Our children are the lights of our lives and celebrating their birthday is a wonderful reminder of their gracious arrival into our world. Planning the perfect birthday party for them, however, is a little less wonderful, and for many parents an intimating and stressful task. Not only do parents want their child’s party to be a success, but they also want the time to enjoy watching their child take part in the festivities. Over the years, through my work with The Tiny Tiara, I have discovered a few ways in which to help parents make the party planning process a little more pleasant.

When you imagine the fun your child will have at their party remember that there are many aspects of the party that take time to plan. Invitations need to be mailed, cake needs to be ordered, supplies and decorations purchased, special requests to fulfill, entertainers or entertainment facilities need to be booked well in advance. The first thing to remember is to allow at least 4-6 weeks to prepare, plan and organize your celebration. Many of the more memorable parties that I have planned have been the ones that have been planned in advance to allow all creative elements and finishing touches to be well thought out and
resources brought together seamlessly.

Another way to make the planning for your child’s party a little less stressful is to choose an appropriate theme. When thinking of a theme for your child’s party, there are several things to consider such as the age and gender of your child and their guests. If your child is old enough, ask for their input. Children are always very honest and up front regarding their likes and dislikes. Not only will you gain some insight into making your child’s party dreams a reality but also planning together with your child will add a positive element to the party planning process.

Once a theme has been chosen the next step is to determine an itemized budget for the party. Many parents that I have worked with didn’t realize the importance of a budget and ended up spending excess amounts money at the last minute and on items that, although may have been necessary, weren’t considered in the initial planning of the party. By the time you factor in invitations, decorations, plates, cutlery, cake, food, drinks, supplies for games and activities, prizes, favours etc., the cost of a great children’s party can be pricey!

Know what you are getting into! Determine costs and look for ways to reduce expenses. Many entertainment facilities provide package deals for parents to host a fun party at an affordable price. At The Tiny Tiara, much of the costs of hosting a party are reduced because items like party decorations, plates, cutlery, costumes, favours etc. are provided in the package thereby not only reducing cost but grunt work as well.

Another way to minimize the stress of hosting a party in honour of your little one is to create an itinerary. Itineraries are an extremely helpful way to keep the major events of the party on track and help to guide your child and their guests smoothly from one activity to another. When creating an itinerary, remember that the usual running time for a child’s party is approximately 2 hours from start to finish. Within this 2 hour time frame be sure to include all major party events such as greeting guests, an activity or game, singing happy birthday, having birthday cake, and possibly opening gifts. For those parents who really don’t know where to begin when it comes to an itinerary, there is help. Children’s entertainers can be hired and will come with an itinerary or plan of events and entertain your child and their guests. Each and every Tiny Tiara celebration not only centers around a theme-oriented detailed itinerary but all celebrations include all of the resources needed for exciting activities, fun and interactive games, elaborate costumes and make-up. We also provide every event with a Tiny Tiara Event Designer to professionally plan, organize and tend to every refined detail of your child’s classically elegant and special day as well as a Tiny Tiara Celebration-Day Hostess to guide party material set-up and breakdown and ensure the flawless flow of planned party events.

Over the years I have seen many parents take on too much when it comes to their child’s party. A sure way of minimizing stress is to get help! Help can come in many forms. However asking for or hiring help seems to be the biggest under utilized aspect of the party planning process. As a result parents find themselves running around and consumed by the behind-the-scene tasks that they miss those special moments of their child’s day. When I created The Tiny Tiara, my goal was to provide parents with all of the necessities to create a wonderfully whimsical party while still having time to watch their child enjoy the festivities and celebrate the milestone.

Watching the joy on your child’s face as they experience their party reminds us of our childhood and allows us to ‘relive’ our childhood through the eyes of our children. Every moment is special and the memorizes of planning your child’s party can be wonderful as well. Best of luck will all of your party planning endeavors!

By Nicola Lohnes, The Tiny Tiara
905-956-0950 • www.tinytiaraparties.com