When Rifle Paper Co. throws a holiday party, you want to be on that invite list. Creative power couple Anna and Nathan Bond have spent the last seven years quietly building an illustrated empire, and this season they celebrated with an epic holiday party for their talented team. Based on Anna’s simple, playful illustrations, Rifle Paper’s products have mass appeal: over 4,000 stores globally now stock Rifle products, and the company’s inventory continues to expand — think wallpaper, clothing, and bags. 2015 was a big year for our favorite online paperie (Nathan was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 List) and Anna wanted to close out the year with an amazing celebration for their hard-working staff, partners, and vendors. Lucky for us, Belathée scored an invite and joined 300 guests at the historic Peachtree House for Rifle Paper’s Holiday bash. Trust us, this is one office party you won’t mind tagging along to.
photographed by belathée
“The Peachtree House is a beautiful lakeside estate built in 1928 and designed by James Gamble Rogers II,” says Anna. “It’s actually a personal home and the family rents it out for a small number of events each year. I hadn’t known about it until we did a search for unique local venues and we all fell in love with it. It’s this magical 2 acre oasis tucked away just a few blocks from downtown Orlando.”
The adorable custom invitation suite from (where else?) Rifle Paper Co.
Anna Bond looking chic in sequins.
“Our southern cuisine featured passed hors d’oeuvres like pimento cheese fritters as well as cornbread, shrimp and grits, bourbon braised short ribs, and brussel sprouts, to name a few,” says Anna.
Custom bottle labels with a Rifle touch.
“Nathan, my husband and Rifle’s CEO, was in a band long before we started the company and he surprised everyone by singing two songs with the band,” says Anna. “The Hackensaw Boys and his former band had toured together years ago so they had a lot of fun performing together.”
“I envisioned a rustic Charleston Christmas party with tons of greenery, accents of white and gold that melded the classic decor with southern tradition,” says Anna of her visual inspiration for the party. “We had tons of string lights, lanterns and greenery scattered throughout the property. We also brought in tons of hay bales to create seating including three large sectional couches with coffee tables.”
A pretty wreath with baby’s breath adorns a winter window at the Peachtree House.
A guest enjoys the signature cocktail of the evening, a whiskey lemonade. Read the full recipe for Anna Bond’s Whiskey Lemonade here.
“Every year our team designs and arranges all of the flowers,” says Anna. “We save a ton of money and it becomes a fun creative project. This year I really wanted to use baby’s breath. I feel like it’s so underrated and always reminds me of snow. We got tons of it and put it everywhere while also accenting with seeded eucalyptus and cotton.”
String lights light up the yard with seating for 300 party guests.
Blankets in wooden crates were available for chilly guests after the sun went down.
Rifle Paper Co. employees and friends enjoying the party.
A pretty brick fireplace inside the historic Peachtree House.
Guests enjoyed a menu featuring all southern cuisine.
Glittery donuts were provided by Donut King — “a local favorite,” says Anna.
An incredible canopy of spanish moss covers the backyard at the Peachtree House.
“Each year we hold it at a different venue and the theme typically revolves around the music,” says Anna of the annual holiday party. “We knew we wanted to bring in a bluegrass band (we ended up securing the amazing Hackensaw Boys from Virginia) so the theme became a rustic southern affair.”
Anna in front of the lush landscaping at the Peachtree House.
Guests partied late into the night, celebrating a banner year at Rifle Paper Co.
