Wanting a Mediterranean-themed Pinterest-worthy bridal shower? Allow us to introduce you to ‘Le Soleil’

At Coral & Co. we love to work with clients who want something a little more… special.

Of course, everything we do is special, but this particular event really got our creativity flowing. After all, our ethos is all about working closely with our clients to bring to life unique, original, and chic events. 

So, when we were asked to bring the Coral & Co. sass and aesthetic to a Mediterranean-inspired party, we got to throw our thinking caps on and search a little outside our usual box of tricks. 

We know there are party people out there who get a little sick and tired of the same old themes, the same old details and the same old colour palettes, and we are nothing short of thrilled when they come to us needing a creative mind to pull something magical together.
We know it can be a little tricky to pull away from the ‘same old’ when it is all you are seeing. That’s where we come in. 

While it’s become common practice to plan a birthday bash or sassy shindig inspired by the sunshine, aesthetic and colours of Italy – ‘Dolce Vita’ style – we have been ready to move on from the ‘lemons and oranges in Positano’ party themes for a while now.

We are the go-to party people when you need to create the kind of event that breaks the mould, and will have guests reaching for their phones to snap a few photos the minute they walk into the room.
This is how we moved away from the overdone fruits of Italy and created something unique with  ‘Le Soleil’ – a bold, bright, feminine, Spanish & Ibiza themed celebration that’s never been done before.

We are going to show you, in step-by-step detail, how we use our custom styling and creative process to create a Pinterest-worthy event.

Seeking inspiration, one Pin at a time.

Our director (and creative genius) Coral always begins any party planning with some internet deep diving for inspo. Sometimes the hardest part is landing on a theme that will blow people away, but we don’t stop until we find something golden.

Coral regularly stumbles upon inspiration while scrolling through Pinterest – her best friend in this biz – and this event was no different. 

Sun graphics popped up and the colours and patterns sparked her creativity like never before. Intrigued, the Pinterest-ing continued, and with it came more sun-themed pins and colour combinations that made her heart sing. 

It doesn’t take us long to know we are onto a killer theme!

Knowing we wanted to be steering clear of Italy, we created a concept that instead mixed a little bit of Spain, Ibiza and France, and ‘Le Soleil’ was born, with the sun taking centre stage. 

We pride ourselves on pushing the styling boundaries, while still keeping the overall vibe chic and classy, and as such, we are thrilled to discover a standout theme that hasn’t been done before that we could execute with our signature flair. 

‘Le Soleil’ was created from a single Pinterest pin, and here is what it takes to grow a great theme into an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind celebration.

Choosing the venue

Once the inspiration and mood boards are in place, the real fun begins, and we begin to reach out to our trusty (and extremely talented) suppliers. 

We like to lock in a venue early on, because it usually comes with a built-in colour palette and vibes to work with.

Working across a range of events for several years now, we’ve come to know and love our favourite spaces for pretty parties in Melbourne. Not just event stylists, we have searched far and low to find the venues that spark joy upon entry, Whether it’s got the perfect ambience for a cocktail party, a sunny rooftop for a brand launch or a funky setting for a sit-down lunch, we have a pocketbook full of the Melbourne hotspots. 

For this special soiree, Zoobibi in Hawthorn was a no brainer- it’s a place that holds an important place in our business journey, after all.

It was at Zoobibi that Coral & Co.was put on the map, following the chic styling and ever-so-dreamy photo gallery of ‘Maeve’s Babes’ Brunch,’ which quickly went viral on Pinterest. 

From the terracotta-tiled flooring, cool arches, and abundant natural light at Zoobibi, this dreamy space is home to a cafe and carefully curated homewares store, and we knew the flexibility of the space was the perfect setting for a Mediterranean-themed bridal party.

The delightful details.

AKA: our bread and butter!

The finer details are what we do best, and we take this in our stride. Allowing us to take care of the delightful details takes the pressure away from you, so you don’t need to spend hours scouring through Etsy and Facebook Marketplace listings, only to find the colours are wrong, the font doesn’t fit the theme, or the quality is so-so. We keep it cute. We keep it coordinated.

We firmly believe these details are the difference between a good event, and a stand-out Pinterest-worthy party – and this is why it’s become our specialty, and why we are a go-to destination for popping parties 😉 

‘Le Soleil’ was always going to be good, but we knew we could add the Coral & Co. flair to make it great. 

Let’s dive in, shall we?

For us, there is nothing quite like a custom cocktail menu and colourful bevs. For ‘Le Soleil’ we had a list  featuring Spanish-themed concoctions like ‘Sun-Kissed Spritz’ and ‘Soleil Sangria Splash,’ a sunrise bar sign and sun-face drink stirrers, to napkins in vibrant orange for sunrise and purple for sunset, we covered it all.

 We go above and beyond for every event we are a part of – no matter the occasion – so, naturally, we had to create an extra-cool welcome sign, too. 

The table setting for the sign was beyond gorgeous, and a stunning mirror arched sign was artfully positioned for various photo angles – making it perfect for mirror selfies at the soirée. We got you.

With the words ‘Margot’s Sun-Kissed Soirée’ in a vibrant kiwi’ color, this perfectly complemented the bold and popping color scheme of the event, and created a beautiful and bright photo op.

Blooms and balloons:

An event like this (or any for that matter…) is never complete without some beautiful and bespoke floral arrangements. Florals can be the bane of any DIY event. Sourcing the right colours, the right florals, organising set up and arrangements – it can be enough to make someone go crazy!

Not us though. 

We mentioned our talented suppliers for a reason! We have the best of the best, turning our vision into a reality. Our girl Emily, from Rose Studios brought her A-game with flowers that tied everything ‘Le Soleil’ together. The peonies, in particular, were next level and complemented every detail.

Oh, and we rarely forget balloons! Yet ANOTHER thing we can take care of for you!

Wendy from Blowout Balloons is our go-to balloon expert, forever nailing the briefs we send her way. Our balloon-boss created a simple yet beautiful garland to match the arches of Zoobibi, resulting in a showstopper for the head table and a backdrop for (more) photos.

Stationary and linen to set the tone

Have you ever sat down and actually thought about what you need to make your theme sing? Have you thought about table linens, napkins, menus and placemats? Maybe you have, maybe you haven’t. 

We can guarantee you – we think of it all.

Our work wife Janelle from Elle Creative Studio was on hand to design the sassy Spanish stationery. Together with Steph from Signed By G, they crafted a range of sun-drenched items that included drink stirrers, hand-drawn placemats, place settings, and menus. It was oh-so-dreamy, and had us dreaming of a quick trip to the Spanish coast. 

Beautiful linens make a world of difference at any table, and we make sure to choose the best. Apricot and Lavender napkins from Cloth & Confetti Hire added an extra burst of color to the table, while neutral oatmeal table linens kept the overall look balanced and tasteful.

Crazy for cake

What’s an event without a standout cake? Cake Queen Helena from Bakes by Her provided two gorgeous cakes for the occasion. A sunny cake in orange and hot pink encapsulated everything ‘Le Soleil’ and popped on its own. 

The other cake – a pink masterpiece with green icing – was a work of chic and edible art, adorned with hand-drawn illustrations of lobsters, suns, and juicy fruits. 

The final flourish

For a Spanish-themed party with an unexpected twist, we wanted to include some juicy fruits that hadn’t been seen before to fill the space and give an extra pop of colour- as we said, no lemons or oranges allowed here!

The team at Nonnas Grocers crafted mega-cute and lifelike Spanish tomato candles, and also pulled through with everything from star fruits to plums and Padron peppers, elevating the table setting to European perfection.

Capture the Magic

Now, what’s the point of all this effort if you don’t get it on camera, right? .

The moody and premium photography of Nicole Squelch captured the true beauty of ‘Le Soleil,’ and we can’t stop looking back at these images. We hope you love them too. 

We don’t want to be biased, but let’s be real… we truly outdid ourselves with ‘Le Soleil’, and we are beyond proud of this one.

Our unique party planning process brought the warmth and vibrancy of Spain and Ibiza to life in Melbourne, making it a celebration to remember. We don’t do things by halves, and our intricate planning, supplier and client collaboration and venue sourcing creates events that leave a lasting impression on the fussiest of clients.

If you’re planning a wedding, a hens day, a birthday party, a brand event or a just a big ol’ celebration, we are here to help you find inspiration and embrace the unexpected in unique styling and colourful, quirky elements. 

If the thought of sourcing the flowers, buying all the decorations, rocking up and building a balloon are and dealing with fiddly name cards and drink tags is a little overwhelming – why not have the magic of Coral & Co. on hand? 

We’d love for you to get in touch today so we can start the party planning and take your stress away!

If you need a little more convincing that we know our stuff (trust us though, we really know our stuff), or are simply in the market for some pretty pics to get your moodboard started – our Insta & Pinterest is an ever-growing source of party inspo for the wannabe party planner. 

Love Coral & Co. x

Images by Nicole Squelch

Written by Kelly Mills