Tuesday’s Tips From The Pros:-Jamie of Giggledust Parties

I’d like to welcome today’s ‘pro‘, Jamie of Giggledust Parties, who’ll be sharing some great party tips. Jamie is the talent behind the event company Giggledust Parties, dedicated to planning amazing children’s parties. I’ve featured a few of Jamie’s gorgeous parties, and I’m sure you’ll remember the fabulous Night Owl Pyjama party she hosted for her daughter’s eighth birthday! Jamie is amazingly creative, and I love how she drafts her whole family in to make her parties extra special and personal. For instance, her husband made the Dressing Armoire, and she made the gorgeous canopy and ribbon chandeliers for her Pink Princess Tea Party. I’m really thrilled to have Jamie as our guest today, and I’m equally thrilled that she took time off to answer our three questions, and share some insightful tips with our readers.

 

{Creative Hostess Interview With Jaime}

  

What are your favorite kids party & baby shower style trends?

I love that parents are getting more creative and personalized with their child’s birthday parties. We are seeing less and less of the licensed character type parties and more parties that reflect the child’s interests.  Parents are recognizing that their children are young for such a short period of time and that each birthday is a reason to celebrate!

 

What inspires you when planning / styling kids parties?

In terms of party development, I have had different inspiration elements for each of the Giggledust Parties I have created. It can be a great fabric, funky plate or plush pillow I see that sparks my imagination and gets the design going!  I love creating the party experience and immersing myself in the details of the party.  My goal is to create a truly magical experience for the children by creating an environment where they will be transported to the royal ballrooms of princesses, enchanted gardens of fairies and swashbuckling adventures of pirates.   I recognize that a 4 year old cannot appreciate the detail that went into building a custom princess canopy complete with crystal chandeliers. However, while sitting under that canopy, a 4 year old can understand the feeling of being special, loved and truly a princess for the day!  I believe it is the detailing of the decor that allows the child to be emotionally connected to the experience.   Each time that I see a child immerse themselves in the “magic” of their day, I am inspired to do it again and again.

Organize, organize, organize….and then plan some more!  Putting together a great party doesn’t have to take a lot of money but it does need detailed planning.  Entertaining a group of children for several hours is not an easy task and takes some thought and planning to be a success.

These are the elements I believe are necessary to throw a great kids party:

• Pick a theme.  As a detail-oriented Type-A  planner, I LOVE themes!  I grew up in a house where every season, celebration or milestone event was given a theme to decorate around. It really does make it so much easier to pull together a cohesive party if you have a unified theme for the event.  It can be as simple as a color scheme or can be as specific as your child’s favorite stuffed animal. It doesn’t matter what it is – just have one! 
• Send Personalized Invitations.  The invitations set the mood for your event and get the guests excited about the party. Make sure that the invitations convey the message that you want about your party and keep with your theme.   
• Set a fabulous table.  The highlight of your event is singing Happy Birthday to the guest of honor.  Make sure that your table conveys the importance of the celebration!  Use real china and glassware, make place cards for the kids, display a wonderful centerpiece that is in keeping with your theme, use linens instead of paper.  Let the kids know that they are special and that their celebration deserves breaking out the good stuff!!
• Engaging Activities.  It doesn’t matter how great the decorations look, it you don’t have something fun to entertain the kids your party will be a flop!  Have a craft, play kid-friendly music and engage the guests in classic games ….there is a reason that these games have been around for decades. Kids love them!  Add a twist to the party games by keeping to your party theme….instead of pin the tail on the donkey at your princess party, try pin the tiara on the princess!
• Have a General Timeline.  This is so important to me – know what you are doing, when, during the party.  I am not saying that you have to have each minute planned but have a general guideline for when you will be doing each party activity. There is nothing worse than a hostess that is frantically running around trying to determine what to do next with a group of high energy kids. A calm hostess sets the tone for the guests…
• Send Thank-You Notes.  Leave your guests with a memory of the party experience as great as you started it by sending out coordinated thank you notes.  These are a must in my book!  Get your child involved, talk about the importance of thanking their guests for celebrating their birthday!

 

Thanks Jamie for sharing these great tips!