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

 

 

 

Trolls Party Supplies

It may have been released over 12 months ago, but the hit movie TROLLS is here to stay in the land of parties! And at home on DVD just quietly too – such a great movie!

The colour, hair, characters and messages make this is fantastic kids party theme – just channel your inner Princess Poppy and go all out we say. We’ve found some great items from our LLC Vendors to help get the party started (cue music).

 

Trolls party invitations

Use colour, brightness and florals as your inspiration for this theme. We love this sparkling invitation:

 

 

We also love this contextual watercolour design:

 

 

Trolls party decorations

This is where the fun starts! Think rainbows, pastels, swirled marble effects like their hair, glitter and confetti – just like Poppy’s pop up scrap books!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trolls party tableware

You won’t be stuck for choice when it comes to finding enough coloured or licensed tableware for your trolls party. Mix and match for an explosion of happiness in the room!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trolls party cakes and desserts

Cake makers are in their element with this theme! Cookies, cake pops and the cake itself is a great way to bring the movie characters into your styling if you haven’t already found a place for them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trolls party favours

Guests will love taking home their own Troll novelty! Some ideas for unique party favours or bright party favour bags!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And to finish off – the perfect finishing touch for the birthday boy or girl! Choose a custom Trolls party hat or a Poppy inspired floral crown!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now all that’s left is the fun tunes of the soundtrack, and you have yourself one VERY colourful and happy Trolls party! Hug time!

 

Kids party theme inspiration

Inspiration for a kids party theme can come from anywhere! Sometimes if your child is old enough they can tell you what theme they would like. However if they are little (or perhaps indecisive) you may need more ideas – whether it be from looking online at parties, invitation designs or even cakes and desserts!

Today I am sharing some amazing cookies from Flyawaypineapple to inspire you with some popular kids themes. Rhian’s amazing cookie creations can be posted Australia wide and are perfect for kids parties as you will see.

Summer party themes:

With the warmer months coming up around the corner, now is the time to be dreaming up inspiration for all those summer parties! You can’t go wrong with bright colours and fruity themes as well water-related themes for that time of the year!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On-trend themes

Popular themes featuring teepees, cactus and donuts have been high on trend this year, along with unicorns, carousels, modern safari and mermaids! The advantage of picking a theme such as this is that it is much more easier to source partyware and decor to suit:

 

 

 

Character Parties

Then of course there are all the much-loved parties based around specific characters, toys and movies that your child loves! Simply seeing what your child loves to play with or read or watch will give you inspiration for a theme such as this!:

 

 

 

Themes for older kids

For kids 8+ it can get a bit trickier when it comes to party planning! Science parties, bowling parties or sports based parties (eg soccer, gymnastics) can work very well not to mention parties involving craft or a cooking based activity or a movie party!:

 

 

 

 

First Birthdays

For the little ones and their first birthdays – the sky is truly the limit! However I have loved the rise of animal based themes which suit a first birthday perfectly. Go with a cute Deer, bright Flamingo or pretty Giraffe…or for boys you could go with a monochrone Panda theme, a woodland fox or bear or a modern safari animal!

 

 

 

 

I hope these stunning cookies have inspired you ! Flyawaypineapple post their amazing cookies Australia wide so contact them via their website to enquire on an order!

 

 

 

 

 

Disney Pixar’s Cars party supplies

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you would have heard the news that has Lightning McQueen fans VERY excited.

Cars 3 is due for release in cinemas around the country June 22, just in time for school holidays, sending mini race car drivers into a tail spin of anticipation! I must admit though, it’s been a fantastic franchise that has been enjoyed in our family, so I’m sure the new movie will also be well received.

Judging by the popularity of Lightning McQueen and the movie over the years, as well as the trend for movies to quickly become a favourite party theme, we’re predicting a lot of red with requests for Cars parties over the coming months! So we’ve found some great finds from our LLC Vendors to get your engines racing.

 

Cars party decorations

You won’t have any difficulty finding licensed party ware if that’s your preference, but to avoid Lightning overload, take inspiration from the colours of the characters and the Grand Prix to create your own creative spin on the theme. We love the use of red or yellow, white and black as a base, which you can build on with any licensed products or character inspired desserts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cars party tableware

If you are trying to avoid using too much licensed party ware, a great compromise is to alternate between plain bold colours and licensed tableware, or use licensed plates with plain napkins and cups. That way you’re still letting the mini’s enjoy the star appeal of the characters – because let’s face it that’s what they want!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cars party cakes, desserts and accessories

We all know the hero of the day (besides the birthday boy or girl!) is the cake! Add some character cookies and you’ve pretty much taken them inside the movie and given them the greatest day ever!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For your party favours there is always some fun items in the stores for this Cars party theme – so here are some quality party favour packaging options which you can fill up with Cars goodies the kids will love!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you looking forward to seeing this movie with the kids? If you’re lucky enough to be continuing the excitement of the race and the roar of the engines with a party then I hope this has provided some inspiration and quick shopping finds for you.

 

Enjoy the party!

 

Rainbow Inspired First Birthday

 

A rainbow party theme is always popular – beautiful and bright for any children’s event! So when it came time for a special Life’s Little Celebrations collaborative shoot for our friends at Lenzo this theme was chosen with the challenge to bring a new twist on this well loved theme – view the Lenzo feature here.

Chantelle from Tiny Tots Events in Melbourne coordinated and styled the shoot and worked with many vendors from Life’s Little Celebrations (vendor credits at the end of this post) to create this truly stunning and unique rainbow party setting.

The balloons featuring in this party from the rainbow arch, to the gold confetti balloons to the gorgeous grey balloon backdrop are totally mind blowing and the work of talented Boutique Balloons in Melbourne:

 

 

 

I love the uniqueness of the 3D backdrop with a little girl painting a rainbow in soft colours with the ribbons flowing down !

The sweet rainbow colours  work beautifully with the metallics in the shoot along with the greys/blacks showing how a rainbow does not have to be strictly only about rainbow colours:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The kids setting is just stunning with florals in various colours and a setting any child or adult would love!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dessert table was adorned with an array of colourful rainbow inspired desserts. Rather than going with rainbow shaped desserts , the desserts were inspired by the pastel watercolour shades of the rainbow featured in the backdrop:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This sweet invitation which coordinated with the backdrop set the scene for the event with it’s beautiful watercolour rainbow and gold foil:

 

 

The design was carried through into the sweet favour tags:

 

 

 

I hope this colourful rainbow party has left you with a smile on your face and feeling inspired for your next celebration you are planning!

 

 

Vendor Credits:

This shoot was a collaboration of Life’s Little Celebrations vendors who you can find on the Directory. All credit goes to these talented vendors who brought this rainbow party to life! Ensure you contact them when planning your next event:

Stylist and planner:  Tiny Tots Events Melbourne

Balloons:  Boutique Balloons Melbourne 

Flowers: Forget me not Floret 

Stationery:  Emma Smith Event Stationery

Venue:  The Stables of Como Melbourne

Photographer:  Eleanor Conduit Photography

Strawberry Tower:  Chocobon Melbourne 

Macarons & individual dessert jars/verrines:  Sweet Petite Creations Melbourne

Cookies and cupcakes:  Frosted by Nicci Melbourne

Partyware:  Favor Lane Party Boutique 

Tablecloths:  Saffy & May 

Foam name:  Foamtastic Party Décor 

Cake & cake pops:  Fantasy Cakes 

Kids tables and ghost chairs:  Mini party people