Two months before the set date I
started planning for my daughter's 7th birthday. I made a checklist and during
my free time I completed each task. It
is an option to hire someone to organize the party, but I decided to just do it
myself, hiring a coordinator means that
my approval as the client is still needed --- it simply means I also need to
allot time in organizing the party, so I might as well handle it myself.
Another alternative that I
considered is getting a party package. Usually party packages are good for 70
adults and 30 kids. However, we are not sure if we will be able to have that
much guest on that day, so again we decided to just do the planning ourselves.
Here the things that I listed for the party and how I
completed each task:
1. Party Theme, Invitation and Guest List
Listing guests and deciding the
mode of invitation is the first task. It is also where we conceptualize the
theme for the party. For the theme, we considered the following: My Little
Pony, Sophia the First and Frozen. We decided to go for Frozen Fever with the
prediction that it will again be a hit once Disney launches the sequel of the
movie. Also, Rhian watched the movie every single day when she was still 5
years old. So I guess for her 7th, this theme will make her remember a lot of
her childhood memories.
For the guest list, I divided the
task among the three of us: Hubby, Rhian and Me. Each of us listed the people that
we are planning to invite for the party. After that, we counted the tentative
number of guests. I had a hard time completing my guests list. In the end, I
considered more of what my daughter's need for her party rather than what I
wanted for the party. After weeks of pondering, even with a heavy heart (hoping
di magtampo ang iba kung relatives) -- I decided to set aside my wants to let
my daughter have more details for her party.
As for my husband, I also gave him
the freedom to make his own guest list. Actually
70% of the listed guests were from him. J
For the invitation, we created an
event via FB and for Rhian's playmates, Rhian and I made a lollipop
invitation, we named the party Frozen
Candy Party. We also asked for
confirmation to make sure each of our guest are accommodated well on the day of
the party. We planned to reserve seats for each guest. We also wanted our guest
to bond on the day of the party, so we wanted to make sure they get their own
personal space on that day. J
We were also planning to add Rhian’s
classmates, friends and teachers from her school. But we decided not to, since
our place is quite far from her school, not all of her classmates may be able
to come. As an alternative we bought food from Jollibee. The school celebration
was a blast as well. :)
Lollipop Invitation
Materials:
Shimmering Cardboard Paper (cut into round shapes)
Colored Popsicles
Printed Invitation (Round)
Glue Gun
Scissors
Ribbons
1. Cut out the printed invitations. Paste it in the round cardboard paper.
2. Paste the assembled invitation cutouts in the popsicle sticks.
3. Finish it off with a ribbon.
2. Caterer (Food)
All of our party suppliers were
checked and researched online. It is the most efficient way for me, since I
only do the planning during work break. For the caterer I initially considered
the location, online feedbacks and offered packages.
I was drawn to caterer that provide accurate and complete information online, that is why our top choice is Kubiertos. You can view their portfolio and packages from this website: http://www.kubiertoscatering.com.
I also contacted other caterer’s
and asked for their packages. I was actually looking for something similar to
what Kubiertos is offering so that I could make a competitive decision. In the
end though, we came into a conclusion that it was Kubiertos who offered the
best birthday package.
We also thought of getting Blue
Petals again for this event, they were our caterer for my daughter's
Christening. Our experience with Blue Petals before was good and the food was
definitely excellent so we definitely considered them again for my daughter’s 7th
birthday. However, we need a package that would include decorations and styling,
so we had chosen Kubiertos instead of Blue Petals.
It was a good and safe decision to
choose Kubiertos since their package can already make a birthday celebration
run on its own. As much as possible we would like to have a one stop shop for
the party so that we can minimize the hassle in coordinating with potential suppliers.
We were planning to avail of
Kubiertos' Worry-Free Package, but we already have some of the elements listed
on the package like the sound system and cupcakes. Also, my daughter would like
to have face painting as one of her pre-program activities. My husband on the
other hand prefers to avail of a full magnetic photo booth package. On top of that we might only have a few guest
for the party. It is a good thing Kubiertos offers packages that will suite
most of their client’s needs.
Our experience as well with Ms. Imelda of Kubiertos and staff is very pleasant. When
we booked for the event the staff who
assisted us was very accommodating. They
also made several suggestions in the planning of the party. From the booking
until the event is completed, everything went well.
As for the food, it was good
according to my husband, Rhian and guests who voluntarily complemented the food.
The crowds favorite is the Grilled Blue
Marlin and Lasagna. Overall the food taste good.
Adult Menu
Steamed rice
Lasagna
Chicken cordon bleu
Grilled Blue Marlin
Beef with mushroom in
white sauce
Fruit Salad
Ice Tea and Water
Kiddie Menu
Spaghetti
Fried Chicken
Hotdog on Stick
Banana Cake
Zesto Orange Juice
3. Chocolate Fountain
Our booking with Kubiertos comes
with a free Chocolate Fountain with dips. They give freebies if you reach a
certain amount. I actually did not find this offer from other caterers. Usually
decorations and chocolate fountains are charged separately. With Kubiertos
though you can have it for free and they give an option for the client to add
additional dips.
We are actually planning to convert
it into a dessert buffet by purchasing some cakes as an add-on to the sweet
buffet, but due to lack of time we are unable to do so. Aside from the dips
from Kubiertos, we added some store bought cookies, cupcakes from Chef Roce and Cotton
Candy from Sweet Clouds. Also, we made a
cute background for the sweet buffet to add more details to the party.
Dessert Buffet Backdrop
Materials:
Green and Yellow Cartolina
Printed Snowgies, Anna and Elsa
Styrofoam Board
Glue Gun
Scissors
1. Make paper rosettes. You may check this link
for the tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYBLhhC018s.
2. Assemble the paper rosettes in styrofoam board.
3. Paste the character cutouts in a styrofoam board (you may skip this task)
4. Add the character cutouts in the backdrop.
Dessert Buffer Backdrop (Rhian and Mom)
Dips (Kubiertos), Cotton Candy (Sweet Clouds) and Cupcakes (Chef Roce)
4. Cake and Cupcakes
It would definitely be a nice to
look at a fondant customized cake, however it is a big risk to order customized
cake online. I checked reviews online and there are a lot of crazy experiences
in ordering cakes via FB and online suppliers. Some clients ended up running to
Red Ribbon and Goldilocks to get birthday cakes. Event suppliers themselves have
admitted that they as well had nightmares dealing with clients and not being
able to meet expectations.
We also had an experience before
when we ordered a cake for my daughter's 1st birthday. We ordered it from
Cindy's a day before (it was the nearest bakeshop available near our home at
that time), and on the day of the birthday, they forgot to have the cake
delivered to their shop. It was crazy. We had to wait for it, and fortunately
they are able to rush it and they gave us balloons as freebies, but still it is
quite stressful to go thru such ordeal.
That’s why instead of getting a
fondant cake, we decided to get Goldilocks Marble Duo Cake, since it matches
the theme of the party, we just need to add more yellow daises. J
In case a fondant cake is a must, I
think it would be best to order cakes from a supplier who is recommended by a
friend. In my daughter's 5th birthday we ordered a cake from Ms. Maria, my
husband’s office colleague -- Rhian was so happy to see the whole Frozen cast on
the cake. :). We would like to order the birthday cake from Ms. Maria,
but we seem to miss the taste of cakes from Goldilocks or Red Ribbon. J
As predicted we bought the cake
home after the party, so it was indeed a wise decision to get a cake from Goldilocks
as it is something that Rhian would want to eat for a week after the party.
To compensate for the aesthetic
factor of the fondant cake. We decided to make a cupcake stand that would look
like a cake. For the cupcakes we got it from Chef Roce (09329423785). We provided the design for the cupcake -- chocolate flavored with a simple
bluish green icing on top. As expected, it was so good -- Rhian hid 3 boxes in
the fridge. It is indeed best to order form a certified baker/chef.
Cupcake
Stand
Materials:
Flexible Cardboard
Green Cartolina
White Round Paper
Sunflowers, refer to this link for the instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otBun4sP1vM
Number 7 cut out
Ribbons
1. Cut the cardboard (5 inches in width, length
depends on the diameter of the cake).
2. Make two circles (1 large circle for the
base of the cake and a smaller one for the second layer.)
3. Cover the rectangular and circular
cardboards with cartolina or decorative paper.
4. Assemble it using a glue gun.
5. Decorate it using the white round paper,
ribbons and sunflowers.
6. Glue the number 7 on top of the cake.
5. Pre-Program Activities (Mini Game Booths, Face Painting and Photo Booth)
It is a given fact that we need to allot an hour before the party starts, so
we decided to create activities for Early Birds especially for the kids. One of
the things that I found online are Game/Party Booths for rent, the price ranges
for about 1000 pesos and up. For huge parties it is one of the best way to
entertain kids before the program starts. Other options are supersized board
games which are also perfect for adults.
For us though, we decided to skip it as we are
expecting more or less 35 kids (in the actual party there were only about 15-20
kids). As an alternative we made two booth games (Rhian and myself
conceptualized it). We checked online for some ideas and we adapted Pick-a-Pop
and Pick-a-Prize. It is also a way to make sure all kids gets to win a prize.
It is a game of luck -- so even babies can win. :)
Aside from that we got a party
entertainer package with a face painter. Ms. Charlene from Scarlet Clown Magica
was the face painter for the party. I think all kids and tweens lined up for
it, I think it is one of the most loved activity in the party.
We also prepared name tags and a Sven’s
carrot with activity maps and game tickets and that is to keep kids busy before
the program. Other than that we prepared some special awards for early birds and another one for a trivia game. We decided to exclude it in the end, since not all of our guest were able to make it on that day.
Pick-a-Pop: For the tutorial you may check the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyKgOcDnABM
Pick-a-Prize: We made a giant dice and each number allows a person to pick a prize
Game Tickets and Activity Map: We searched for a design online, made a few modifications then we printed it out.
Name Tags and Sven's Carrot: We printed the name tags in advance to save time and made some Sven's carrots to organize the tickets and activity maps.
Face Painting (Scarlet Clown Magica) and Photo Booth (Xpressions Photobooth): And a few more things that the kids and adults enjoyed before the program started.
6. Program (Games, Magic Show and Balloon Twisting)
Scouting
for the right party entertainers is probably the hardest part in the
checklist. Just like the rest of our
suppliers, I checked on the feedbacks posted for each supplier. Among them the
one with a clean record is Scarlet Clown Magica. Fortunately we made the right
choice, they fulfilled our booking and made the kids and adults happy on the
day of the party. You may contact them
thru their FB page: https://www.facebook.com/Scarlet-Clown-Magicia-Party-Needs-264441580613610/?fref=ts.
7. Prizes
Unfortunately I do not have the
time to go to Divisoria to shop for prizes, however, just a few steps from our
place is Merit's display center. Rhian and I always visits the place to buy
school supplies and other kiddie stuff. The prices for items are less than what
is being sold at malls and bookstores but it is still definitely of good
quality. Just to give an idea we are able to buy 20 pcs. of pencil cases for just 5
pesos each. Sometimes they even sell it for 3 pesos. :). For the other items,
the prize ranges from 5-10 pesos only.
To match the theme we covered the
prices in yellow and green Japanese papers. We also made a box and decorated it
with the Wandering Oaken Post and Sauna printout.
Prizes: Bought from Merit Display Center
8. Decorations
Kubiertos did the stage swagging
and the balloons. It is actually included in the party package (part of the freebies). The balloons
were actually made on site-- it was pretty amazing how they completed it with
efficiency.
As for the letter standees and flowers,
we just made it ourselves. I was planning to buy letter standees online, cost
only ranges for only about 250-350 per letter (2 feet) -- however, it would be a problem to store the standee after the party
-- we are planning to just throw it after the party. So instead of buying a
letter standee we just relied on our creativity. We only spent around 200 pesos for the 5
letters, it is not that heartbreaking to throw it afterwards. J
Initially we wanted to get a styrofoam
backdrop for the party. Price ranges from 4000-12000 pesos. Another option is
to have a styrofoam backdrop customized for about 3500 pesos. We decided to
just go for stage swagging as it would really be a waste to spend that much for
decorations. I just decided to save it up for Rhian. J
However, if you want to a styrofoam backdrop, Kubiertos also offers it as an add-on. Alternatively, it would be more
convenient to go for the worry free package from Kubiertos -- it is an all-in
package -- venue styling with styrofoam
backdrop is already included. J
Letter Standees: Refer to this link for the tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-WcL3Y-KFM
Giant Flowers: Refer to this link for the tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDPoiHTK7v4
9. Souvenirs and Loot bags
I made the loot bags and I was
planning to order some tool caddy for the kids, but my husband told me to skip
the tool caddy. I actually insisted, and it turns out that his decision was
correct. I wanted to order 35 tool caddy and only 15 kids arrived during the
party. Whoa! if I continued the order I will definitely have too many extra
tool caddy to keep. :)
Lootbags: Refer to this link for the tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TuSN6YeoYg&t=527s
Also, we ordered from Sweet Clouds
Cotton Candy. They can actually customize the packaging if orders are 100 and
up. We ordered less than that and customized it using printout. We had it for her 7th party at home and
at school. Kids love it!
Sweer Clouds Cotton Candy FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/swtcloudscottoncandy/?fref=ts
10. Photo Booth and Photographer
Xpressions Photobooth is our
supplier for the photographer and photo booth. As I checked online, I think
they offer the best rate. For magnetic photos, it only cost around 3200 for two
hours (unlimited). Xpressions Photobooth
also do not charge for transportation cost.
We also hired a photographer from
them as it would not be possible for us to take pictures during the party. I
think they also offer the most competitive price for Photo Coverage.
Overall, our experience with
Xpressions Photobooth is a blast. They also have good feedbacks online. Aside
from that they have a website and FB page where you can view the packages and
their portfolio:http://www.xpressionsphotobooth.com/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/Xpressionsphotobooth/?fref=ts
Photo Booth Layout by Xpressions Photobooth
11. Venue
We held the party at the Solano
Hills Clubhouse. The only problem is that admin forgot to indicate the right
date for our event and the venue was not prepared hours before 2:00 PM. It was
good that we went to the place around 11:00 AM, so we are able to advise that
the event date was actually on that day. Also, it was not a big thing to worry
about since the maintenance staff were very alert --they were able to prepare the
venue by 2:00 PM.
Also, the venue comes with a sound
system for only an additional amount of 500 pesos. I think this is not possible
if we are to rent the sound system from another supplier.
The amount that we paid for the
rental of the place is reasonable if it is to be compared with other party
venues. Also, the whole staff is very friendly and it is just a few steps away
from our home. The place is also air-conditioned – a very important factor to
ensure that guests are comfortable during the party.
Visit this site for more pictures: http://www.hedronphilippines.com/solano-hills-clubhouse/
12. Celebrant’s OOTD and more
For my
daughter’s gown on that day, we have it made by Joy’s Dress Shop in Alabang. It
was the dress shop that we went to for our wedding day, for Rhian’s dress when
she was invited to be one of the flower girls in her ninang’s wedding and her
costume for the Reader’s League at school.
For her
make-up and hair style, it was done by my sister from another mother – Ate Vi. To
complete the look and to make sure her hair is not a mess on her big day, we
bought a flower crown from SM accessories.
I hope my shared experience will be
of great help for mom’s who are planning to organize their kids party on their
own. I guess the thing that I missed on the list is “myself”. J
I honestly deprived myself to look my best on that day since I need to make
sure I am able to attend to all my responsibilities before myself. It was
exhausting, I guess that part should also be included in the list. Mommy’s “Me”
time. J
Here are the list of suppliers for Rhian's 7th Birthday, you may contact them directly, since this review is solely based on the service rendered during the event. :)
