Make: Hosting a Derby Themed Engagement Brunch
Message from Magpie:
We spent last weekend in Cincinnati celebrating my best friend Lindsey and her fiancé Adam’s engagement. The weekend was jam packed with fun and our contribution was an engagement brunch hosted by Mr. Magpie, my parents, and me. Lindsey and Adam are getting married on Derby day so we did a horse race theme, DIY’ing it to death with a heavy focus on the food of course.
Lindsey suggested we host the brunch at the happy couple’s new dwelling so out of towners could see their abode. It was a bit difficult to plan a party from a far, but between ordering groceries in advance from Kroeger and sending my parents who were driving the supplies, as well as working with a local caterer, the party went off without a hitch. Find some tips for how you can plan an out of town party below!
DIY invitations
- Create a Canva account on canva.com.
- Begin creating a design by clicking the invitation icon.
- Using the layouts on the left choose the one that suits your needs.
- Make edits to personalize the invitation.
- If a wedding logo exists, add an additional page to the invitation and add the wedding logo.
- Click download and save as a PDF for print.
- Print both invitation pages at local print shop. Note: In this case I was pressed for time so used FedEx online by uploading it to their site and having it printed on 2 colors of heavy cardstock before picking it up at a local shop. Typically when I have more time I like to utilize Catprint.com.
- To give the invitation a more professional look use rounded corner punch on each corner. Note: I already owned this tool but you can pick up at a craft store for about $5.
- Cut the logo page into the shape of a circle, I used the rim of the glass.
- Using a hole punch, punch each side of the logo.
- Place rounded logo on top of invitation and wrap with ribbon tie in a bow.
- Purchase envelopes.
- Customize envelopes using a personal address return stamp, themed postage stamps, themed rubber stamps and washi tape. Note: Besides the postage stamps, I had these items, which helped me keep costs low. I used vintage horse themed stamps to go with the Derby theme, a “here comes the bride” themed rubber stamp, and gold polka dot washi tape.
Menu:
Food
- 5 Breakfast sweet breads (more on my mom’s recipes for these later!)
- 3 Egg casseroles: We had these catered and included 3 fritatas- an egg and cheese, an applewood sausage and egg, and a bacon, egg, and cheese variety
- Homefries: We had these catered
- Spring greens salad with champagne vinaigrette
- Fruit salad
- Homemade granola
- 2 yogurts: plain and vanilla
- 20 Donut pops: Using drink stirrers wrap with washi flags and place in bottom of donut holes
- 24 Mini muffins
- Plain, whole wheat, and cinnamon raisin mini bagels with berry and plain cream cheese
Drinks
- Coffee: coffee, milk, creamer, French vanilla creamer
- Mimosas: OJ and champagne
- Seltzer: seltzer with limes and lemons
- Bloody Mary bar: zing zang bloody mary mix, worchestire, horseradish, old bay, lime juice, salt, olives, celery, Tobasco, carrots
Decorations:
- Balloons with wedding hashtag: #holyMORTrimony
- Mirror with menu and food allergies labeled
- Tags identifying foods
- 5×7 framed signs:
- Hold your horses. Its time to eat!
- Tame your thirst
- The watering hole
- The photo finish
- Just down the stretch
- And they’re off
- Lucky in love
- Drink stirrers with gold horses: I bought drink stirrers and tiny plastic horses. After spray painting them gold, Mr. Magpie drilled into their bellies and we stuck drink stirrers into them.
- Lightbox with wedding hashtag: #holyMORTrimony
- 2 white table cloths
- 1 gold runner
- Favor basket with fortune cookies and stickers saying “Had the fortune of celebratin’ the Mortons.”
- Gold horseshoes with flowers to match wedding logo: My mom and dad created these by spraying horseshoes and using a glue gun to ahead the faux flowers
- Mr+Mrs cake topper sign
- 2 gold pennants
- Congrats sign
- Bride and groom muffin toppers
- Rose topped toothpicks
Supplies:
- Plates
- Coffee cups with wedding logo stickers
- Regular cups
- Mimosa cups
- Cocktail napkins
- Regular napkins
- Forks + knives
- Straws
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8 frames/signs added
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#HolyMORTrimony custom napkins
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Doilies for bread plates
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2 sizes of trash bags
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Hanging paper balls
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Cups for yogurt and granola
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Warming trays for stratas
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4 small bowls for Sugar, Splenda, two cream cheese
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White dinner napkins
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Bowl and granola
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Large breakfast plates
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Small plates
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4 platters
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Vase for donut pops
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Bowls for yogurts, salad, fruit
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Serving utensils
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Cream pitcher
Photographs:
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