Simba Kids
Simba Kids what sounds better to you? So I have to write a story for school and its need to be like for 10 to 14 year olds to read tell me what one sounds better to you and more interesting. and ...
Simba Kids
Planning A Party? Some Useful Tips!!
Hello,
Sahil's – my sweetie pie nephew's 5th birthday on 28th September 2007 was a fantastic event. I had planned a Lion King theme - Simba
How I had planned for the event:
Very important - have a clear cut plan and budget on how you want the event to be, coz lot of people with come up with ideas
a) Made a detailed list on how many people would be coming
b) Bifurcation in the list as to how many Gents, Ladies, Kids - boys and girls - Grouped them in rough age group
c) Went to Bandra, Borivali, Andheri, Dadar, Fort - Fashion streets to pick up gifts for the above as per their age group
d) Made Paper bags out of cardpaper and had color pictures from "Lion King" pasted with bold headings - To....... From Saahil
e) Grouped the gifts accordingly i.e club together people from dad's side and make dad responsible to hand it over to them similarly brother, sisinlaw, mom, me
f) Laisoning with Event Managers, took around 3 quotes various ideas. I was adamant on Lion King theme so our discussion had no scope except that
g) Booking an outside hall for the event
h) Checking the caterers, tasting the food twice on the mix of what they offer
i) Had organised a Satyanarayan puja early morning - 8ish which was over by 10:30. Was at the event making sure all was pit perfect till 3, returned home, dressed up and back on the hall to welcome guests.
j) I had DJ, Tattoo artist, Mickey house (outside the hall for kids to jump on), Magic Show, Live performances - 2, Jewellery artist which was taken care of by the event manager.
k) Made invitation cards again with the Lion King theme (color print outs) and ensured it was couriered a week in advance
l) Personal calls to all invitees to make sure they dont miss on the time
I ensured all the people were on their toes and had made their life mess for whatever time i was coordinating with them.
I know you will say thats too much and you are just too crazy but than I started planning for it a year ago the event.
As regards the cost the Event Managers charge - They would tell you anything from Rs 15,000 to Rs 50,000.
You need to pick and choose. Negotiation skills would play an important role again
Thats why i said please have a clear idea on how much you intend to shell out. and what all you really want.
Tatoo, Magic Show, Performances costed me 1000 each after negotiation.
My personal experience says even if you have the price in mind, it goes for a toss. I had planned to shell out something between Rs 25,000 – 35,000 but it went up to whooping Rs 54,000 for 108 people.
But then I wanted to make it "Never seen before" party and included whatever I could best have. I was conscious when the meter was scaling up and my brain working on how am I going to manage.
I had 30,000 savings from which I had to pay the Priests for puja, ingredient for the same, hall rent, caterers, organise gifts, shell out money for my travel and miscellaneous like papers and printouts for invitation, wrapping the gifts etc, buy a Dhoti-kurta for morning puja, blazer for evening for Saahil.
I had negotiated with Event Manager and asked for 5 instalments which I cleared in bearly 2 months.
Also i forgot to mention on prizes for the games. There was also a MC for the event who organised games for kids, adults and we gave away lot of prizes.
They will offer their help but it's much wiser to help yourselves, works out to be cheaper but only if you have time, energy, enthusiasm and support. Otherwise their help is worth the buck.
Also the cake had a lovely pic of Simba - the lion king - It was a favorite scene of Saahil from the movie.
I had visited Merwans, Monginis, Croissants, 1/2 other bakeries for the 4 kgs cake. The cake shop will advise having 7-8 kgs for 100 odd people. 4 kgs is more than enough
I wanted the scene to be done with gelatin which gives it real look rather than the normal cream dressing.
Only Monginis lived up to my expectation and had charged me 5500 for the cake. I had to pick it up from the shop on the d day. I left the event at 7 and got back by 7:30 coz this special dressing needed to be kept in fridge
Also make sure what are you planning and who you need to coordinate with - make an xl with the time, day, people, what have you interacted them for, cell, landline no so in your confirmation call you can run thru all the important specification leaving just no scope for any deviations.
Make sure you have a mix for the dinner. Kids normally love the junk - ensure that it is kept in small portion even a sandwich could be in 4 squares (of 1 piece) with some creative dress up and funky name. Believe me saves lot of wastage. Oldies can get along with usual stuff or may be Pav Bhaji / Dosa / Biryani / a hard core Thali stuff.
Desserts has to be Kulfi or Jalebi or Icecream whatever you like for the adults, for kids it has to be Ice Gola or candies or something which they would bless you for being invited.
Whatever is the people order for 75%. The wastage will be minimum
Run through the list and ensure if someone who is Jain or special diet has been taken care of
Typical lady na hahahahahaha I should instead say typical virgo lady!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Too much into nitty gritties.
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