Spring Party trends

As we head into the latter half of 2017 it’s time for a party trend update with boutique party store owner Alex of Ruby Rabbit

As one of the leading online party boutique’s Ruby Rabbit provides it’s customers – quality and stylish partyware from a range of well known & more unique brands. So owner Alex is always on top of the trends and in this post she shares what party decor and colour schemes are most popular and trending at the moment! CLICK on any of the images below to shop!

What themes are you seeing as selling out at the moment in your store ? 

Timeless shades of pink and gold remain our top selling products at Ruby Rabbit with the rose gold trend continuing on into the latter half of 2017 and beyond!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unicorns and pretty pastel themes are also a close second and we are forever ordering in more and more stock to keep up with their popularity. Balloons are by far our most popular item in the #partyshop with two large deliveries per week arriving in.….it’s not a party without a balloon!!!

 

 

 

 

What themes do you think will be most popular this summer for kids parties and baby showers ? 

Hmmm I would say pretty pastels and floral prints for girls, shades of blues for boys (creeping away from the monochrome!), and for baby showers lots of peach, rose gold and silver.

 

 

 

 

What decoration items are your customers loving at the moment ? 

Balloon garlands! Everyone loves a little DIY and seeing their very own creations come to life. At Ruby Rabbit we sell hundreds of balloons each week and with our new balloon garland decorating strips creating your own garland is super easy.

 

 

What are some of the extra little details popular with your customers ?

Paper straws are always a staple item in most of our orders. They are an inexpensive way to pretty up party drinks and add a little pop of colour to tie in to a party theme.

 

 

Do you have a favourite range out this year ? 

My personal favourite is the cactus range from Meri Meri. I love the fun plate shape and colours.

 

What colour schemes are trending at the moment ?

Rose gold, blush, peach and metallic silver.

 

 

 

 

To find the most on-trend and up to date partyware, head to Ruby Rabbit to shop for your next kids’ party! They also now offer after-pay so you can party now and pay later! Browse their website here!

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrating Little One’s Magazine – issue 2 is out!

 

I’m so excited to bring you issue 2 of “Celebrating Little One’s” magazine!

 

This issue brings you 12 truly amazing party features to inspire you as well as interviews with industry leaders Diane Khoury, Sarah Osmotherly (Sugar Coated Mama) and Poppies for Grace sharing their advice especially for creative business owners . It is also packed with fab articles ranging from tips to choosing your child’s birthday cake to must-know advice on using florals at your next celebration! This issue also showcases some fantastic party decor, birthday gift ideas and more!

You will be swooning over the pages filled with the best party styling and products from Life’s Little Celebration vendors.

Don’t forget you can browse and click through any of the links throughout the magazine for easy sourcing and party planning direct from the magazine!

So get browsing and access it all here for free.

If you love it, please do share it!

 

 

 

 

 

Donut themed party inspiration and finds

Donuts are the hole (!) party package. Confetti sprinkles, vibrant colours and deliciousness.

Watch out for the Winter Issue of the free online Celebrating Little Ones magazine which will be out next week and features a gorgeous donut themed LLC shoot!

This humble bakery treat really has officially hit celebrity #hashtag social status, becoming the inspiration for special occasions of all types – crazy huh?!

However you can see  the gorgeous styling which can evolve from a party theme or dessert table based around the delicious donut!:

 

 

 

So if you’ve been tempted by these tasty morsels and planning a donut themed celebration yourself, you donut need to look far for inspiration, and we’ve found some fantastic items so you donut (!) need to worry about hunting them down.

That’s it for the donut jokes, promise 🙂

Donut party invitations

Guests don’t need to be asked twice to get along to a party that screams everyone’s favourite treat! Count us in!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donut party decorations

Let colour reign supreme with your styling and decoration choices and let the donuts do all the hard work for you. This is the perfect theme to incorporate sprinkles and lots of colour also!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A fun way to personalise a party setup or to create a “donut bar” sign:

 

 

 

Donut walls are hugely popular at the moment and are a must for a unique way to display your donut desserts!:

 

 

 

Love this customised authentic chalkboard design for unique signage!:

 

 

Donut party tableware

Continue the colour and confetti to your table and match with fun donut themed plates, cups and napkins. There will be no mistaking this theme, that’s for sure!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donut party cakes and accessories

It’s fair to say the star attraction (besides the birthday boy or girl of course) is going to be the donuts. Whether it’s the real deal themselves and in their dozens, cookies trying to be donuts, cakes disguised as donuts or adorned with donut decorations, just spread them round in abundance. Here are some ideas for your desserts including some extra finishing touches with splashes of colour to suit this theme:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donut party favors

Just in case your guests haven’t had enough of donuts, donut be concerned, there’s still more!

 

 

 

Send them home with donuts or other fun items in these party favour packaging options:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How cute is this necklace favour? Filled with little sprinkles it could definitely work into a donut theme!:

 

 

 

So there you go! All the inspiration and perfect finds to pull off a fun (and sugar filled) donut party for any occasion. You will have a lot of fun planning this one.

 

Save me a donut!

 

Little Prince Party Theme

If you’re struggling to find a theme for the Christening of your new little Prince, or perhaps his first birthday party, look no further than the Royals themselves and be inspired by the colours of regal blue and gold.

Here is some inspiration to get you started from vendors on our party directory!  (Email lifeslittlec@gmail.com if you’re an Australian small business wanting to be showcased and find out more about our wide range of member benefits):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love that this theme can be as understated or over the top as you like, and most items can be readily found amongst our LLC Vendors on the Directory to complete a beautiful event.

 

Little Prince Party Invitations and Accessories

These invitations by Eve & Co just scream opulence don’t they?

 

 

This gorgeous design is lovely in lighter colours:

 

 

 

These cute headwear items are perfect for the little prince or his guests!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Prince Party Decorations

Your little Prince deserves nothing but the finest Royal setting of linen, fine china (well, paper plate china!) and filigree cutlery, wouldn’t you agree?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Prince Tableware

Create a table setting or dessert buffet with a touch of class with these finds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prince themed table labels help keep the whole dessert table tied into the theme:

 

 

 

Little Prince Cake Accessories

Surprise and delight the Royal guests with sweet delicacies adorned in blue and gold, and the jewel in the crown – the perfect cake! All the desserts can be themed using these finishing touches:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Prince Party Favours

If there are simply too many treats left over from your Royal affair, package them up in coordinated treat bags for guests to enjoy at home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perfect for your little Prince, coordinating blue and gold makes a special theme for a special little Prince for a first birthday party or a Christening!

 

 

Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about an event stylist!

Ever wondered what an Event Stylist actually does? Have you considered booking a stylist but aren’t sure if it would suit your type of event?

Today we chat to the talented Lopa of Pumpkin Carriage Events in Sydney and find out about the inner workings of an Event Stylist!

Why engage an event stylist?

If you want to have flawless decor to give that WOW factor to your celebration, then you need to engage an event stylist. But…. that’s not the entire package that an event stylist brings to your party. We save you time, money and bring you a pool of resources, knowledge and experience.

In our busy days and lives, we have to master our to-do lists and excel at prioritising. Sometimes having huge work and family commitments means that you can’t be completely committed to designing a fabulous event that will make memories forever. Now imagine an individual or a business whose bread and butter is solely to prioritise your event and give it the full and undivided attention that it needs. Bringing an event stylist on board for your event means that not a single detail is missed and no effort is spared in bringing your theme and your style to life.

Apart from saving you time, an event stylist will also save you a lot of money. Stylists are not inexpensive, but they are very efficient with their costs. On your budget spreadsheet, it may seem like it is an extra cost, but in reality engaging a stylist will bring you massive savings. A good stylist will know how to set the scene for a stylish and memorable celebration whilst maximising your budget. A stylist knows where to cut back without compromising the style and where to splash out to create that WOW factor for your celebration, bringing you value for money.

Finally, an event stylist brings a wealth of experience and a pool of expertise to your event. Whether you are planning your child’s first birthday or an upcoming wedding, remember a stylist would have styled and organised numerous of them in the same year. Every stylist has their own database of experienced and skilled vendors, and the stylist knows which of those vendor’s knowledge and expertise will bring the best value to your event.

 

As an event stylist, what aspects of the event do you coordinate?

As a stylist, our focus is on the décor and style of your event, including venue styling, dessert tables, bar and drink stations, entrance styling and guestbooks and much more. Your event is unique to you and we believe that it should tell your story.

Our focus is getting to know you and what you want to achieve from your event, so that we can set the scene and add your personal touches in designing the perfect celebration. People come together to celebrate a milestone or a happy occasion and it is always a delight for the host and guests to walk into a party space that is styled to heighten the mood for celebration.

Can you talk us through the process of what happens if I was to book with you for an event? 

Once you receive a quote and are happy with it, you can book us by paying a deposit, which locks in the date of your event in our calendar.

During the quoting process, we ask a lot of questions about your event so that we can provide you with a tailored quotation to suit what you need for your event. For example, you don’t need to be quoted for a marquee if you don’t need it!

By the booking stage we have a fair idea of the kind of look, feel and style you may want for your event. Once booked, we ask for your preferred colour palette, and then we buzz away behind the scenes planning, coordinating, organising all that is required to design and set up a mesmerising party space. Yes, it is a lot of work, but we love it!

Our team will design, create and set up the party space at your venue before your party begins so all that’s left for you to do is pick your fabulous outfit and host your party!

How should someone decide whether to DIY or book an event stylist?

The key deciding factor in DIY vs hiring an stylist is time and expertise. Do you have the time to design and create styling pieces, source unique décor features, cakes, desserts, personalised items, source props, pick up and drop offs from multiple locations to and from the event venue, and the list could continue on.

As an event styling company our team’s time and expertise is dedicated to doing all of those things for you, so that you can dedicate your time to work and family commitments.

It’s like doing your taxes on your own as opposed to engaging an accountant. Sure, its easy enough to lodge taxes online on our own, but an experienced accountant has the expertise to find you creative ways to get more bang for your buck!

What happens if someone doesn’t know if they can afford an event planner? Do stylists have a range of packages they can tailor to suit various budgets?

There is a range of event stylists in the market with a wide spectrum of pricing and inclusions. There are those who provide stock standard pricing and inclusions, and those who provide tailored pricing to suit what the client needs. Essentially, what you need to consider is firstly what is your budget and what is your expectation from that budget in terms of the style you want to achieve. As with all products and services, style and quality go hand-in-hand with price.

Approximately how many hours of work would go into an event such as a first birthday ? 

After styling many first birthdays, it now takes us an average of 15 to 20 hours from concept and development to coordination, to styling and setting up an event. Of course every event is different and exact timings depend on the event however this is a rough estimate.

On average 4 to 5 hours of this is spent in styling, setting up the scene for the event at the venue with a team of 3 to 4 staff, and at least 1 to 2 hours packing up after the event.

The pre-event preparations such as design briefs and proofs for vendors, sourcing and booking of props, cakes, and desserts take up almost 6 to 8 hours depending on the style and complexity required. For example, when we are creating a unique and innovative prop or accessory for an event, it takes longer in design and testing process, before we include it for your event.

Travel time can take up almost 6 to 8 hours depending on the event requirements, as we travel all over Sydney to source the appropriate vendors to match the skills required for your event. This involves picking up, delivering to the venue and returning items such as props, signage, printed items, cakes and desserts, flowers, decorative items and much more.

These time estimates are only rough guides as each event is unique and therefore timing will depend on the specific requirements you need.

 

Tell us about the day in the life of an event planner /stylist/! 

A day in my life absolutely has to start with a strong cup of ‘chai’ made the traditional way, which I sip while packing lunch and serving breakfast for my cherubs.

Then begins the school routine and drop offs. Once the kids are in their happy place, I get into mine.

This includes providing design briefs, booking vendors for upcoming events, sourcing props (mostly on the road), going to see clients for consults, and so on until close of business, with the evenings free to enjoy some time with my gorgeous family.

 

 

What doesn’t an event stylist do? 

A stylist is responsible for the décor and style of the event, mainly setting the scene for your celebration. As an event stylist we usually don’t stay for the duration of the event to ensure everything runs smoothly and coordinate with venue staff and guests. This is usually what an event planner would do.

Thank you Lopa of The Pumpkin Carriage events for providing us more insight into the services of an event stylist!

All the beautiful events showcased in this blog post were styled by The Pumpkin Carriage events with photography by Captured by Kirri.

If you want to discuss your event further with The Pumpkin Carriage events you can find their website here