The best birthday a girl could ask for…

I would have loved to see the look on my face when I walked from our garage into our sunroom Saturday night. Nick had just taken me to a fancy dinner for my birthday and I was feeling like a special girl for having such a sweet man in my life. And then I opened the door to see faces of so many people I adore shouting “SURPRISE!” …Well, I don’t think I’ve ever in my life been more surprised! OR flustered! Friends from my past, photographer friends, work friends and my family, all of whom made time to come and wish me a happy birthday in person.

What a truly sweet surprise it was to be showered with so much love! I learned that Nick (along with a lot of help from my sweet friends) had been planning for months to throw a surprise birthday party for my 30th. Add in a Hollywood theme (and a whole house of people wearing their finest attire) and it made for a night that felt like a DREAM!

All I can add is I don’t think I’ve ever felt so special. Truly. To all of you helped make this night what it was, thank you. You have no idea how much it meant to me!

There were vintage movie posters all over the dining room, along with buffet tables set up with “Old Hollywood” drinks and desserts. German chocolate cake is my FAVORITE cake in the world (and now I know why, a few weeks back, my co-workers were playing the game of “What’s your favorite cake?” with me ) My girl, Stacey. One of my dearest friends — I’ve photographed her family, we’ve been to Los Angeles together, and we bonded within weeks of starting our jobs together at Ball State back in ‘08 (she had me at “Have you read this series called Twilight?” haha) According to Nick, this party wouldn’t have been a TENTH as awesome as it was without her inspiration. It was Stacey’s husband, Gannon, who came up with the Hollywood theme and these two spent hours prepping for the party (including showing up at 4 o’clock to decorate and set up — we didn’t get home until 8 o’clock!) No words to describe how awesome a friend she is to me….these pictures are all the evidence you need. Along with Stacey, the other ring leader in surprise planning was my friend and co-worker, Kate. Insanely creative, super sweet, hilarious and an amazing baker, I just adore her (and I’ll be photographing her family later this year so keep an eye out for her sweet-as-can-be daughter, Rose). So grateful she and her hubby, Michael, came into Nick and I’s lives in 2011. We value their friendship so much! Speaking of Kate, SHE BAKED ME A CAMERA CAKE. I took one look at it and died of happiness. I’m so unworthy of her generosity (and OMG SHE PUT ME AND NICK ON THE VIEWFINDER!) Speaking of Nick, there’s that SWEET man of mine. I still cannot believe he pulled this kind of fast one on me. Dozens upon dozens of emails with Stacey and the gang, lies told to me to keep me in the dark —— all so he could give me the best birthday a girl could ask for. I couldn’t believe everyone who showed up for the party, including my loonnnggg time childhood friend, Kathleen. There was a period when I was about six where I think I seriously lived the whole summer at Kathleen’s house. We’ve reconnected in recent years and it’s so wonderful to have her back in my life. Everyone deserves a friend as sweet as she is! Oh, Kathleen also made the amazing “Next Best Thing to Ryan Gosling” chocolate trifle that all the guests loved (Stacey said an exception from vintage Hollywood icons like Clark Gable and James Dean was made for Ryan because….well, DUH. IT’S RYAN. ) I work with some pretty incredible people at Ball State, I tell you what ….. Special shout-out to Danielle (in red) who made ALL the cut-outs for the food that everybody just loved. One of the best details of the night! Speaking of details, I had my own star on the “Walk of Fame” — WHAAAAAA????? I’m telling you, Stacey thought of EVERYTHING (I even had a velvet VIP rope that she borrowed from the local convention center….that right there? THAT IS AN AMAZING FRIEND). And while we’re on the topic of amazing friends, those are my college buddies (and best friend, Tracy) on the right. Andy and Jon are my two closest friends from college and it’s pretty awesome that after 10 years, we’re still celebrating our birthdays together (Andy’s 30th was THAT night and we all were at his party the night before)! So many friends made sacrifices to make it to the party — for Betsy and Erin (on the left), it was a long drive down from Fort Wayne (THANK YOU GIRLS for making it!) and for my wonderful friends (and Nick and I’s wedding photographers), Amanda and Nate Reynolds (on the right), it meant finding a sitter for their infant son, Ruben. It’s realizing what everyone had to do to get there that made me choke up the most …. My oldest brother, Mark, his wife, Lynne, and my sister, Karin, and husband, Gary, also made the trip down from Fort Wayne — loved seeing their smiling faces when I came into the house! (sorry to the fam for the blurry photo — hoping one of my siblings got a shot in focus!) It’s intimidating to bring friends from so many different parts of your life together in one house, but everyone seemed to have a GREAT time. And, like my friend Betsy said, “It’s like your blog, only in real life!!” I LOVED IT!! And finally, one detail I woke up to the next morning to fully appreciate. When I told you Stacey thought of everything, she REALLY thought of everything. Because, you see, I even had my own PAPARAZZI!!! See…did I not have the most amazing birthday party or WHAT? Can’t WAIT for what’s in store in my 30th year. If it holds as much awesomeness as this one night, well, it’s going to be my best year yet!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.