This Ice Cream Birthday Party is All Sweetness (Including the Cherry on Top!)

By Alexandra Churchill
Photos by One Eleven Photography

I scream, you scream, we all scream for... an ice cream birthday party! With a rainbow of colors, larger-than-life maraschino cherries, and sky-high sundaes, Mila's fifth birthday was a sweet summer dream inspired by the Museum of Ice Cream.

Meet Marlan, the Party Planner Mom

This sweet-as-ice-cream party theme all started with a unique find. "As soon as I saw the Arteriors cherries, I knew I needed them in my life," says Marlan Willardson, co-founder of Twink + Sis. "I had to make them the focal point of the party and style everything else around them." And with her daughter Mila's fifth birthday coming up, she had the perfect opportunity to design a dream party alongside sister Laurén LaRocca of Twink + Sis.

Inspired by the popular Museum of Ice Cream, Marlan wanted Mila and her friends to be immersed in all things ice cream. At the center of the table, they placed a show-stopping ombre papier-mâché pineapple and then piled on the sweets: swirl-topped ice cream cones and more pineapples ("they're actually night lights," according to Marlan) from Bonjour Fete. To fill in the table with fluffy texture: blossoming peonies in light pink and white hues.

Meet Mila, the Birthday Girl

Inside Italian eatery Angelini Alimentari, family and friends gathered for a relaxed Saturday afternoon of chatting together, gelato, and a favorite puzzle. The pristine marble counter provided a perfect space for the carefully curated centerpiece of giant sculptural cherries, coral-colored peonies, and cheeky pink flamingo statues by designer Matthew Williamson to complement the cherries' stunning color. And if you take a closer look at Mila's Bonpoint blouse, you'll see a repetition of the cherry theme.

Two days before the party, Mila and her mom visited a local cherry farm to pick as many bing and rainier cherries as they could carry. "We loved being able to incorporate those fresh cherries into the party," Marlan says, "especially crowning the birthday girl's ice cream non-cake with them!" To top their treats, they brought in organic berries from Erewhon and natural India Tree sprinkles. Marlan's friend and local chocolatier, Darling Hero, provided shimmery homemade lollipops.