Kentucky Derby Party

Last year when the Mr. and I went to the Derby we had SO much fun.  I loved getting dressed up, wearing hats, placing bets and watching fast horses.  It was my first horse race ever and I just loved everything about it. On our ride home I told my friends I wanted to plan a Derby party for next year so that we all had a reason to wear our hats again and they all agreed.

Well, shockingly we had an afternoon and evening free the day of the Derby this year.  With no practices, tournaments or games, I was so happy to host our first annual Derby party!

I was able to find some free printables online and used those in part of my decorations.  Also, I bought a big bunch of red roses and split them into smaller vases and mint julep glasses to put all around.

We served Mint Juleps, and then of course other adult beverages also.  

We had ordered BBQ from one of our favorite places and then also had these delicious cake squares from my favorite bakery.  I used my girls' doll horses and just adorned them with red rose trim, which everyone got a kick out of.  

We had a very simple betting system so everyone could have a horse in the race. My favorite didn't win, but it made it more fun to watch the race and cheer them on.  

As our guests left we sent them on their way with some Kentucky Bourbon of their own as party favors.  

I was so happy that everyone got into the them of the party and dressed the part.  Lots of seersucker, hats, bow ties and preppy clothes all around! Once our friends started arriving I put my phone down and really tried to enjoy their company. Therefore, I don't have a ton of pictures, but I guess that is a sign of a good party.  Lots of fun had by all!  

Jen's Dress//Carrie Beth's Dress - similar

We were exhausted by the end of it and agreed it was a lot of work, but so worth it. Now I'm thinking of what my next party might be.  We love celebrating with our friends!!!

Follow us on Pinterest HERE.

Follow us on Instagram HERE.

Follow us on Facebook HERE.

Follow us on Twitter HERE.

Kentucky Derby Weekend

Last weekend we attended the Kentucky Derby for our first time ever and had an absolute blast.  The weather down south decided to get cold and rainy so the weather wasn't ideal, but we made the most of it and still had a blast!  It was a wonderful long weekend away with old and new friends and we loved the experience.  We left on Thursday afternoon and were ready for a good old fashioned road trip.  We all rode together in a large van and it was about a 6 hour drive.  

We stopped for snacks, ice cream, and pit stops along the way.  It was pouring rain most of the drive, so it made for a longer trip that we had anticipated, but we made it there safely and were all ready for a nice dinner that evening.  

The next morning we were up bright and early and ready for zip lining in a mega cavern.  This old, abandoned mine now holds many adventures like zip lining and biking through the caverns.

image source

 I've zip lined before, but never in a cavern underground and it was so neat. It was a little nerve wracking at times to know we were under ground and also 70-90 feet above ground as we were zipping, but our guides were amazing, calmed all of our nerves, made jokes along the way to keep us laughing.  We weren't able to bring phones so I had no pictures of us actually zip lining, but we did take one of some of the girls after to prove we were brave.

After a few hours being adventurous we decided it was time for some rest and relaxation.  While the guys had lunch and were off to play golf (that they didn't end up playing due to the rain) the girls in our group visited the spa. We were in awe of the gorgeous roses all over the hotel.

After our time at the spa we went hat shopping!  None of us had hats yet because we knew we'd be doing this together as a group.  That was an experience in and of itself.  I'll just say these hat designers are pretty serious about their hats.  We were allowed to try on as many as we would like, but we were asked not to touch them so we had to have assistance with that.  Interesting to say the least.  However, there were tons of different options for us to choose from.  Everything from fascinators with feathers and butterflies, headbands with florals galore and wide brimmed hats adorned with all of the above.

Everyone ended up finding something that would coordinate with their dresses and I was so excited about mine.  I had really wanted a real hat and thought it would look best with the dress I had picked out.  A few weeks ago I found a white Lilly Pulitzer dress that was a steal at TJ Maxx and I had planned to carry a seersucker clutch.  When I saw this hat with the seersucker detail I was sold!

My girls wanted to see a picture so I sent this to them and then they sent me back a picture of their hats.  My mother in law had gotten hats for them to decorate with flowers, which was the cutest project ever!

Before heading back to the house we grabbed a quick round of signature drinks!  I'd never had a mint julep before so it was a treat. 

Be sure to check back tomorrow to read all about our day at Churchill Downs and our first hand experience at the Derby!

Follow us on Pinterest HERE.

Follow us on Instagram HERE.

Follow us on Facebook HERE.
Follow us on Twitter HERE.