Should we celebrate more milestones that don’t involve getting married or having kids? NYC-based designer Kelsey Lim shares how she did exactly that.
Looking back, I wish I had thrown an 'I’m done with my IVF/egg retrieval!' party when I went through it two years ago. It’s a bit of an oddball milestone, but a big milestone nonetheless. It got me thinking about all the different kinds of victories we could be celebrating with our community but aren’t. So, when I stumbled upon Kelsey Lim’s 10-year NYC anniversary bash (with 300 guests in attendance!), it felt like the perfect story to explore. How she turned a decade in the bustling city into a celebration as significant as any wedding was not just inspiring—it was a revelation. Enjoy our chat as she shares some details from her glorious, memorable night. —Alisha
Q: What inspired you to throw such a big celebration?
"They say that hitting ten years of living in NYC is the unofficial/official marker of becoming a New Yorker, so I wanted to celebrate that milestone the best way I know how — with a big party! Ironically, I never celebrate my birthday, and I’ve never dreamed about having a traditional wedding, so the joke became that this party IS my wedding. I had the idea for the party many, many years ago, honestly, probably not long after I moved here."
Okay but how perfect is this? NYC 🍕💗
“Another inspiration for the party was an episode of Sex and the City, ’A Woman’s Right to Shoes,’ in which Carrie is looked down upon by a friend for being single and childless. While I love celebrating my friends’ weddings and babies, I truly believe that there are many milestones in life worth celebrating that aren’t limited to the traditional ones! (If you’ve seen the episode, you’ll appreciate the fact that I wore a pair of Manolo Blahniks for the party ;))”
Q: How did you choose the venue?
"I ended up having the celebration at Honey’s, a bar and meadery in Bushwick, which ticked all the boxes for me (including a disco ball). They have a rooftop with a view of the skyline, and it’s a bar I have lots of great memories from over the years."
A big bash for a big moment!
Q: What did planning look like?
"Planning certainly snowballed over the months leading up to the party — I went from having one to four DJs, a professional photographer got involved, I had party favors and a scrapbook, and I even had an outfit change. It was truly a full-blown production. I even made a website and bought a domain name for the invite (www.kelsey.nyc)."
Guests turned out in perfectly themed partywear.
Q: Who did you invite? It looked like a huge turnout!
"The premise was to invite everyone and anyone who’s been a part of my NYC experience — people I worked with, people I lived with, people I met on dating apps, my hairdresser, my accountant. I think the final headcount was a little over 300 people. It meant a lot to me that people understood the magnitude of the moment and treated the event like a real wedding because to me, it really did feel that significant."
Q: What was your favorite part of the evening?
"My favorite part was simply bringing all of these people together in one place — all of the people I love and who have made living in this city the most beautiful experience for me. So many new connections between friends were made, and fun overlaps were discovered, too. For example, my former studio mates live in the same building as my friend who lived in the same building as me when I first moved here."
A guestbook at Kelsey’s party.
Q: What does the city mean to you?
"To describe what NYC means to me... perhaps that’s an impossible task. NYC is far from perfect, and it’s understandably not the place for everyone — it’s dirty, loud, and can be ruthless. But for me, somehow, it’s where everything falls into place."
(Photo credit: “A mix of dispos + film by @byjadegreene.”)
Q: Did anything surprise you about the event?
“Something that’s made me really happy is that after the party, a lot of people have reached out saying they feel inspired to throw parties of their own to celebrate non-traditional milestones. Or have thanked me for creating an occasion to get dressed up and have a big night out. You never know what will happen in life, and I think it’s so important to appreciate and celebrate the accomplishments, people, and moments that make it up — no matter what that looks like.”
What other milestones should we celebrate more often in a BIG way? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
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