Happy birthday, Vanessa Hudgens!
The actress turned 30 years old on Friday and celebrated her big day with a Lord of the Rings-themed party at her home.
“Had the most magical birthday party,” the High School Musical star wrote on Instagram. “Very thankful for everyone who made it happen.”
Hudgens held the event at her home and didn’t spare a single magical detail. To plan the perfect party, she worked with Pow Wow Design Studio. In fact, Melissa Strukel, owner and designer of the company, said Hudgens actually reached out to her about the party three months in advance.
The enchanted atmosphere was carried out from the décor to the attire. To set the scene, Hudgens hosted the soirée in her yard and lit up the night with market lights and vintage lanterns. Strukel and her team then decorated the venue with banners, antique and vintage rugs and tons of faux fur and velvet pillows for guests to sit on. There was even a tent for lounging.
“[We used] a lot of brass and a lot of vintage silk, and we have a vintage Lawrence of Arabia tent that was used in the original film that I scored at the Rose Bowl Flea Market a couple years ago and I knew I wanted to use it.”
When it came time to eat, guests gathered around four long tables, which were decorated with candlesticks, greenery and brass plates and goblets from Hostess Haven. Again, there were tons of comfy pillows for diners to sit on. Guests passed around charcuterie, drank wine and enjoyed pieces of birthday cake. The decadent dessert was decorated with flowers and candles and featured a “30” on the front. Guests also enjoyed listening to a harpist play while they wined and dined.
“Um, happy birthday to me!” Hudgens said during the meal. “Iconic. I’m dying.”
To really get into the theme, the Rent star and her attendees dressed up in costumes. Hudgens wore a beautiful red dress similar to the one Arwen wears and topped off her look with a crown. Several of her pals attended the bash, including Sarah Hyland and dancer Allison Holker.
Overall, it seemed like a great party.
“She was really happy, which made me really happy about it,” Strukel said. “She loved it. She said it was magical and that everyone loved it.”
It looks like Hudgens is looking forward to this new decade, too. During her recent interview with E! News, The Second Act star said she there were still a lot of roles she’d like to tackle, as well as some humanitarian projects she’d like to do.
– Reporting by Beth Sobol