Event Styling Tips (Part3) -How to Throw a Budget Friendly Kids' Party

Hi Everyone! 

I'm back on blogging to announce that our little space ranger turned two this weekend! Noah has brought so much joy and laughter into our lives and we're so grateful that God has entrusted us with two precious boys.  We're also learning, as parents, to love, embrace and cherish the terrible-two toddler stage.  Although he's slow in speech, (he fully understands both Korean and English but I think he's just refusing to talk! lol) his vibrant energy and excitement for every little things make us appreciate the little things in life too.

Last year, we didn't do a big 1st birthday celebration since we thought it was better to wait till Noah can remember and join in on the fun. Instead, we decided to sponsor 3 kids who share the same birth date as our son through World Vision. (Read about this post here) This year, my husband and I told ourselves to keep things simple and throw a small party at our concrete backyard (technically our carport area). We wanted to make as many fun memories at this house before we think about *possibly* relocating.  Plus, it was a great way to do some MAJOR house cleaning! ;) Like every other toddler, Noah is obsessed with Buzz Lightyear, so it was a no-brainer that we wanted to do a Buzz Lightyear themed party. I know… so typical but boys are easy to please! 

First thing, I envisioned was a long table for the kids under the shaded carport and a lot of benches for the parents to mingle and enjoy. Huge thanks to Luna Party Rentals providing all the benches, chairs, tables and draping to cover our trash bins, storage, toys and etc. and to La Tavola for providing linens for the tables and the purple sequin for the sign-in table to make it just a tad fancy!  Here's a before and after picture of our concrete backyard space/shared carport. Please excuse the mess. This picture was actually taken after the party, hence, the garbage overload but draping makes such a difference, right? 

I did an event styling tips and tricks series a while back Part 1 and Part 2, so today, I will finish it off by covering how to throw a budget friendly party with STYLE. 

I know every celebration (weddings, showers, kids’ parties) can get out of hand if you don’t stick to a strict budget and I'm a believer in minimalist living, that we can re-use what we already have.   Plus, your child will only remember all the fun she/he had but not necessarily what was on the table decor. 

Here are a few tips to get your party planning started!

Tip 1: Use what you already have

For example, Grant's car themed 3^rd birthday party was at My Giggle Place and I used black butcher paper, white duct tape, white marker, and Grant's old toys to create a race track but I did splurge a little on those orange cone drinking cups to tie in the theme. :) 

Tip 2: Goodie bags can also double as a part of your decor/centerpieces. 

Yes, those 20 alien goodie bags took 3 hours of cutting and gluing but it was all worth it! I lined up the goodie bags as table centerpieces and put together 3 aliens on Noah's seat, since we all know how those little aliens are "eternally grateful" to Buzz! :) 

Tip 3: Choose your battles wisely.  Keep it simple but impactful. 

I'm sure all the parents know what I mean when they're raising their little ones.  Even prepping for a party, there's no need to go too crazy with all the cute details you see on Pinterest! If not done right, it looks messy and tacky!!!!  Choose 2-3 DIY projects that will make a statement and you can let go of other details.  I say this only because if you get too ambitious with so many DIY projects, set up not only gets difficult, BUT the cleanup is even more painful at the end of the party. Trust me, DIY projects does NOT save you much money. 

Tip 4: Have a photobooth!  

Kids have way more fun taking pictures than the adults. FYI, I got the biggest box from Home Depot to cut out a frame for the booth.  Again, I used my black butcher paper to cover the cut out and also hung it as a backdrop for the booth. Voila! Super simple but something personalized! 

I think Grant was jealous he didn't get to dress up as Buzz... lol

Tip 5: If it all fails, just rent a bouncer and you're good to go! 

It was our first time hiring an entertainer because we thought Noah would be star struck if he actually saw Buzz at our house... That only lasted for about 10 seconds before he was busy playing in the jumper. lol! I think having a bounce house is what every kids’ party needs.

P.S If you liked any of these Buzz Lightyear themed signage, my husband would be thrilled to send you the files! He is no graphic designer by any means but gotta love that he's trying! 

Hope this post inspired you to get creative with what you already have at home and be sure to check our IG for latest updates!

Elaine and George Tie The Knot (Part 2)

Hope you enjoyed the first part of Elaine & George's summer wedding!  Now onto some sweet reception details..

During the last 10 months of planning, Elaine and I clicked in every way... She was so talented at executing *our* vision. While I mostly took care of the overall decor, room layout and all the different rentals, Elaine took care of all the fun little details.  Did you know she made all the paper goods including the programs, table numbers, menu cards, welcome sign, and giant paper flowers?? George even helped make the giant 'LOVE' signs for the sweetheart table while a few of her good friends made the custom pillows, sweetheart chair sign, card box and basically everything else crafty! It really felt like Elaine and George had been thoughtfully planning for their big day since they started dating and I was just honored to be included in their special day.
Without further ado, enjoy these lovely photos by Yvonne Wong.

I wanted the ballroom to look elegant, feminine, classy with a cute, whimsical touch that reflected Elaine's taste & personality... To match Elaine’s bubbliness, we brought in some fun elements that really broke the traditional ballroom look. With long white lacquered tables, rose pink custom cushions, high gloss dance floor, and white leather lounge benches.. the ballroom couldn't have looked more lovely.

Janet from Bloompia went above and beyond!!! she executed our vision so perfectly!! 

For the grand entrance, the bridal party did a little choreographed dance to 'Marry Me' from Glee which turned out super adorable! 

 the sweet heart table set up was a labor of love but loved how everything turned out! 

Little Yorkie takes the spotlight again! :)

gotta love technology! skyping w/ family members who couldn't make it out that day

George even ordered a huge bottle of wine for guests to sign in & write well wishes.. 

Friends and family lit up the dance floor with customized LED form sticks and glowing ice cubes as they danced their night away...

Hope you all enjoyed their wedding as much as we did! Leaving you with two of my favorite images
from their day.. xoxo, Esther

p.s If any of you are interested in all the paper goods Elaine made, please feel free to email me! She may be able to reproduce them again for your big day! :)

Event Styling Tips (Part 2): Non-Floral Decor

Hope you're enjoyed our previous post on event styling tips. Today, we'll be covering non-floral decor and how these elements play a huge role in transforming your space.  Non-floral decor refers to all of the elements that contribute to the overall esthetics. This includes, but is not limited to lighting, draping, tables, chairs, candles, unique furniture pieces, paper goods and etc.  
Before I continue on with this post, here's a before & after picture which may shock you! :)

BEFORE

AFTER

J & J's wedding was back in 2009 at LA Congregational Church and they had hired me to transform a typical church function into an elegant reception space. We had a few different companies come in to cover draping, lighting, linens and chairs and the result was breathtaking.

Via Martha Stewart Weddings

Please don't misunderstand me. I LOVE flowers and I get extremely picky whenever we have floral mock up meetings but I do believe that flowers alone won't do the magic.  If you rely solely on flowers, your only option to make your decor more impactful is to keep making your flowers bigger and bigger. Not only does that look often become heavy and overwhelming, but it becomes expensive.

Again, here are some few examples to show you why rentals play a huge role in changing the aesthetics of your celebration.
Adamson House Outdoor Wedding: Instead of going with the chiavari chairs, we used rustic tables & natural wood folding chairs to keep the natural/casual ambiance.

Photo Credit: Sarah Yates

Casa Del Mar Wedding:
We had all white flowers and gave a little contrast by using charcoal gray linens and silver chiavari chairs. We carefully placed each gardenia on silver beaded chargers to complete the look.

Photo Credit: Taek Photography

This ballroom was completely draped in white fabric for a clean, sophisticated feel. Tables were a mix of rounds with gray linens and white lacquered rectangles. NOTE:  JL Designs was the creative brain behind this gorgeous event.

Photo Credit: Meg Perotti

A Winter Wonderland theme photoshoot designed by Couture Events. Again, they kept the flowers to a minimum and let non-floral decor shine. So in love with these clear ghost chairs!

Photo Credit: Scott Lawrence Photography

Craven's Estate Wedding:
Due to our budget, we only rented 8-9 vintage pieces from The Found and they were worth every penny! We later moved some of the couches to create a beautiful sweet heart table for the couple.

Jonathan Club Wedding:
What about adding some chic white lounge furniture during cocktail hour for your guests to mingle?

Photo Credit: Taek Photography

I stumbled upon this image from Apartment Therapy a while back and took my breath away. It's elegant, dramatic and just simply gorgeous.

Ok.  These examples are nice but Esther, what if we're on an extreme tight budget? We can't afford to rent these items for our wedding. Any other tips you'd recommend? Part 3 is coming up for all you savvy DIY brides! Stay Tuned!