Parties with style…by Pumpkin Carriage

 

 

If you love hosting celebrations but don’t have the time to bring it together…or prefer to relax on the day and let someone else take care of the decor for you …then an event stylist is the perfect person to assist!

Gone are the days when event stylists were only used for weddings – now they are often used to create memorable setups at first birthdays, Christenings and baby showers – so that parents can enjoy the celebration without as much stress!

Today we are showcasing some of the recent work of one of our members – Sydney event stylist  Pumpkin Carriage !

Each event they style is as unique as the child they are celebrating – they truly bring together the best vendors in Sydney to create amazing and fun setups to suit various themes!

This recent modern wild-one party for a little girl is delightful with the jungle patterns and props and cute animal figurines but all styled in such a fun and pretty way:

 

 

 

 

 

A Unicorn party theme continues to be popular but  Pumpkin Carriage still managed to create a unique wow factor with this bright and vibrant unicorn party!:

 

 

 

A chef or cooking party has become a favourite in recent times as a hands-on theme and I love the various settings  Pumpkin Carriage created for this kids party:

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see – Pumpkin Carriage  really brings a theme to life not just through one dessert table but through a range of displays and settings for guests and kids to enjoy and to make the occasion truly a memorable one! Pumpkin Carriage also styles elegant baby showers, Christening events and adult celebrations!

 

 

 

 

So if you’re in Sydney and looking for a stylist that leaves no detail missed, then speak to Lopa of Pumpkin Carriage Events

You can find her contact details and see more of her work here

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it’s a superman party!

POW! Do we have a party to share with you today from one of our Sydney based members Sweet Heavenly Events & Party Hire

Using their amazing range of plinths, cake stands and kids chairs combined with their styling talent, Sweet Heavenly Events in Sydney were able to put together this superhero party which is truly out of this world!

I love how the clear plinths and ghost chairs really make the desserts, backdrop and decorations stand out! Plinths have become so on-trend lately and Sweet Heavenly Events have a range of plinths in various colours and shapes which are a must-see if you want plinths for your next dessert table!

They also provide styling services for those of you who want a stress free set-up time for your kids party!

Enjoy the amazing images below and find the full vendor list at the bottom of the blog post.

 

 

 

 

Theming the plinths and chairs using these decals is a fantastic way to truly customise a party setup!:

 

 

 

 

 

Balloon garlands for table centrepieces are another on-trend styling idea:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you ready to get planning for your child’s superhero party? Here are the vendors involved so you can source the above items or others to suit your child’s party theme!:

Vendor Credits:

Styled & All Props by Sweet Heavenly Events & Party Hire

Balloons by Bubble Moo Balloons

Cake & Cupcakes by Stella Bella Cupcakes 

Cake pops and Cookies by Popolate

Backdrop Design & Custom Paperie by Eve & Co.

Ghost Chairs Decal and all printing by Jo’s Signs by Design

Captured by ZOOM images

If you’re looking for amazing props, chairs and tables for your next kids party or any celebration in Sydney – make sure you browse the range at Sweet Heavenly Event & Party Hire ! They also provide styling services if you don’t want to DIY!

Visit their website to find out more.

 

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

 

 

 

Swan themed Baptism

I was excited to share my daughters Swan themed Baptism in the first issue of “Celebrating Little Ones” magazine which you can view here

I always knew if this little 4th child of ours was a little girl then a “Swan” theme was what I would pick for her Baptism theme as well as her Nursery theme. It was a lot of fun finding and sourcing various pieces to incorporate into the decorations and of course I used the vendors listed on the LLC children’s party directory!

For our family the Baptism day of our children is quite important and special and so even though our guest list was small I still wanted to create something beautiful to celebrate the occasion.

All the beautiful photos were by Captured by Kirri

This gorgeous invitation from Emma Smith Event Stationery set the scene for the Swan theme and included beautiful gold foil lettering!:

I wanted everything to be very soft and pretty and the backdrop from Dream a little Dream Events along with the feather garlands from Ruby Rabbit Partyware helped incorporate the feather look which was also framed so beautifully with the balloon garland with tassels from Party Splendour

 

 

I like keeping my setups uncomplicated as far as the layout of desserts – as you can see the table is quite uncluttered and symmetrical. When you have young kids you want your dessert table setup to be easy because it definitely is not the only thing you will be getting ready on the morning!

The grey marble and pink cake stands I just loved from Petite Events Hire so I really wanted to include them in this setup along with their pretty white console table.

I also carried the softness of the feathers down to the floor with the sheepskin rug and all the decor filling under the table from Ruby Rabbit Partyware:

 

Personal touches are important for me when planning a dessert table for one of my children and this gorgeous gold mirror sign from Communicake It added that personalised touch and I knew I could also display it and keep it in Leah’s nursery which I have now done. It was also easily blutacked onto the backdrop and nice and light weight!:

Party Splendour managed to incorporate some soft feathers into the balloons:

 

 

For the cake by Macaron Delights – I wanted to keep things simple and elegant and topped with a sweet Swan topper from Poppies for Grace:

 

For the rest of the desserts I aimed to carry on the colour schemes of pinks, whites,  and golds and these meringue kisses from Quincy Lane honestly tasted as good as they looked. They are SO easy to devour it is hard not to eat 5…or 10 !

 

 

The macarons by Macaron Delights were also oh so delicious!!

 

The elegant swan cookies from Frosted by Nicci were inspired by the invitations and were just gorgeous and Nicci did a beautiful job matching them to the invitations!! Kids love cookies so I always ensure to have some on my kids dessert tables:

 

 

Using a swan mould from Confectionately Yours I created some white chocolate swans to add to the table. I’m no baker at all and these chocolates are not perfect – but it was a bit fun making these and reminded me of my childhood when we use to make chocolates.

 

I love fairy floss from Fluffy Crunch any day of the week so I loved incorporating this soft dessert on the table! Fairy floss can only be served and displayed just before the guests are ready to eat it – so I did have more in tubs ready to serve as guests ate – which was handy as the fairy floss went FAST!

 

The Poppes for Grace feather garlands which I sourced from Ruby Rabbit Partyware added such a pretty touch and I now have the pink one displayed in Leah’s room:

 

The pretty white and gold plates and take home bags were also from Ruby Rabbit Partyware. They were so gorgeous to use for dessert plates and to fill with desserts for guests to take home to enjoy later!

 

 

 

This beautiful print from Toucan is one I chose also for Leah’s room and it suited the setup for the dessert table so well also:

 

The special girl of the moment herself ! 2 months old and ready for her special day:

 

 

 

And a special family photo before we headed off to the Church!:

Vendors:

 

Photography: Captured by Kirri

http://www.capturedbykirri.com.au/

 

Feather garlands, honeycomb balls, tulle pom poms, clear balloons, plates and favour bags, cupcake cases: Ruby Rabbit Partyware

https://www.rubyrabbit.com.au/

 

Balloons: Party Splendour

http://partysplendour.com.au/

 

Feather backdrop supplied by: Dream a little Dream Events

http://www.dreamalittledream.com.au/

 

Invitation: Emma Smith Event Stationery

http://www.emmasmith.com.au/:

 

Table and cake stands: Petite Events Hire

https://www.petiteeventshire.com.au/

 

Gold name sign: Communicake It

http://www.communicakeit.com/

 

Cake and macarons: Macaron Delights

https://www.facebook.com/MacaronDelightsbySana/

 

Cookies: Frosted by Nicci

http://www.frostedbynicci.com.au/

 

Meringue Kisses: Quincy Lane

https://www.facebook.com/Quincy-Lane-1500236163563930/

 

Fairy Floss: Fluffy Crunch

https://www.fluffycrunch.com.au/

 

Swan chocolates made by myself using moulds from Confectionately Yours

http://www.confectionatelyyours.com.au/

 

Swan print: Toucan

http://www.toucanonline.com/

 

Bow chair: Out of the Cot

http://www.ootc.com.au/

 

Thanks for viewing my daughters Swan themed Baptism ! It truly was lovely to put together and a very special day for our family!

 

 

 

 

 

Party feature: Donut, milk and cookies theme!

Milk, cookies and donuts – what better combination could there be for little ones to enjoy?

This was the inspiration behind this delightful birthday party by Mon Soiree Event Styling who created a feast in a gorgeous colour palette for this fun celebration!

It all started with the beautiful invitations by Eve and Co which then came to life with the dessert table!

Enjoy the beautiful images of this setup which I am sure will leave you with some serious donut cravings!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now I am sure I have you salivating at the thought of some delicious donuts – so to put together your own donut party for your little one, here are the talented vendors used to create this amazing party setup!:

 

Vendors:

 

Styling by Mon Soiree – Dessert Tables & Candy Buffets

https://www.facebook.com/MonSoiree/

Balloons by Born to Party https://www.facebook.com/borntopartyaustralia/

Invitations by Eve&Co. https://www.facebook.com/eveandcostationery/

Cake by All Things Sweet https://www.allthingssweetbycarissa.com.au/

Topper by Glistening Occasions http://www.glisteningoccasions.com.au/

Waffles by Sugar High Desserts www.sugarhighdesserts.com.au

Strawberry Tower by Strawberries & Co. https://www.facebook.com/StrawberriesandCo/

Mini Donuts by Petite Sweets & Co https://www.facebook.com/petitesweetsandco/

Sugar donuts by stylists mother

Fondant Cookies by Short & Sweet Designs https://www.facebook.com/shortandsweetdesigns/

Chocolate Chip Cookies by Vanilla B Baking https://www.facebook.com/vanillabbaking/

Photography by Marie McDermid Photography

https://www.facebook.com/MarieMcDermidPhotography/