Celina Tolbert Celebrates 30th Birthday with Fantasy-Themed Party at French Chateau

Celina Tolbert, a 31-year-old social media manager based in Paris, celebrated her 30th birthday by hosting a fantasy-themed party at a French chateau. The three-night event took place in February 2025, accommodating 21 friends and costing approximately $2,500.

Tolbert, originally from North Carolina, identified hundreds of smaller chateaux available for rent through Airbnb. She set a budget of 2,000 euros (approximately $2,301) for the property itself. After expanding her search beyond the immediate Paris region, she secured a chateau accessible by train for 1,318 euros, capable of hosting up to two dozen guests.

An additional 800 euros were spent on food, alcohol, and decorations, bringing the total expenditure for the party elements to slightly over 2,100 euros (approximately $2,500 at the time of the article). Tolbert stated she viewed the expense as her version of a wedding, justifying it as money other people her age might spend on a wedding or children.

The party adopted a "magical fantasy forest" theme. The chosen chateau featured two dining rooms, a ballroom, and a living room. Decorations included glitter, moss, leaves, and wooden details. Activities for guests upon arrival included a make-your-own potion station and a playlist of medieval covers of modern music. Guests were encouraged to wear themed attire, such as chainmail and corsets.

According to Business Insider, Tolbert saw the celebration as an act of self-love and a fulfilling of a desire to rent an entire venue for a large gathering, a dream she had since a smaller civil union celebration in 2023.