This is a safe space, so why don’t we just put it out there; party planning can be stressful.
After 9 years of party planning and thousands of successful parties and events later, I still get butterflies when my own child’s party comes around. The undeniable desire to create perfection is always there reminding me to knock it out of the park.
And so, the best way to begin the party planning is knowing what you want and making a plan to get there step by step.
Finding your party date; In a perfect world, planning for the actual birthday party date works spectacularly, however, depending on what day of the week you’re working with it might be necessary to plan for the weekend so all the friends can attend.
Choose a theme; Now let the fun begin! Choosing a theme with the birthday child can be so exciting, most of the inspiration and excitement stems from the theme. For some inspiration check out some of the below themes.
- Unicorns (every girls needs to have a unicorn party!),
- Llama
- Rainbow
- Hot Air balloons
- Summer Time; Watermelons, pineapples, doughnuts, Flamingos, Hula flowers
- Minecraft Theme
- Lego party
- Knights
- Pirates
- Dinosaur
- Cactus/Mexican fiesta
Invites. You can buy beautiful editable PDF invites online at Etsy or if you love DIY, craft your own by hand. This is a fabulous project to do with the birthday child for extra fun and bonding time. We also have a range of free editable digital invites on you website, see them here.
TOP TIP : Your invites should be sent approximately 2 weeks prior to the party date. If sent to early and parents might forget about it and leaving it to late friends may have made alternative plans.
Set a Budget. Whether fortune is on your side and money grows on trees or you’ve saved to make this birthday bash exceptional, do yourself a favour and set a budget, things do tend to add up quickly. Try using a free downloadable party planner.
What You’ll Need:
- Venue : Home is always a great idea if you have the space, but if you don’t check out our recommend PARTY VENUES.
2. Food and Drink : If you’re the person who does everything themselves I applaud you! Finger food platters, Sushi, or Samoosa’s and a cheese board is always a sure win for the parents. For the Kiddies your could keep it simple with hotdogs, mini pizza’s or burgers, Kids don’t tend to eat that much at parties due to the hugh amounts of excitement.
Looking for fun food options? At Bazinga Parties we have a range of fun foods available for hire including; Candy Floss, Popcorn and Slushy’s. Prices include setup, delivery and a server. See the options here.
3. Cake trends now are really exciting with Fault Line cakes , or for some theatrics when cutting in to your cake have a look at Piñata cakes or try the delicate and beautiful Number shape Cakes.
Party cakes can be ordered on our website from our preferred supplier Miss Muffet’s, pricing includes delivery in the Helderberg areas.
4. Decorations , Goodie Bags and tableware bring together your whole party theme. Try some of our favorites suppliers below:
Ginger Ray ( Order online all over South Africa). B-day Parties (Order online or shop in Helderberg) King Cake (Branches through – out Cape Town )
5. The Children’s Entertainment element is one that should not be over looked, We’ve put together some fantastic options for different age groups.
Ages 1- 4 years : Face Painting, Balloon Art, Jumping Castles, Soft Play and Kiddie Rides.
Ages 5-9 years : Magic Shows, Provide a Craft to the party theme, Pinata’s, Sand Art, Face painting, Balloon Art, Active Party Games, Jumping Castles.
6. Document the special day with a Party Photographer.We have had the pleasure of working with some of the best photographers in Cape Town and can’t recommend them enough!
Michelle at : Michelle Lategan Photography Gavin at : Crazy Little Thing www.LVstar.co.za
Now go on and be Awesome, Happy Party Planning!