Vintage, Rococo inspired baby shower

This baby shower was extra special to plan & design, because it celebrated the upcoming arrival of my sweet baby boy, Hugo.

The event was hosted at the Indianapolis propylaeum, a historic mansion known for it’s detailed woodwork, gilded ceiling murals, and Victorian accents.

The perfect setting for a vintage tea party!

When considering the Palette , I took inspiration from the venue. Opting to focus on the deep burgundy painted molding and door frames, the pastel shades found on the walls and in the carpet design, and the french blue accents detailed in the ceiling murals.

The moodboard for the event consisted of inspiration photos that illustrated the rococo art style (a current obsession of mine!).

Similar to the baroque style, Rococo designs are ornate, lavish, and boisterous. Unsurprisingly, this design style is most associated with the reign of the ostentatious Marie Antoinette.

modern renditions of the trend include the the mixing of vintage floral patterns, the addition of bows or other delicate details, and the layering of frilly fabrics.

I fully embraced the rococo style when it came to designing the tablescapes. French blue napkins were tied with thrifted lace bows, place settings were set with mismatched vintage teacups, and centerpieces sat upon varying scalloped dollies.

to ensure that the design didn’t lean too “Shabby Chic," though, I opted for consistency in other design elements. For instance, electing to incorporate only two centerpiece designs and framing each place setting with the same gold embossed charger.

The gorgeous florals, by the talented florist (and wonderful friend!) Special Occasion designs, also added some continuity to the design and pulled together the whole palette.

The remaining decorations consisted of vintage “baby items,” in shades of french blue and gold, that were sourced from local thrift and antique stores.

the signage and paper goods included a reoccurring cherub design. An angel-like baby character often seen in Rococo art and architecture…also, the perfect symbol for a baby shower!

And for a fun statement piece and photo backdrop, I designed a shelf wall (inspiration taken from Details Darling) that held antique tea-cups & saucers. the wall was then accented with a large wicker pram. Both pieces were adorned with more gorgeous floral pieces from special occasion Designs.

Special thanks to my amazing parents! My Mom, also a designer by trait, planned alongside me and thrifted many of the amazing pieces used and my dad spent weeks creating the most perfect shelf wall.

Another huge thank you to the wonderful vendors who made the day extra special!

Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering (our wedding caterer) served the most delicious afternoon tea.

Top Tier Cakes created the baby shower cake of my dreams.

Chrissy, with Special Occassion Designs, far exceeded my floral expectations!

Rikki Lanning made me feel like a princess.

The Indianapolis Propylaeum made planning the event a breeze!

And the whole day was beautifully captured by Curious Courtney’s Photography.

Color Inspiration:

ROCOCO Aesthetic