Claire's Big Kentucky Derby 2nd Birthday Party

Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

What better way to pair your daughter's 2nd birthday with the Kentucky Derby races than with a full blown Derby Day party!! We had a blast working with Claire's mommy to put together this overall design that appealed to the birthday girl and the party guests, both adult and child.

The centerpiece to our desserts table was definitely this custom backdrop from Created by Jackie. The 3D, hand-cut wooden horse was adorned with felt roses and mounted on a large scale moss sheet covered backdrop. If you are creating a DIY backdrop, you will need approximately 3 rolls to cover a 48” plywood backdrop.

We selected a sweet white buttercream cake and topped it with a horseshoe and fresh pink flowers. Pink rose buttercream cupcakes were displayed on this rustic 3 tiered stand custom created for this project. Horseshoe cookies in our party's colors were displayed neatly on 2 silver trays in front of the cake. For a pop of color, we hung this handmade paper rose garland in front of the table and chose a bright floral pattern for our paper plates.

Seated tables for guests were covered in pink linens. White paper placemats were added for subtle contrast and our centerpieces were beautiful white and pink flowers displayed in silver trophies; large for the adult tables and small for the children's tables.

In addition to live ponies brought in for the event, the smallest guests were entertained at this "Decorate your Derby Hat" station. There were sweet hats for the girls and colorful bow ties for the boys for dress up play.

For the adults, this DIY betting board was created for placing bets prior to watching the race on the outdoor projection screen.

Catered food was provided by Armando's. A Mint Julep station and attended bar was provided for the adults and a "Junior Julep" beverage station was set-up for the kiddos.

These adorable ride-on ponies served double duty at the party; presents for the birthday girl and amazing front door decorations.

This amazing life-sized horse and jockey standee from Shindigz set the stage for her birthday party...and we were lucky enough to snap a photo of sweet Claire right before the party started.

Vendor Credits:
Party Styling & Printables: Crowning Details
Table Backdrop and Custom Cupcake Stand: Created by Jackie
Flowers: Horton Thompson Floral Design
Cookies: The Sugar Jar
Cake: World Catering Bakery
Cupcakes: Timtations Bakery
Trophy Centerpieces: Amazon
Linens & Rentals: A Finer Event
White Paper Placemats: Amazon
Custom Napkins: Etsy (With Love and Ink)
Paper Plates & Children’s Bow Ties: Oriental Trading
Mint Julep Cups: Amazon
Jockey & Horse Standee: Shindigz
Catering: Armando's
Photography: Crowning Details & Cushman Brinegar