THE BEST COMPLIMENT A STYLIST CAN EVER GET

It’s actually not, “the styling was beautiful!”, although those words bring such great comfort to me and my team. It’s also not, “the theme turned out really nice!”. No, it’s not a proclamation of words, written or otherwise.

So what is the best compliment?

It’s the client hiring you for the 2nd time.

Watch the spectacle that is Chad’s birthday party. Photos taken by Delightful Little Darlings. More below!

As the truism goes, actions speak louder than words. And no action speaks louder than a client getting you for the 2nd time. Because underneath that action is the client silently saying to you, “You did such a great job the last time that I’m trusting you with the special day of my 2nd child this time around!”.

In business parlance, it’s well known that acquiring repeat customers is “cheaper” than trying to get new ones.

But in event styling, I actually feel the opposite: there’s even more pressure for me the 2nd time, because this time I would have to up my game even more!

This is the story of how my client, Jasmin, got me for the 2nd time, and how we did a party for her son Chad Mason.

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH

When I think about what makes a great party, I think about the melding of the theme with the venue (assuming of course, the client likes the choice of theme in the first place). It is never a good idea to have the venue adjust to the theme. Venues are fixed, immovable objects, while themes can be fluid. Rather, it is always best to have the theme adjust to the venue.

Given how big a hit The Greatest Showman was in the big screen, it’s no wonder the movie’s tunes and aesthetics have inspired people from all over the world. For Jasmin and Chad Mason, I wanted to do something different though:

Because the venue was naturally dark (minimal windows), and because the event was dinner time, I felt that it would be more apt to use string lights and light bulbs for the ceiling as well as different types of lighting on-the-ground (such as “altar bulbs” and christmas lights). This led to a more dramatic feel in terms of styling.

Because of all of the above, shadows danced among the scenery, which, combined with burgundy red hues, led to the overall grand and mysterious feel of the party. For instance, I love the play of shadows that happen at the curtains on the stage:

Part of the ceiling decor where these trapeze artists hanging in the air:

To maintain a more subtle aesthetic, I used gold silhouettes of the circus performers instead of a more literal representation. For example, this strongman on the stage: [Read more…]

THE THREE TYPES OF BIRTHDAY PARTIES

For the past few decades, moms threw parties the only way they knew how: a host will officiate some games (one of which is guess what? the “bring me” game!), then a magician will come in and do his thing, after which comes the cake blowing, the handing out of souvenirs and giveaways, and then bam! The party is done and everyone is happy.

I like to call this the “standard” format for a party. It’s definitely fun, colorful, loud, and raucous. It’s also the very definition of how a children’s party should be run, right?

Wrong.

Recently with the advent of event styling, I’ve noticed the increasing popularity of the “chill” party. This is what happens in such an event: all loud noises are minimized, children are kept busy with a variety of activities, while the adults get to enjoy the food, mingle, and catch up in peace. Sometimes, a string quartet plays in the background, further mellowing the mood.

Not a bad way to spend an afternoon huh!

But there’s also a third way of doing things, one that is most rare, hardest to execute, but (in my humble opinion), is the most impactful among guests, children and adults alike. I like to call this, the activity-based party.

10 seconds to go then…plates up! Are you ready?

Thank you to Starfish Media for providing these pictures!

While this title seems anticlimactic, it makes it up by having a name that describes the concept succinctly. An activity-based party is a party that is centered on…well, an activity. For the biggest impact, you should focus on just one “big” activity, based on a single theme or concept.

The effervescent Ava, master-facilitator of the games!

One example is:

What if you gave kids some fake, paper money, and had them “shop” among various booths for toys, snacks and candies, flowers, fruits, desserts, and craft supplies? The activity will teach the kids how to budget / allocate their resources, and the items they “buy” will already double-up as the souvenir / giveaway for the party itself.

This was the main idea behind Isabeli’s Sunday Market.

Here’s another idea:

What if you had all the kids dress up like little chefs, and have them participate in a cooking competition, ala MasterChef-style?

There would be a pantry stocked-full of the freshest ingredients, a large digital timer displayed overhead, and a panel of judges. The host will provide the instructions, and at the beginning of the match will say “May the odds be ever in your favour!“, Hunger-Games-style! (just kidding; the judge will probably say, let the games begin!)

This was the main idea behind Ava’s MasterChef Junior Party.

Here’s a beautiful highlights video of the whole event, made by none other than Lemon Three Films!

A PARTY LIKE NO OTHER

Thinking up an idea like this is quite easy, but making it into reality is another thing altogether.

Besides the styling, the hardest part here is securing a really, really good host / facilitator for the whole activity. Whoever will facilitate needs not only to be good with hosting and managing the kids, but more importantly also with devising the competition mechanics and preparing all the raw materials and prepped food items. So ideally it would have to be someone with both a hosting and culinary background.

This is where Cristine of The Kitchen Playground Manila comes in.

In order for you to get a sense of the scale of preparation that was needed, here’s a peek at the pantry:

My favorite scene in every MasterChef episode is that moment when Gordon Ramsay sends off the kids to the pantry to get supplies. My mouth waters every time I think about that pantry, stocked to the brim with everything you need to create the dish of your dreams. The possibilities!

This the exact scene I’m talking about:

Now, in order to appreciate the sheer amount of work and preparation that went into this event, here’s a list of the items that went into the pantry: [Read more…]