Riley celebrated 15 with a Phantom of the Opera Masquerade Tea.
A tea blending table accompanied by a buffet of small sweets & savories welcomed a small entourage of family and friends. There were croissants, scones and clotted cream. Le Bete Noir was served, sans ice cream, (but there was whipped cream and black cherry sorbet in the punch.)
Our guests, dressed extravagantly, fashioned masks with feathers and jewels, painted candles in black and red wax and sang karaoke. There was candlelight, feather boas and a photobooth.
Earlier this year, Riley shared that she would like to have a 'promise' ring and invite her friends to celebrate this commitment alongside her. I was only familiar with large "True Love Waits" style events, held in church auditoriums. So, we did a lot of thinking and talking about what a personal ceremony may look like: how formal, how spiritual, etc.
As we planned, it made sense to incorporate the milestone into her birthday celebration, not unlike a pair of quinceanera heels.
There would be a significant ring, a tiara and a promise to sign. I took to calling this her "Declaration of Independence" and she took to rolling her eyes every time I did.
