An Under the Sea Mermaid Party (plus supplier ratings)

I have a love hate relationship with planning and throwing parties. I love the whole creative process of putting together a theme, searching online for pegs and inspiration, and doing DIY projects. But what I hate sometimes is looking for suppliers and trying to stay on budget, without sacrificing the look you envision. Plus, hoping those suppliers deliver without leaving you disappointed.

Anyway, my brother-in-law and his family visited the Philippines last year, and part of their trip was celebrating the 2nd birthday of their daughter here in Manila. It would be the first time most of the family would get to meet Avianna, so her mom wanted to throw a big party. Of course, since they were in the States, I was the one tasked to plan and organize everything here. I was actually excited to do it since it would be like throwing a party without having to pay for anything haha! Ganon pala ang feeling ng party planner? ;p But I still felt pressured because I hoped my sister-in-law would like the suppliers I chose and everything.

Her mom wanted an Under the Sea Mermaid theme and she sent me pegs of the look she wanted and also her budget which was about P100,000. In the end, everyone had a great time at the party and my sister-in-law was happy with how it turned out. I did have some issues with some suppliers though, so I'll just share the pros and cons of each below. Take note that this was last year though, so prices and packages may have increased or changed already as of this time.

Grandpa's 95th Birthday: DIY dessert buffet (& supplier ratings)

We celebrated the 95th birthday of hubby's lolo (which the kids fondly call Grandpa) last month. It was a simple luncheon held at Valle Verde 5 clubhouse and I just did a candy buffet using the party colors of blue and white. I totally loved how it turned out! :)

see how I did the paper tassel garland HERE

candies from the grocery and Divisoria

bought serving utensils from the grocery and just decorated the handles with washi tape

Here are just some of my thoughts from the other suppliers from the party:

CAKE
The cake was from Aggy's Cakes & Sweets. I loved how they were able to  replicate all the little details from a photo that was provided. This is exactly how Grandpa looks like when we visit him for our weekly Sunday lunches! So cute! :)

PHOTOBOOTH
My mother-in-law asked me to look for a photobooth a week before the party. I was already leaning towards one supplier but when I confirmed, they said someone just paid the reservation fee for my date. Good thing iFotoU Booth was available. They actually came out cheaper since they didn't charge me for a transportation fee unlike the other supplier. I paid P3k for 2 hours, but they were so kind to extend another hour for free! :)

CONS: They used a standard backdrop for our package, but I still like how it looked classy even though it had their logo all over it. They also texted me when I was already on my way to the venue to bring a USB for a copy of the photos. Of course I didn't have one with me, luckily I was able to get one from hubby's cousin who lived nearby. I just wish they told me sooner. They didn't even have a CD and if I wasn't able to provide a USB, I would just have to get the photos from their FB page. That's ok, but of course I want the hi-res pics too right?

PARTY HOST
When the family was planning the party, they wanted to get the same host I hired for Skyler's 1st birthday party which was Wizzo since they were so impressed with him. They wanted kasi the party to have a kiddie feel para fun for the guests even if most were adults. Unfortunately, Wizzo was already booked on our event date so I had to look around for other party hosts.

I saw good reviews online for Erney Arcilla and I was curious since I had never heard of him before. I messaged him on his FB page and he replied immediately despite the time of 11pm! He called me the next day and already I was impressed with the way he sounded. I wanted to book him from 12noon - 3:00pm but he said his schedule was from 11am - 2:00pm since he had another party at 4pm. The thing was, we were going to have a mass at the venue from 11am - 12nn so I really couldn't do anything about the time. What we agreed on was that he would arrive at 11am to set up, and then we would just start right after the mass. Since this wasn't a typical children's party, we figured it wouldn't last as long din naman, so sakto lang if he ended at 2pm.

Anyway, I have to say that Erney exceeded my expectations. He was fun, bubbly, articulate, and really kept the guests entertained all throughout. I think it was a blessing that Wizzo was already booked since I think Erney's personality fit the event better. He had to keep the energy high since most of the guests were adults and did not want to participate at first. But he knew what games to play (the Guess the Song game was a big hit especially the 60's & 70's music!) to get everybody excited and involved. He was also always moving around the venue, which was nice since no one had to get up from their seats anymore to give their answers. He was on a tight schedule so he had to scrap the magic show, but he still did a simple balloon twisting activity for some of the kids that were there.

In the end, a lot of people were asking for his number and already talking to him for their events hehe. I'm happy with his performance and I would definitely book him for any of my children's future parties.

It was a great day overall, and we're just happy that Grandpa is still strong and healthy at 95 years old! May he indeed have many more birthdays to come! :)

Skyler's Travel Themed 1st Birthday Party: DIY elements

This post will be all about the DIY elements I did for the party. For my supplier ratings, read HERE.


TRAVEL POSTCARDS

I just searched online for visuals of travel quotes and had had them printed in 4R size.

I was just planning to scatter them on the tables but my stylist, Party Time Philippines, was kind enough to provide picture frames to place them in...

And also used them in the stage backdrop...

PICTURE FRAMES FOR THE TABLES

I also wanted to use Skyler's photoshoot pics from Luxe Photography and include them in the table centerpieces. I think this is a good enhancement to any centerpiece and certainly adds a more personalized feel. I was lucky to find these picture frames during our trip to Korea last year which was just 1,000 Won each (P40). Super good deal!

PHOTO PROPS

I love looking at etsy.com for party layouts and I found this listing for super cute airplane photobooth props.

I just printed them out and stuck them to BBQ sticks...

I also used the airplane visual from the invite and added the hashtag for the party...

Then I just stuck these in the glass vases in the tables...

THANK YOU TAGS

I just made these tags and attached them to the wooden stool giveaways using baker's twine.

MONTHLY PHOTO WALL

Remember Skyler's monthly photos? I printed them out and hung them on a divider.

Then I just outlined Skyler's name on a map visual I got online and cut the letters out.

Hope you were able to get some ideas for your own party. :)

Skyler's Travel Themed 1st Birthday Party: Supplier Ratings

Finally, here's my supplier ratings for Sky's 1st birthday party. Sorry it took so long, it's just that I tend to procrastinate whenever I have to sort through so many pictures. ;p Anyway, I'll just get straight to the point so here goes. Warning, long read hehe!

I have to start with the invite which was the basis for all the design elements and colors of the party which you will see later on. The template of the invite and the airplane visual were stuff I found online.

Caterer & Stylist: PARTY TIME PHILIPPINES
Website: www.partytimephilippines.com
Email: partytimephilippines@yahoo.com

First of all, I have to say I am so glad I found this supplier because they have definitely exceeded my expectations. I loved how the whole party tuned out overall, down to the last detail. Out of my 3 kids' 1st birthday parties, I have to say this was the prettiest in terms of styling because they really helped me achieve the look I wanted. :)

At first, I was thinking of just doing DIY styling but I just didn't want to be stressed out anymore on the day of the party. I considered a couple of caterers and party decorators separately, but what ultimately sold me to finally book Party Time was that they provided both services for a very good price. Upon computing, they turned out cheaper than if I got the separate suppliers I was eyeing at first. And I liked how I just had to talk to 1 point person since it made planning so much easier.

I emailed them asking for a pricelist and they got back to me very quickly. In fact, it was such a breeze corresponding with them. I asked if they had samples of other travel themed parties they did before and they sent me pictures which I was very happy with. What I especially liked about them was that balloon decor for the venue was included in their package already.

Their computation for the balloon decor depends on the menu you choose. For example, if you get the Budget Menu (which I did), number of balloons to be used is 150% of the number of guests. So let's say I have 100 guests, they will use 150 balloons. Of course, balloon number increases the higher the menu package. And I was super happy that they used swags which made the venue look so much better.

I have to say that I was blown away when I first saw how they had styled the venue! And the Tiffany Chairs made everything look so classy.

My favorite part was definitely the stage set up. It was exactly what I dreamed of and more! When we were finalizing the details of the party, I said I didn't want a styro backdrop and was leaning towards the wooden planks I had seen in their other pictures. I was so surprised when I saw the final product because they had also taken the airplane visual with Skyler's name from the invitation I sent them and recreated it! And they also added the maps on either side using the colors from the party. It was such a nice detail that tied everything together.

I super loved all the details at the bottom of the stage as well. So pretty and beautifully styled!

I also loved how they incorporated some of the items I provided like these postcards I made with travel quotes.

Table centerpieces are also included in their package. But instead of the usual flowers, they used luggage bags, maps and other details like the small Eiffel Tower, envelopes, glass bottles, and wooden stumps. What I did was provide whatever additional travel themed items I had like small globes, wooden airplanes and some frames with Sky's pictures. I also made some postcards like I mentioned above which I was planning on just scattering on the tables. But they provided picture frames (the colorful ones) and also small easel stands which worked so much better!

all the picture frames with Sky's picture was provided by me

I also loved how each table centerpiece was different from one another. It made it more interesting for me. :)

For the food, I got their BUDGET MENU which was the cheapest at P300 per person (I had 140 guests). Since the party was in the afternoon, I figured it was ok not to have too many main dishes since it was merienda naman. Party Time has so many good food choices it was a bit difficult to choose. But in the end, this was our menu:

Baked Spaghetti

Beef Pot Roast in Mushroom Gravy Sauce

Mini Pizza

Chocolate Mousse in shot glasses

Citrus Lemon Iced Tea

Steamed Rice

Party Time has different promos depending on how early you pay the deposit. This buffet styro backdrop which matched the stage set up was a freebie. I really loved how it made the buffet set up look so much better. :)

Sorry but I don't have pictures of the food. :( The thing was, I didn't hire a professional photographer anymore and just asked my sister to take the pics. I asked her to take photos of everything but of course she still forgot haaay. Un dessert lang un nakunan lol. But everyone said that the food was delicious especially the beef pot roast. Thumbs up overall!

I also had food carts which I got from Party Time but again sorry no pics. But I got the following:

- 100 Servings Flavored French Fries (BBQ, Sour Cream, Cheese) 

- 100 Servings Arce dairy Ice Cream Cart 

Everyone was asking me throughout the party who my caterer and stylist was since everyone was so impressed. Their rates are very reasonable and I think they made my party look so much more expensive than what it really cost. I would definitely recommend Party Time to anyone and would absolutely use them again for any of my kids future parties. :)

Party Host & Magician: WIZZO
Contact Number: 0927-6022392
Website: http://wizzo.cabanova.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/magic.by.wizzo

I again searched online for recommendations on different party hosts. Wizzo had a lot of good reviews, his price was within my budget, and most importantly he was available on my party date.

He arrived right on time, was very professional, and had a complete set of equipment (sound system is included in the package) with a couple of assistants. He spoke English very well, kept the audience engaged all throughout his program, and made sure to end on time.

While waiting for the other guests to arrive, his team provided coloring materials to the kids which they greatly enjoyed.

To be honest, I wasn't able to really focus on his games and other activities since I was busy entertaining guests. But from what I saw, all the kids and even adults were having a blast. :)

He also did simple balloon twisting...

And a ventri puppet show which the kids really enjoyed (my daughter Miley said it was her favorite part since it was so funny hehe).

I believe it was his magic show that really captivated the audience though. He asked me beforehand if I wanted to add his 2 special illusions ("Metamorphosis" and "Anti Gravity Ladder Illusion") for an extra fee but I didn't get it na. The magic he performed though was really good and even the adults were in awe of the tricks. Galing na galing sila!

One trick also required the special participation of hubby hehe ;p

Take note though that from what I saw, Wizzo is not your stand-up comic type of guy. If you want a more hilarious, slapstick host, then you should look elsewhere. But all my guests were really impressed with his program and I had a lot of people ask me after for his contact details. I was actually supposed to book him again for another family event this month but he wasn't available anymore. :)

So I have to say that yes, Wizzo was money well spent since he kept all the guests entertained and kept the party fun for everyone.

Cake: SHORTCRUST by PEACHY JUBAN
Contact Number: 0920-9184324
Email: shortcrust@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Shortcrust-by-Peachy-Juban

I just emailed my invite for reference on the colors and design and this is the beautiful output! Only the bottom layer is cake (chocolate flavor) btw. And we didn't serve the cake during the party since I was really planning to use it for our cake smash session a few days after.

I loved the overall look and details of this cake! I almost didn't want to ruin it during our photoshoot but the pictures turned out great (which I have yet to blog about). And whatever cake we were able to taste after was delicious hehe. ;p

Giveaways: HANDICRAFTS ATBP.
Email: order@handicraftsatbp.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/handicrafts.atbp

I had always wanted to order these wooden stools and I figured it would be a nice giveaway for the party. The airplane visual was from the invite and I chose 3 different colors. I got 30 pieces at P95 each. They also charged me P450 for the shipping fee for the stools to be delivered to my house.

The thing was, I got the Mini Stool 1 and didn't realize how small it was until it was delivered to me. The height was 6" and diameter was also 6". They provided naman the dimensions when I was ordering but I guess I just didn't think it would be that tiny (sorry mahina din ako sa math lol!).

This is how small it is compared to a regular sized kiddie chair. To be honest, it looks cute but it's useless to sit on. Pang decoration na lang talaga. It's my fault naman for not checking the size so lesson learned na lang. ;p

Prizes: DIVISORIA and various Toy Stores

I got most of my prizes from Divisoria (check out my shopping trip HERE) and other stuff I saw on sale during the Christmas season. It was so funny since Miley and Sabe are very competitive and won a lot of games so we ended up taking most of the prizes home din lol! ;p

For the DIY elements I did, click HERE.