw an Ice Cream Party | Love those rainbow sprinkles! See more at blog.cuteheads.com

Ice Cream Party Outfits

For the dresses, I envisioned lots of bright hues, bold stripes, and of course, pom poms. We mixed textures and patterns, using everything from seersucker to chevrons. It took a bit of planning and searching, but I loved how everything came together. The dresses (and bow ties for the little gents) looked fabulous together. Coordinating, but not matchy matchy. We enlisted some of our favorite bloggers and creatives to be a part of this shoot, including the ladies behind Luxe with Kids, Luxe with Kids, Luxe with Kids, Willow Crowns, Luxe with Kids, and Ailee’s little one.

If you’re interested in purchasing any of the dresses you see here, please email info (at) cuteheads (dot) com. They are all available by custom order only. 

How to Throw an Ice Cream Party | Gorgeous red striped cuteheads dress and matching bow. See more at blog.cuteheads.com
how to throw an ice cream party l avenue blog seersucker dresses with pom poms

Ice Cream Party Food

A Fare Extraordinare left no stone unturned. Their service was incredible, tables and linens were top notch, and of course, the food was to die for! I couldn’t get over how amazing everything looked, let alone tasted. I know this party was for the kids, but obviously I had to taste everything to make sure it wasn’t poisoned.

The menu featured everything from delicious sliders to bite-sized chicken and waffles, and even cute little veggie cups for a delicious and healthy snack. It was the perfect menu for a backyard party that both adults and kids could enjoy. And enjoy we did!

How to Throw an Ice Cream Party | What's a backyard party without sliders and french fries? See more at blog.cuteheads.com

How to Throw an Ice Cream Party | What's a backyard party without sliders and french fries? See more at blog.cuteheads.com

The gorgeous calligraphy invitations were designed by A Fine Flourish. Jenny is beyond talented, and created this invitation just for this occasion. It matched perfectly, and I loved seeing it at each place setting when the children arrived.

How to Throw an Ice Cream Party | Calligraphy invitation from A Fine Flourish. See more at blog.cuteheads.com

The tablescape for the children included an adorable mix of chairs, including ghost chairs! Gah, I love a ghost chair.

Of course, we are in Texas, so cold drinks are 100% necessary. This bar cart was so fun and festive, I almost didn’t want to take anything off of it! But then we all started melting in the 100 degree heat, so we finally caved in and helped ourselves. Trust me, A Fare Extraordinaire’s lemonade in cute mason jars tasted as good as it looks.

How to Throw an Ice Cream Party | The prettiest styled bar cart. See more at blog.cuteheads.com

How to Throw an Ice Cream Party | Sipping lemonade from mason jars. See more at blog.cuteheads.com

Hair bows and headbands were provided by Willow Crowns, who you’ve seen mentioned here countless times. Megan is a friend, and she has been making bows and crowns for my girls since they were born. Can you blame me? Everything is beautiful.

What is a children’s clothing designer to do when HER child is the one child throwing a fit in the group picture? After nearly 3 years with this child, I’ve learned it’s best not to push her and let her do her thing. She normally warms back up and gets back into the fun after she’s calmed down. Being a mother is certainly a lesson in patience. Being her mama in particular has taught me so much about letting kids be themselves and not pushing them to do things they don’t want to do. Going with the flow is not my strong suit.

How to Throw an Ice Cream Party | There's always one crying child in the group shot... See more at blog.cuteheads.com

How to Throw an Ice Cream Party | Eating ice cream from Cloud 10 Creamery. See more at blog.cuteheads.com

Of course, she warmed riiiight after some delicious homemade strawberry ice cream.

Hope you love all the details and dresses as much as we did. We had the best time at our ice cream party, and the little ones did too! Have you ever thrown an ice cream party before? What were your must-haves?

How to Throw an Ice Cream Party | See the entire party and all the details at blog.cuteheads.com

26 thoughts on “How to Throw an Ice Cream Party

  1. Those little girls dresses are to die for, over the top cuteness. Love your idea of ice cream party. Love the decorations and ideas.

  2. One year my daughter wanted an Ice Cream Social birthday party and it was so fun! Our must-haves were lots of toppings and napkins!

  3. Everything about this was so cute! I pinned it for later, great idea for my daughters 3rd birthday. Love, love the dresses!

  4. Your pictures are so gorgeous! My boys would love this for their birthday party! I will definitely be using these tips next month. Hopefully it comes out half as beautiful as yours!

  5. This party is absolutely adorable. I too am learning to let go when my 3 year old exercises his independence in the form of not participating in a given situation.

  6. Oh my gosh, my heart can’t handle all of the cuteness in this post! It is everything an ice cream party should be from the bright colours, the flower, the sprinkles and of course all of the precious little guests!

    La Belle Sirene

  7. The party looks fabulous!! I love all the bright colors–and the yummy ice cream and sliders make perfect fare for a summer party!

  8. This is adorable! You did such a fantastic job! The kids look like they had a blast and are too cute in their outfits!

  9. This is so stinkin’ cute! And all the dresses are beyond darling, Esther! I may need to steal this idea for an adult party 🙂

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About Esther

The Cuteness: sharing daily inspiration, kids fashion, work/life balance + small business how to's from mom & business owner Esther Freedman