Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Style

With all the Christmas preparations happening it is easy to leave NYE planning until last minute…but now is the time to organise what you need  – so to help you get organised I’m sharing some NYE party supplies early to ensure they will arrive in time!

New Year’s Eve celebrations are one of my favourite – there is something special about a new year beginning and celebrating with close family or friends!

 

 

 

Our little ones are still quite little however for those of you with slightly older kids it is a perfect chance to organise a gathering that doesn’t centre just around the kids!  It’s a chance to get together with friends and family, letting the kids stay up a little longer than usual before having a slumber party on the floor, and then it’s all about letting the adults relax into the New Year with a more adults only style occasion (aka, champagne!).

When I look back at all the many amazing new trends in themes we’ve seen this year, there’s one in particular that I’ve been saving for NYE and just screams sophistication and ‘Happy New Year’ to me, and that’s the classic black and metallics with a touch of marble. Adult opulence at it’s best!

So if like me, you’ve had a big year of parties filled with flamingos, doughnuts and unicorns and are just craving something a little more grown up, I’ve sourced the perfect pieces from our LLC Vendors to pull together the perfect New Year’s Eve celebration for the adults (and kids, until bedtime!) so you can start your planning now, and have something to look forward to after the Christmas ham is finished.

 

New Year’s Eve Decorations

Whether it’s a backyard BBQ, seafood buffet or canapés after watching the fire works, this theme looks stunning in the evening as the metallics shimmer and glisten when styled with plenty of candles, and black or metallics make a great backdrop for these to pop against in the evening.

So start with black as your base, and build on it with hints of metallic (either gold or silver) and marble accents for depth and interest. Use your marble kitchen bench top, a black trestle table or one covered with a table cloth for a more polished look, and create drama and interest with varying heights of stands and platters to serve your food, or set an opulent dinner table complete with candle light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why not take cues from the countdown and incorporate giant helium number balloons.

 

 

Or mix and match decorations with a mix of black, white, gold

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For real wow factor, a gold sequin tablecloth creates the perfect setting for a gorgeous New years eve dessert table!:

 

 

Don’t forget the confetti at midnight! This would also look great scattered down the centre of your dining table.

 

New Year’s Eve Tableware

Whilst it’s always nice to bring out your best dinner set (you know, the one you received for your wedding that’s still in the box ?) no one wants to be washing dishes on New Year’s Day – so opt for some stylish disposables instead!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How gorgeous are these Kate Spade coasters?

 

 

 

 

 

New Year’s Eve Sweet Treats

Finish the year off with a bang and start your diet resolutions the following day – it’s time to eat cake! Nothing beats a glass of champagne and delicious dessert now, does it? Here’s a sample of what LLC partners in the Directory can create for your event!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the kids are a part of the NYE celebrations – why not setup a cute table setting for them complete with colouring, board games or other activities to keep them entertained? You can hire some stylish children’s table and chairs from LLC partners around Australia – here is a sample!:

 

 

 

How great are these take home bags? Perfect for the kids who would have missed out whilst they were sleeping!

 

 

Another fantastic idea are these labels for mini wine or champagne bottles for your friends:

 

 

Attach these tags to any take home gift for your NYE guests for instant NYE style!

 

 

Like all celebrations, New Year’s Eve is a wonderful excuse to get your nearest and dearest together and get creative with your styling. So say farewell to another big year by going bold, and celebrate the prospect of new opportunities, milestones and adventures together in style – cheers!

 

Going Bananas: Tropical Party Theme Inspiration

If I was to do a poll on the most popular party themes for 2016, Tropical would be one of the clear winners by a mile. Not a day goes by without spotting another beautifully styled, colourful tropical party on my Instagram feed. What’s not to love about bright colours, cheeky fruit, sunglasses, flamingos, palm leaves and inflatable pool toys? Bring on Summer!

 

 

With so many new and tempting partyware options available for this theme however, it can be hard to know where to start, so I’ve done the hard work for you and rounded up a few supplies and inspo ideas from our LLC Vendors to get the party started.

 

 

Tropical Party Invitations

When I think of a tropical party, the vibrant colours of summer fruits and lush green palms always spring to mind. So use this as your inspiration for colour and design in your invitations, and have some Rio Carnevale style fun by adding some pink flamingos!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A lovely keep sake idea is a custom print recording all the special details of your child at the age they are at the moment! This fun tropical themed custom print would be perfect for this theme:

 

Tropical party decorations

You can literally go bananas (pardon the pun) decorating with this theme. Go bold with lush foliage or create your own palm or Monstera leaves using large pieces of paper, include plenty of fruit and florals as props, and don’t forget a flamingo or two for a bit of fun!

 

 

 

 

How gorgeous is this floral chandelier by Hanging Pretty?

 

This garland would make a fun backdrop or centrepiece!:

 

 

These hand painted water colour decorations by ELK Prints are perfect for table settings or the sweets buffet.

 

Of course what’s a party without balloons!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The use of natural or artificial flowers is also a great idea, and I love how Kirei Handmade has used them on giant letters.

 

You can also hire a foilage wall such as this for a tropical feel backdrop:

 

 

Flamingos or pineapples? Can’t decide? Go for both!:

 

 

 

Giant honeycomb balls in abundance and a selection of bold colours also looks fabulous.

 

 

 

 

Can’t go past these flamingo pinatas for some fun or decoration:

 

 

 

Tropical party tableware

Is it getting balmy in here yet? Let’s turn the heat up a notch with the perfect table setting for guests to sip on tropical punch and enjoy sweet fruit treats.

You’ll find an abundance of bright tableware perfect for this theme, including these fun finds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This fun lemonade stand from Tiny Tots Toy Hire (Sydney) is perfect for a cool drinks bar at a hot tropical party and seen in the below tropical setup:

 

 

 

 

Hire some flamingos for extra decorating fun!:

 

 

 

 

 

Tropical cakes, cookies and desserts

With a theme that takes it’s cues from food, it’s fair to say that your sweets table will be the centrepiece of this occasion. Think cakes and desserts decorated with tropical flowers or fruit, and cookies shaped as exoctic birds, monstera leaves and tropical fruits. Don’t forget the real thing either!

Here is some of what has been created for this theme from LLC vendors around Australia who you can order from:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tropical party favours

From fruit inspired cookies to whacky flamingo foam glasses, your guest will go home feeling like they’ve been on a tropical holiday with these finds and packaging!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before the little guests head home – why not have them stamp their fingerprint on this unique guest book idea! This ceramic hand painted tile will make the perfect keepsake for after the party!:

 

 

With so many partywares available, you can see why the tropical theme is just so hot right now, and a really easy one to pull together. I hope this has helped narrow the search down a little for you and provided the inspiration you need for your next occasion!

 

Celebrate Unwrapped: Floral tags

Celebrate attendees were already receiving delicious desserts and treats to take home in their swag bags – however I wanted to provide them with another type of buffet to enjoy as part of their experience at Celebrate. The flower bar did just that with each guest taking home their own hand picked posy of flowers in mini bottle vases dressed in stunning watercolour tags by ELK Prints:

 

 

The tags had a simple reminder keepsake message for them to “flourish” their business using the tools from the day. So many commented on the beautiful handpainted design on each tag:

 

 

It was a lovely area for guests to enjoy during the break to create their take-home floral gift:

 

 

ELK prints – who created these tags – is an expert in beautiful bespoke creations for celebrations!

From stunning invites to handpainted decorations – each piece is  custom made and totally gorgeous! I personally love the watercolour effect and it is still a huge trend in art and print at the moment!

 

 

 

 

Beautiful hand painted signs for a room or for an event become a true keepsake!:

 

 

 

 

Unique decorations can also be created such as these handpainted feather balloon tails!

 

 

Contact Elizabeth at ELK Prints and discuss what she could create for your next celebration!

Follow her on facebook here and instagram here and also visit her website here.

Thank you ELK prints for your stunning work on the Celebrate flower bar tags!

 

 

 

Gymnastics Party Theme Supplies

Do you remember going to gymnastic classes as a child? So much fun!

Tumbling, jumping and climbing make it a popular choice of extra curricular activity for lower primary school aged children, and the perfect party option for this age group too.

For the full experience (and safety of your household items) many gymnastics venues offer party packages on the weekend, making it a great option for catering to larger numbers too. You’ll find many provide a room or separate area (and sometimes tables and chairs) for you to set up and bring your own catering, and they’ll take care of the rest. Too easy!

Here is some inspiration to get you started!:

 

 

Regardless of where you host your gymnastics party, we’ve done a little search of our LLC partners for some inspiration and general partyware you might need to help bring it all together for you.

 

Invitations

Get your guests excited with a fun and creative invitation that will have them bouncing with anticipation. I love the idea of including a photo of the birthday boy or girl as a gymnast!

 

 

 

 

 

Decorations

If hosting it at a venue, you may be limited to the decorations you can bring in and the allocated time to set up, so stick to some fun balloons and coordinated tableware for a quick and easy set up and clean up. Or if at home, go all out and let your imagination run wild! Choose bright primary colours, pink and gold or even metallics just like a gymnast’s leotard!

A styled table with customised cookies, wrapped chocolates or cupcakes with toppers is also an easy way to achieve your look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cake and Desserts 

Although it is hard to find Gymnastic specific partyware and decorations, theming your cake and desserts to match a Gymnastics theme is a fun way to bring the theme out :

 

 

Tableware

You know I love a coordinated table – whatever the occasion! This theme allows for plenty of play with creativity, choice of colours and degree of detail, so here’s a few finds to get you started. How cute are these individual boxes?

 

 

Here are a range of fun and colourful options for tableware depending on what colour scheme you go for:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Favours

When all the gymnasts have tumbled themselves tired and it’s time to go home, what better way to say ‘thanks’ and reward them for their outstanding ability, than to award them all them with their own gold medals or trophies! Kids go wild for these and they’re easy enough to find and be added to a goodie bag with a customised cookie, treats or other personalised gifts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is such a fun party theme for both boys and girls of all ages, and with a few small customised touches, an easy one to style too. Have fun!

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrate unwrapped: personalised name tags

We’ve all been there. When you have a vision in mind but not really sure of how to execute it or bring it all together, or you’re simply stuck on one particular detail.

This was the case with our guest name tags for the recent Celebrate conference – something I knew we needed, but could not get my head around how they could tie in with the rest of the theme.

So you can imagine my relief (and pure joy) when I spoke with Daniella of Eve & Co who understood the concept straight away and with very few details, just ran with it. What she produced was so far from anything that I could have imagined, but so perfect. Exactly why she’s the expert in designing stationary and not me!

 

 

The tassels were what grabbed my excitement initially as this wasn’t something we were using elsewhere, but for the name tags they simply worked and turned them into something so much prettier for guests to wear. Topped off with gold glitter and they coordinated beautifully with the rest of our theme.

 

 

These were name tags that guests definitely were excited to wear (and some letting me know they would be keeping theirs to reuse !)

Daniella from Eve & Co creates bespoke stationary for all occasions, and also specialises in christening candles too which make beautiful gifts or keepsakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When working with numerous suppliers or you simply don’t have a complete brief to provide, it’s essential that those suppliers have the creativity and listening skills to be able to pick up on elements and just run with it. It takes a lot of trust, but after working with Daniella amongst others, it certainly pays off. They are the experts after all!

Thank you so much for all your hard work with this event Eve & Co! Such a small detail, but one that shone brightly on the day.