Terrific Tips#3 - The guest list

Such a fun thing to plan a birthday for a little person.

There are many things to joyfully ponder in the dream-state of initial planning when your mind is dancing around in gleeful thoughts of fabulous frivolity, and extravagant birthday bliss.

We've already discussed considerations about the date and dipped our toe into the expansive party ocean that is the theme but something we think is really important to consider is the guest list.

It is appealing indeed to want to invite everyone you know, every extended member of the family, everyone who is a part of the child's life, and everyone who lives in your neighbourhood, after all, this is going to be a super-special event indeed right!?

But consider this... a huge guest list does not equal a huge success.  Just because a thousand people have turned out to fill your back yard on your child's party day, doesn't mean that everything is fab.

Yep, they look happy now, but what happens when there's only 15 slices of cake?   Source

Don't make the mistake of thinking that because Uncle Bert can chat to Pattie from next door and is thus entertained, and less likely to recreate the 'barbeque incident' of last years bash, everything is dandy.  Although Uncle Bert no doubt adores the little who's birthday it is, we're pretty sure spending his Saturday arvo at a 'Pretty Pink Fairy Party' complete with fairy wings, toddler tanties and glitter paint runs a luke-warm second to watching the races on the telly like he does every other Saturday.

And, on the note of toddler tanties, a hoard of kids equals a hoard of over-stimulation, equals a hoard more likelihood of toddler tanties!

source

Guests need to wait longer for (lower quality) food, they need to time their bathroom breaks so as to avoid congestion at the one pit-stop available, fight it out with a three-year old birthday guest diva who is intent on taking the last available seat just to admire her pretty pink toenails, etc, etc, you get the gist.


We would suggest a perfect number of guests as five, yep, just five. And here is why...

The food. 
Everyone has a budget that they can work to when planning a party, and personally, we would rather not spend it serving up burnt sausages with a slab of bread and t-sauce, when we could put together a great big candy buffet, ice-cream sundaes, fruit platters, cupcakes, fairy bread and pink lemonade.

Wowser! Tough Choice!  Source and Source

The entertainment.
When you only have five little birthday-aged fairies to entertain, chances are, they are gonna go for the fairy princess face-painter who comes along and sings a song and dances a little dance with them. Chances that cousin Harry, who is five years older, and ten times more macho than your little fairy princess is gonna dig this crazy paint-weilding fairy too? (slim to none)

Take that you crazy fairy-woman!   Source

And, if you're going to spend your time and effort on creating the most magical party ever, isn't it more important that the few guests who attend have a fabulous fun-filled time than that everyone gets to see little Harry dissing the fairy lady? Mmmmhmm!

On the note of fabulous and fun-filled, with only five little guests in tow, favor bags can be  something spectacular.  As one of our fabulous collaborators, who makes extra-special little treats to go into our favor bags put it so aptly "definitely better than the junk you usually get!!" 
Which would you prefer if you were a five year old birthday atendee's Mama?  A bag filled with junky rubbish, which has no purpose other than to fill the bag and ends up under the seat of the car, or wedged behind the clothes dryer, or a bag of beautiful little treasures that you can actually use and love and admire because they're good quality, unique and special? We think we know!

It really does make sense. With a small and special guest list, each child, including the guest of honour gets a more personal, special and memorable experience. They aren't overwhelmed by huge numbers of people, they get to really participate in all the action, events and festivities, and the whole thing can be a more unique, magical and spectacular event.  Not to mention the Mamas and Papas of the birthday child, who only get five requests for more sprinkles on the fairy bread, and can breathe whilst the fairy face-paint lady works her magic, instead of 15 toddler tantrums, 35 burnt sausages, 10 spilt cups of OJ, and a whole lot of headaches.