Danielle Crawford’s sweet 16 birthday party was a starry night of Mardi Gras we will never forget! TEENage was invited to celebrate with her last Saturday on the lawns of 1i Abbeydale Road, better known as the location of Bridgette’s Sandals.

At around 7:00 pm, the princess pulled up in her carriage on wheels, and was greeted by her guests in Mardi Gras masquerade masks with confetti. In true regal style, she was escorted to her seat for guests to greet her and offer personalised birthday wishes.

Soon after, Danielle’s mom, Tamar Ricketts, who was the emcee for the night, carried out cake-cutting duties with her daughter and her best friend, Kadeem Saunders. The cake was a sight to behold — a three-tier; green, purple and yellow Mardi Gras-themed cake with a masquerade mask topper. Everybody sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Danielle as her smile stretched from ear to ear. It was time to blow out the candles and cut the cake.

After the cake-cutting, dinner was served! Barbecue chicken, macaroni and cheese, and escoviched fish and festival were on the menu to the guests’ delight. Later that evening, Danielle changed her princess gown for a masquerade cocktail dress, freeing her to ‘get down’ with her guests on the dance floor. They cheered as the DJ played hit after hit.

Danielle’s mom explained that she is close friends with Bridgette Brown, the owner of Bridgette’s Sandals, who offered her the venue to host the event. She gladly accepted, since she had fallen in love with the venue from first sight.

The lush, greenery of the venue added a mysterious charm to the party. The fabulous food, exciting music, and the beautiful people made the party well worth attending.

— Rachel Laing