The Big ONE

I dont know about you guys but i never liked planning parties. I didnt even want a wedding because i really dont like the stress. With my baby boy’s 1st birthday coming up, i had no choice but to face my worst fear, planning a party. Thankfully, the party was a success (90%) and i didnt hyperventilate in the process of planning.

Here’s a review and a little exposè for parents who are looking to plan their baby’s BIG ONE.

I refused to pay for a party planner because i feel that it is very unnecessary to spend more than a budget of 2k on the whole party. Its a personal opinion and you may adjust the budget according to your liking.

VENUE $0
First, the venue. You need to decide where you want to hold your party. I would suggest strongly that you have it somewhere indoor with air conditioning. Why? Because there will be other babies/children attending your party and heat does not make the party more fun. Its best to ensure that babies are kept comfortable and cool for an easier day of fun. I decided on the condominium’s function room. If you dont have access to a function room, you can have it at indoor playgrounds such as hokey pokey, hotel function rooms (which might cost alot) or getting a hotel suite for a day ($600^).

GUESTLIST (stress-free)
Second, you want to finalize the guest list. I just started a whatsapp group chat and informed my friends on what date im having a party for my son and told them to rsvp if they are coming. I feel that the most important people are close friends, immediate family and the birthday boy, anyone else is just a bonus and you shouldnt stress yourself out about it. If they want to come, they come. If not, its okay because your little baby will enjoy his/her big day just as much as long as mummy and daddy are there. On a side note, i really dont think its right to take this opportunity to make money. Some people really disgust me as they use birthdays and weddings to make some money. Somewhat like doing a business. Throwing a party that cost 2000 (investment/capital) and hoping for a profit from the red packets given by the guests.

Elmo themed dessert table

FOOD & DESSERT TABLE $388
(cost depends on volume and design)
Ms.Koh ( contact: 65240394 )
Thirdly, the food. I made a mistake thinking that if i hosted the party at 3pm to 6pm, all my guest would arrive full from lunch. WRONG. Since i was wrong, i had to order pizza last minute to fill the growling stomachs of my guest (luckily my guests were all very understanding and didnt really complain and ask me where the food was!). So, the tea party concept i had in mind was a miss and i would not attempt that in future. I did however order a dessert table from a very nice and friendly Ms.Koh. As the owner of a bakery, she takes alot of pride in her work and ensures that every customer’s order is done with alot of love. I went with ELMO for the theme of the party and she gave me lots of ideas for the dessert table goodies. She responds fast and uses only the best ingredients. I had macaroons, cupcakes, cakepop and cookies all designed to fit the ELMO theme (check out the pictures attached to this post).

A Happy Charles

BALLOONS/DECO & ENTERTAINMENT $900
Party Expert Singapore ( contact: 82232209 )
(http://www.partyexpert.sg)
Balloons are a must at children’s parties and i didnt know where to begin. Thankfully, i was introduced to Lloyd from PARTY EXPERT SINGAPORE. I just informed him what my theme for the party was and he gave me choices and ideas for what kind of deco i could do. I told him to give me something that looks nice, wont cost too much and is safe for the babies/children attending. He responded quick with many different ideas and in the end we decided on a 2 big elmo balloon columns and a rainbow arch. The end result was beautiful and all my guest including myself loved it! Lloyd himself was present on the day of the party and ensured that everything went smoothly. Him and his crew came early to set up and were really nice and friendly. They were professional and polite. I would definitely engage them again in future. Lloyd also provided me with an entertainment package consisting of a very very interesting magic show for the kids (30mins) which included live stock (real doves and bunnies)! The show was a hit with both the adults and children. The host and magician was fun and friendly, engaging everyone at the party and making everyone laugh. They ended with a group photo taking session near the ending of my party and my guests and family were full of praise for Lloyd and his team! Party Experts indeed smile emoticon

The supposed birthday cake design ):

The ugly cake the baker brought to the party!

BIRTHDAY CAKE $350
Ariel Chan ( contact: 81577822 )
(http://www.b-i-y.com/instructors-profiles)
This has got to be the worst cake ever made in history! I was totally disappointed by this baker and the cake that she made for my son’s first birthday. Not only did she ruin his cake, this was the one and only thing that stressed me out thoughout this whole planning to party process. The agreed design of the cake was a 3D Elmo that looks like a plush toy holding a ribbon/banner that says happy birthday charles. I was so excited to see the cake on the day of party but i was horrified when i saw it. The cake infront of me resembled an ugly red carpet draped over tires. It was terrible. To make matters worse, her attitude was a big zero. She was rude and ignorant. Instead of being apologetic about the disastrous cake, she ignored my questions and gave me no answer! Her best answer was “i dont know!”. I am deeply appalled by this baker and would never ever make another order from her in my life. She teaches at B-I-Y Singapore and her actions have also affected the way i view this company/school. Obviously they dont screen their instructors because if she can be an instructor there, i think anyone else could teach there too! This was a big let down and i urge everyone to refrain from ordering any cakes from her or even having any business dealings with her as her attitude is far from pleasant. No sense of responsibility at all.

Its A Party!

PHOTOGRAPHER $150
The Onlookers Photography ( contact: 92963778 )
Picture speaks a thousand words. I feel that a photographer is very important at such a special occasion. Mummy and daddy will be too busy entertaining guest, taking care of birthday boy/girl to take photos of the party and everyone. It will be wise to invest in a reliable and good photographer to capture all the special moments at this party so you can show them to your kids when they get older. My photographer was Jiawei from The Onlookers Photography and i am very very happy with his service. Let me share a little about the company. They are young photographers who have strong passions for photography and would go extra miles beyond the call of duty to achieve the best results. They believe in working closely with the clients and are very open to new ideas. To ensure that the event/party/occasion runs smoothly, they also provide advise should you have any questions. Each photographer has their own specialty in photography but they are versatile as a whole and will adapt well in all environments according to the client’s wishes. Personally, i liked the way Jiawei photographed the party as all the photos told a story. I like that you can feel the emotions and atmosphere just from the photos. On top of that, he was extremeyl helpfu, professional and friendly. Jiawei arrived early to familiarize himself with the party venue (which is important!) and even lent a hand to setting up without me having to ask him. He was also one of the last ones to leave my party! Helping to clear out and snapping pictures of the cleaning up way past the 3 hours he was hired for! Creator of resounding visuals indeed! Thumbs up and i will definitely engage him again in future.

Happy 1st Birthday my love! Next year will be even better!

In total, i spent $1788. I hope this helped as a guideline on planning the BIG ONE. Stay tuned for more reviews on party services in my future posts. 😀

xoxo,
MLBB