Making Parties Special!

High School Musical took the world by storm in 2006 and a film that no one had heard anything about quickly became a phenom amougst the Children in the USA and the UK. For those that do not know what High School Musical is firstly, where have you been? and secondly, get ready to be overrun with High School Musical fans soon as the third installment is about to hit the cinemas next month!

High School Musical 3: The Senior Year, sees Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, facing the prospect of being separated as off in different directions after graduating from East High. Joined by the rest of their Wildcat friends, they stage an elaborate spring musical reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about the future.

Sound’s good? Probably not, but your kids will LOVE it! So to help you out when you are inevitably asked to make a “High School Musical Birthday“, we’re letting you know how we can make it as easy as possible for you!

OK, so first you want to get all of the basics, such as High School Musical Themed Plates, Cups, Napkins, Table Covers, and Loot Bags. But how do you make the Party Special? Well you have some good options now. First off, why not send out themed invitations and how about some High School Musical Foil Balloons?

Also, why not have a High School Musical Pinata as well, Pinata’s are always a huge hit with the kids, especially when you load them up with sweets and toys!

One thing that has become increasingly popular, is full size celebrity cut outs, and why should your High School Musical Party be any different. With Gabriella Montez, Sharpay Evans, Ryan Evans and Troy Bolton to choose from (he has 2 looks, one casual, one sporty as he is such a hit with the girls!) They are quite good as they break up the space in the house or area that you are using for the party.

For the Ceilings you can have the High School Musical Themed banners and if you want to make the Party extra special, have a personalised High School Musical Banner with a message of your own for the Party Boy or Girl.

With all of the decroations up and the invitations sent, soon you’ll be getting into the High School Musical Spirit and will be shouting “Let’s go wildcat’s” With everyone else!

Making Parties Special!

Making Parties Special!

The Good news is that Partyrama.co.uk are offering a Customised Ribbon Service which means that you can get the ribbon in the colour that YOU want with a message from YOU.

So what exactly can you personalise? Well apart from the obvious option of having a message on the ribbon to wrap a present, there are actually a host of things you can do with a Personalised Ribbon. For example, you can use the ribbon commercially, at a company launch with your company name across the ribbon, or have a special wedding message on the ribbon for the happy couple, how about having a Christmas Message across the ribbon, that way you don’t have to buy lots of Christmas wrapping paper? Our customers keep finding more and more ways of using the personalised ribbon service, just last week we had someone order black ribbon for a funeral. She had a heart warming message on the ribbon and it was put across the coffin to make a nice send off. Unusual, agreed, but nevertheless a lovely touch to a hard situation and I’m sure it went down well.

Visit our website at www.partyrama.co.uk and have a look at the Personalised Ribbon Service and also at our other Personalised products.

Making Parties Special!

Making Parties Special!

Nothing says PARTY more than a banner, no matter what the occasion. Banners are a perfect way of setting the scene and transforming any room into a venue, but most importantly, it is a statement and a reminder to the guests and yourselves as to why you are there.

There are plenty of banners to pick from, but more and more we are seeing people starting to use our Personalised Banner Service.

The banners are printed onto high quality vinyl and come in three sizes, Small – 4ft x 2ft, Medium – 6ft x 2.25ft and Large – 10ft x 4ft. We have plenty of themed back rounds including Halloween, Christmas, Birthdays and many more. Not only have you got a huge selection of backgrounds to choose from, but you can personalise the message for your Occasion, Party or Guest. It really is a nice touch having your own message on there, it can be factual, Funny, Caring or even all three, you decide!

Have a look at our full selection of Personalised Banners and Make you Party Special!

Making Parties Special!

Making Parties Special!

October 31st is the date being muttered by Movie Enthusiasts and critics alike who are waiting for the latest James Bond release from Marc Forster. After the success of playing the new gritty bond, Daniel Craig, once again plays our favourite secret agent. If you’re interested in seeing the new trailer, you can find it here: www.007.com .

As with all of the Bond Movies the trailers promise plenty of explosions, double crosses, Seductive Women and the other usual aspects to any good Bond film. But as with Casino Royal, we see again that along with the great special effects and great fight scenes, there is some very good dialogue and also a fantastic underlying storyline. For me, this is what made Daniel Craig so good in his début as Bond in Casino Royal.

I’ve been waiting for this movie eagerly for over 3 months now and being a 00 Agent myself, have already planned to see the movie in style! I’ve got my Tickets already booked and with around 15 of my friends, we are having a James Bond Secret Agent Themed Party before and After the New Movie!

Secret Agent Cut Out - Approx 6ft

Secret Agent Girl Cut Out

After the Movie we will be coming back (hopefully still excited about the great movie) and we will be having a Casino themed evening to celebrate Daniel Craig’s first outing as Bond! I haven’t told my guests about this yet, but I have got someone to redecorate the room while we are at the Cinema so the Casino theme is in full effect when we get back. We’re having Vegas Cut outs to add to the secret agents already there and a full size Welcome to Vegas cutout outside the living room door. In stead of the gold and black plates I’ll have Casino Theme with Casino Themed plates, cups, napkins and even Table cover. I’ve even got Casino Themed coasters for the drinks!

Once everyone has had their food, it’s time to get serious and the Cards and Poker chips come out. We usually all put in £10 each at the start and you are allowed to buy in again once, this means that the most that you can lose is £20 and it also means that there are less arguments and tears (I’ve seen it happen before, believe me!). I usually also by a “Booby Prize” for the person that goes out first, this time I’m going with an Inflatable Ace of Spades!

Right I’m off to go and read more reviews on the new 007 film and make sure I have all the bits an pieces for my James Bond / Casino Night! I might make myself a quick Martini first though, and of course, it will be “Shaken, not Stirred!”

Making Parties Special!

Making Parties Special!

Every time I drive on Park Lane in London, I have noticed that there are more and more Awards Ceremonies taking place these days. Just the other day I saw the Bakery Awards were on at the Grosovenor House Hotel! This got me thinking, why not throw an awards ceremony of my own? I could do one for work, my friends, or even my own family (and the award for best son goes to….)

But how Easy is it? How do you go about changing your own living room or work space into your own version of Hollywood? And more importantly, where do you go for all of your ‘Oscar’ Style Theme supplies?

Partyrama.co.uk has a great selection of Party Supplies for all Occasions no matter what the theme.

OK, so we know where to look, but what do we actually need? First we need to set the scene, what better than the red carpet scene setter!? This baby will go round a 40ft room and stands 4ft high. Another good thing is that it is made out of plastic so you can stick other smaller scene setters to it look below:

This is great because as soon as you walk into the room, you’ll feel like you’re in Hollywood, but why not leave your guests starry eyed before they even reach the room? Why not give the the Red Carpet treatment, and I actually mean Red Carpet!

If you don’t have the space for the Red Carpet runner then you can go for the VIP Entrance Sign which is suitably “blinged” out in gold!

Inside the room you have all sorts of options, and it really all depends on how much you would like to go into it. Some people prefer to keep it simple with some Hollywood Style decorations for the room and some balloons as well for good measure. But then there are some people out there (like me) that like to put everything into anything we do! If it means that the living room has to be changed for the night, then so be it! It is at this point, that the options truly become endless! For your table there are glittering Cascade Centrepiece’s and Gold and Silver Starred Table skirts!

But we’re not stopping there, oh no, for your ceiling there are the movie light lanterns, Stars on Strings and Hollywood Banners.

Then there are the excellent extra touches you can throw in such as a City Light’s Centre Piece for a table, Your very own walk of fame with the Hollywood Stars which you can have your guests names in (or your own if you feel like you should be getting the accolade!)

You can decorate the hallway with Hollywood Street Signs.

The most important thing for any Oscar/Awards party are the Oscars themselves! However ridiculous the categories may be (Best User of a Photocopier as a bed), there still needs to be a prize presentation, and why not go for the authentic Oscar statue to make them feel extra special!?

All this talk of awards it too much for me, I’ll have to get my own award for giving the best Party Tips! Good luck with your awards and I hope that you win every category you were nominated for (as the planner you should win at least one shouldn’t you!) and please let us know how your “Oscars” party turned out and whether you have any good tips for us!

Making Parties Special!

Making Parties Special!

So I’m looking at the stocks going like hot cakes at the moment and I must admit that I was shocked to see the amount of people buying Hawaiian themed Party Supplies. As I saw the flip flop Key chains, Leis, and Hawaiian Garlands flying out I had to stop and ask myself, “Why is this theme so popular?!” I mean there are so many themes to choose from: the Secret Agent theme, The Pirate Theme, not to mention the Casino Theme. But somehow, the Hawaiian theme seems to come out on top each time.

Taking a look around and seeing what there is to offer in Hawaiian themed party supplies starts to give you an idea as to why they are so popular. The sheer choice that you have as a customer is huge. I mean, it’s not just a case of putting up a couple of Hawaiian banners and putting a couple of Parasols in the drinks! Now when you’re Making your party Special you have an unprecedented selection of supplies to choose from. For example, have you thought about having some inflatables for your party? Probably not, and I understand why, but when you can have inflatable Parrots, Monkeys, Cactus and the countrywide favourite Inflatable Palm Tree Cooler, that’s right, a palm tree that inflates and keeps your drinks cold (Genius, I know!), it’s worth having a think about.

But it can’t just be for the Drink’ coolers, I mean, sure they are pretty cool, but is that enough reason for people up and down the country to be donning their Hula Skirts and playing the limbo game?!

Hawaiian Limbo Game

So we’re back to square one, I mean we still don’t know why it’s so popular, then while looking out of the window it suddenly hits me… The weather! Looking outside and seeing the grey wet skies of England while the rain is pouring I started to realise why people might want to live the Hawaiian fantasy whenever they can! We’ve all been there, it’s August, you’re having a hard week at work, and the only summer you’ve seen was the first week of May, for three days. SO why not get away from it all, Call your friends round, dress up in your Hawaiian Lei, put up the heating, and pretend that you’re in your own Hawaiian Paradise!

But now you’re thinking, aren’t Hawaiian partied meant to be outside in the sunshine?! And how will you ever pass off your living room as a Tropical Paradise?! Well sure, Hawaiian parties are great outdoors, but unfortunately, in Britain we’re restricted to less than 10 sunny days a year (OK, not that bad, but it sure does feel like it sometimes! So yes, if you’re outside you can have lovely Summer Garden Things, but we’re not that lucky are we!? However, there is no need to worry, we now have plenty of indoor options!

Let’s start with my favourite, the Hawaiian themed Scene setter.

Hawaiian Themed Scene Setter

Basically, the decoration comes in a large roll and you literally just have to stick them to your wall, and you can have really simple designs, or go all out with a full beach party scene with Palm Trees and your very own Hula Girls!

If it’s not enough for you to be dressed up in your Hawaiian Shirt or Hawaiian Dress, now you can even dress up your furniture!

Tiki Hut Table Decoration

just look at the Tiki hut table decoration above, imagine serving your guests their drinks in Hawaiian Glasses and food from cool Hawaiian T Shirt Paper plates from behind there! They would have to be impressed wouldn’t they!? Throw in some Tiki Danglers and a couple of hanging Pineapple decorations and you’ll soon think you’re in Honolulu yourself!

Bahama Breeze 23cm Shaped Plate

So when you’re asked why you are throwing your own Hawaiian Party, you can tell them quite simply: I love the Sun, I love the Beach and I love to party, I couldn’t get myself to Hawaii but I could get Hawaii to my home!

Happy Hula-ing!

Making Parties Special!

Making Parties Special...

So you know you’re having a party, it’s in 3 weeks time and there is nothing to worry about, before you know it there are 3 days to go, only 5 out of the 20 guests have confirmed, there is no cake and you’re struggling to decide on decorations for the living room! Sound familiar to you? We’ve all been there haven’t we? Well that is exactly why at Partyrama we want to help you out with some Party planning and Party tips to make your party extra special and also that little bit less stressful too!

Ok so first things first, you need to have the Party Boy/ Party Girl with you. It’s their party so you need to have an idea of what their expectations are, remember that you are the person responsible for making this all happen, so if they are asking for a flying circus in the back garden, you might need to manage their expectations a little!

The first thing to establish is the Theme of the party, this can make many other choices later in the process a lot easier. Instead of just asking what they want, why not suggest four or five themes and let them choose, this is especially useful with younger children, especially when there are mixed groups so the themes may be different for the boys and girls. That way, whether they want to be a high school sweetheart like Hannah Montana or a swashbuckling pirate from The Pirates of the Caribbean you will be able to keep them happy!

High School Musical

So you have your Theme(s) in mind, great, now you have to decide who to invite. Again, remember, you are responsible for everyone there, so make sure that you have a manageable number of people and if the group is large, don’t be afraid to ask for some extra help from friends and family. A great way to let people know that you are having a party is by sending Invitations. Remember your theme and make sure that you pick matching invitations, that way you are keeping to your theme from start to finish!

Pirate Party Invite

Barbie Fairytopia Invites

Right, so you now know who you want to invite and you’re ready to write their personal invitations, but before you do that, you need to make sure you have a venue. There are many factors to think about when choosing a venue, size, activities, cost all come in to question. There really is no ideal venue and a lot will actually come down to what the Party Girl/Boy wants.

Here are a couple of things to think about before choosing your venue:

-Number of Guests
-Size of the Venue
-Is there room for activities eg. Bouncy castle
-Price (this also depends on the number of guests)
-Location – is it easy for people to get to and from?
-Catering facilities – What do they provide to eat and drink?

It is still popular to throw a party at home, and people find it easier to manage as long as there is enough space. There are plenty of ways to make your house into a Party house for the day and as long as you have help from friends or other mums, throwing a party at home can be a great choice.

Think about the entertainment, do you want a Bouncy Castle there or will you have a children’s entertainer there, or perhaps you have entertainment of your own? If you are struggling to fill the time, why not have some Party Games to play? Pin the Tail on the Donkey is classic but still a favourite with the kids and Pinatas are great fun and popular for all ages.

Pirates of the Caribbean Pinata

DON’T FORGET THE CAKE!! – Decide what cake you want, and if you need to order one from the bakers or Cake Makers, there is no harm in getting your order in with plenty of notice!

Right so you have the most of the planning done, what you need now are the party supplies! Order all of your supplies here at Partrama.co.uk

What you need:

- Invitations
- Table Decorations and Table Accessories
- Table Covers – Disposables are best as you can just throw them away with the rest of the rubbish at the end of the party, there is also a large selection of themed table covers so you can still keep to your theme.
- Balloons, no party is a party without balloons. Make a choice from latex,or foil balloons and remember to also stock up on helium gas!
- Banners, pick from foil, holographic, bunting or even your very own personalised banners!
- Party Games, Keep the guest occupied with an old fashioned Treasure Hunt with Party Prizes along the way. Or Why not go for an exciting Pinata stuffed full of sweets and surprises!
- Loot Bags and Loot Bag Fillers
- Dressing up things – Get everyone in the Party Spirit with Party Hats, Blowouts and face paints!

OK, so you have all of your supplies and because you’re well organised you’ve got around 2 weeks or so till the big day!

MAKE SURE ALL YOUR INVITES HAVE BEEN SENT! It’s no fun being at a party with no guests!

Start planning your menu. For a Kids Party don’t do anything too lavish, they’re too busy running around to actually eat lots of food so there is always a lot of waste. We think that finger food is always best and remember that less sauce means less mess! Don’t forget to have some “Grown Up” food for your helpers as well.

When you’ve got around a week left, ring all of the guests to confirm who is coming (and give them a friendly reminder!) If you have booked a venue and/or entertainer give them a quick call too. Double check all of your party supplies! Remember that at Partyrama.co.uk we can deliver the majority of our items within 2 days, so if you need to buy some extra supplies at short notice, please ask for express delivery!

The Day Before Party

- Make any food and drink that can be prepared in advance
- Decorate your cake if you’re doing it yourself or make sure that your Pre-Ordered cake has been picked up.
- Fill your loot bags with gifts and toys! (One tip is to have these well hidden from the Party Boy/Girl or any friends that may be around or they may not make it till the party itself!)

PARTY DAY!

GET DECORATING!

High School Musical Super Shape Star Foil Balloon

Get the Party Boy/Girl to help you out and it can be fun filling the balloons full of helium and putting up your banners, streamers and other decorations. Don’t forget to put up balloons outside of your house to let people know where the party is, if you have a front lawn you can have a Lawn sign or if not, have a Full door Poster

Party Is Here Lawn Sign

Make sure that you have plenty of black sacks for both rubbish and something to put gifts in at the end of the party!

Get your camera fully charged and ready and enjoy the day!

That’s the party out of the way, but don’t forget to send your thank yous to everyone that came or those who dropped around a present. Thank you cards are a great and easy way to do this and you can still go with your party theme all the way till the end, and why not send a loot bag to those that couldn’t make it so they can feel like they were a part of the best birthday of the year!

Making Parties Special...

So you’re having a Movie Themed party and you want to make sure that the surroundings are suitably decorated. It’s fine to have the usual Confetti, Balloons and banners, but how can you make your party really come to life? Stephen Spielberg would simply pick up the phone and have the Costume Department and pull out the Darth Vader suit from storage along with a couple of Storm Trooper Costumes for good measure. For the rest of us that don’t have these connections there is now another way to get the real life effect!

Full Life Size Cut outs are now available for almost every occasion. If your “Force is Strong” you can have Darth Vader in your living room!

Darth Vader Cut out Approx 6ft

But remember that you wouldn’t want an influx of the Dark Side in your living room, balance the force with Yoda (not as big as Darth but he has a lot of heart!)

Yoda Life Size Cut Out (3ft approx)

But we’re getting carried away with Star Wars here aren’t we… There are plenty of others to choose from, how about spending some time with a “relaxed” Homer Simpson who’s very comfortable in his under pants!

Homer Cut Out Approx 6ft

If he’s not dressed Appropriately, why not go ultra cool and trendy and have The High School Musical Cast as company? We’ve got Zac Efron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale and plenty more to pose and take pictures with!

Zac Efron High School Musical

Vanessa Anne Hudgens High Scool Musical

Ashley Tisdale High School Musical Cutout

But Why Stop there?! You Can have Optimus Prime, Megatron, Spongebob Squarepants, Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Carribean), Arnie (Terminator) and many many many more!

Why not check out our full collection here and take a look at some of the accessories too at www.partyrama.co.uk

This week has seen the launch of the highly anticipated sequel to Viva Pinata available exclusively on the XBox 360. “Trouble in Paradise,” developed by Rare Ltd. is a sandbox game where players of all ages tend their own garden on Piñata Island and provide for  more than 100 different piñata animals that can take up residence there. Like its predecessor, “Viva Piñata,” the sometimes relaxing, sometimes bizarrely humorous game will have players planting flowers, coaxing new animals to the garden, buying piñata costumes and all manner of other activities in the highly customizable game environment.

Viva Pinata – Trouble in Paradise is a great gift for a child (or young minded adult!), but why not go that extra step? Wouldn’t it be great to be able to have a Viva Pinata Theme to go along with such a great gift?

It’s great to see the kids sitting down eating their party food on Viva Pinata plates, making all sorts of noise out of their Viva Pinata blow outs while making less mess for you on Disposable Viva Pinata Table covers!

Of course, no Viva Pinata party would be complete without an actual Pinata, people would ask questions! There’s an excellent supply of Pinata’s here, one for every occasion.

Don’t just limit yourself to one theme though, there are plenty of others to look at. Why not do an Ocean’s Eleven night with a Casino Themed Party, or even go John Wayne or Clint Eastwood (whichever is your favourite!?) with a good old fashioned Wild West Theme? The options are endless, the only question is, will you pick your theme in time for the party!

We’ll be updating with new blogs on Parties and much more so stay tuned in!