Your Detailed Guide to Planning a FABULOUS Party!

If you’ve already started your countdown to your child’s first birthday yet feeling unprepared, here are some birthday party ideas and practical tips to put all party-throwing anxieties at ease. Browse through because party-planning has just been made fun and easier for you!

How does one plan a fabulous party? You may ask. First, you have to come up with a theme and then next, look for suppliers that will help you materialize your imagined celebration. Here then is a shortlist of party suppliers and some practical tips I have learned from the coolest parties I have attended, organized and searched online.

Tips on Planning a Terrific Birthday
1. Choose a Party Theme.
It would be easier to plan a party when you work around a particular theme. With a theme, you can pull out that coordinated look. A party theme may be a color, a favorite character from TV or book, a movie or any cool concept you can come up with. When planning a themed birthday, it‘s cool to go all out and have it themed from top to bottom.

Here are my top picks on birthday themes after my endless browsing of ideas on the web. Photo credits are linked just below the photos.

Blue and Red Car Flair

Safari Birthday

2. Decide the party venue.
When planning a party, choosing the right venue is important. And I always tell my friends that getting a party venue with high ceiling is a plus factor because you can hang lovely balloons and decors that will set the party mood. I love clubhouses. Greenmeadows, Northeast Greenhills and Valle Verde Clubhouses are my favorites. For packaged party, Oceana and Discovery Suites have great reviews. I have listed some great party venues for you to checkout here.

A beautifully decorated ceiling creates a fabulous party mood! {photographed by Ging Lorenzo}

Remember, a great party does not always have to be held in clubhouses, restaurants or hotels. You can also create a fabulous one right in your home. I was invited to the media lauch of Party Pop Up and they did a great job in hosting a terrific house party! Here’s a picture of the house party they organized held at Magallanes Village, Makati.

House party organized by Party Pop Up.

3. Choose your party decorator and set your backdrop design.
Backdrops are icons in parties. Everybody’s eyes are on them because they are situated right in the center of the stage! You can get a backdrop from party shops as they have great choices to offer you, but you have to allot budget on this since backdrop rental is pricey. Party shops also offer party packages that you may want to consider and they can also help you in styling your event. The most recommended party decorators in Manila are the following:

Parties/Spark Twinkle Online
Mobile: 09178950017

Party Station
Mobile: 09189286185

Dream Theme Events
Mobile: 09206660652

Partyboosters
Mobile: 09178985227 / 09228887739

JD Partyshop
Mobile: 09209480207

Polkadots Events
Mobile: 09175835546

This was the backdrop I have chosen for my son’s first birthday.

For house parties, DIY party backdrops can also be great! You may create your own bunting and banners! Here’s a picture to give you an idea:

Let’s Fly Away Party Theme {View this Here}

4. Get a fabulous cake!
Believe it or not a cake is one of the most important additions to your party ambiance. After all, right on the cake table is where the most important tradition, the candle blowing, takes place. Choosing a cake is not that difficult, you just have to make sure that it will coincide with the theme of the party . Here in Manila, Sugarbox, Bethany Dream Cakes and Sherryberry cakes are my favorites.

Sherryberry Sweets
Mobile: 09055525572

Sugarbox
Contact Numbers: 3211024 or 4952065

Bethany Dream Cakes {photographed by Ging Lorenzo}

Big Tummy Cakes {photographed by Ging Lorenzo}

5. Search for a great host.

Every party deserves a clean, worthy and exhilarating amusement! Find the perfect person to host your kid’s party. Just make sure to set an appointment with the host so you can talk about the program flow and the details you wish to add but if you or the party host is too busy, a phone conversation will do.

I have booked Jiggles the Baloon Lady for Kyle’s party.

6. Work on the small details.

Think personalized name tags,chocolates and giveaways. You need not spend too much on these because you can create them at home! If you have printer then you are all set. You may also add special corners such as your kid’s photo lane or just a simple table for sweets!

Sweets Station {photographed by Labski Fotografi}

7.Prepare satisfying food.

Guests may forget everything but will always remember the satisfying food you have served. If you plan to have your child’s party in a restaurant or have it catered, make sure to have a taste test. The affordable yet satisfying cateres here in the Metro are Center Table Catering and Kusina ni Kambal. I have tried the food of both caterers and they are great.

If you plan to have your child’s party in a restaurant, I have previously blogged party packages on my post “Give Your Child a Happy Birthday Party”. When planning to cook the food that will be served, checkout some kid-friendly recipes on Google or ask help from friends. Sorry I am not a great cook so I have no recipe to share.haha!

8. Plan your games, activities and prizes!

Kids attend parties to have fun and having fun for them means engaging in games and activities and winning prizes! Aside from games, you can also have stone painting, cupcake decorating and storytelling. And before I forget, face painting too! My nieces Yana and Pan love to have their faces painted during parties! One cool team that offers cool activities is the Make Believe Productions.

9. Look for costumes.

Although this is not really necessary, having your child wear a costume that matches with the party theme is cool! Your baby is not a baby forever so why not have him/her wear cute costumes! Just make sure that the costume you will purchase is comfortable so he/she will enjoy the party. 🙂

10. Hire a photographer to cover the event.

I always believe that in any occasion, getting a photographer should be one of our priorities. Great photographers capture moments which you will cherish for a life time. Here in Manila, my favorite photographers are Ging Lorenzo (I have featured her here) and my friend Jan Celiz-Magtoto of Labski Fotografi.

Ging Lorenzo

Website: http://www.ginglorenzo.com/

Blog: http://photosbyging.blogspot.com/

Mobile: 0917.8525938

Email: ging[at]ginglorenzo[dot]com

Twitter: @ginglorenzo

Labski Fotografi:
Website: http://www.labskifotografi.com/
Mobile: 0921.401.6758
E-mail: janmagtoto@labskifotografi.com.

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