Every Child Deserves To Be Celebrated

Every Child Deserves To Be Celebrated.

In many countries across the globe, including the United States, we take the opportunity to celebrate the precious little ones in our lives on their birthday. It seems to me there are almost as many ways to celebrate a birthday as there are people to celebrate!

For example, some people choose to have a last-minute intimate celebration with just a few family members, birthday cake and a candle. Some people choose to hire a celebrity event planner, spending tens of thousands of dollars creating a one-of-a-kind knock-your-socks-off blowout. Then there are some people who choose to do something in between. This may include mailing invitations to some family members and friends, ordering a custom birthday cake, purchasing party favors for the guests to take home, decorating with balloons and crepe paper, possibly selecting a theme, and sometimes incorporating games, crafts and activities...some choose to keep it simple, others will add some gusto with a baby animal petting zoo, pony rides, bouncy house, face painter, or private lesson with the principal dancer of a famous ballet company.

Sometimes I worry that the joy in a child's birthday celebration may be lost due to a number of reasons. Whether it is the pressure of out-doing our neighbors' child's birthday party, planning a birthday blowout to bring you (or your child) more popularity, or the simple stresses of ordering and picking up products, selecting a theme, setting up and decorating--these are just some of the things that come to mind that can suck the fun right out of the process, and sometimes, often unintentionally, throw us off from the purpose of the celebration, and what we really want for the birthday child.

I have found that the stress of planning the celebration itself can become loathsome. Whether it's going to the stationery shop to order invitations only to discover it takes two weeks to get the invitations you really want printed and the party is 10 days away... or it's taking all three kids to the party store to get the tableware, hats and plastic favor bags filled with plastic trinkets and toys all the while trying not to pass out when you get that $300.00 bill (that doesn't seem possible with the disposable products you just purchased)... Then there is the trip to the bakery to order the cake, the trip back to the bakery to pick up the cake (realizing they spelled your child's name wrong or they used neon pink instead of "pale pink" that you requested). And of course managing the RSVPs, figuring out who should sit where so there aren't any fights or tears... Don't forget you must get the helium filled balloons the day of the party--and have fun trying to shove 24 balloons into the backseat of your car because your SUV is in the shop. And oh! What to do when the children arrive? Trying to entertain them (and parents that unexpectedly decide to stick around), keep younger siblings safe, and trying to make sure no one lets the dog out when you aren't looking... Sigh,it can be awfully stressful to plan a birthday party!

From the simplest to most elaborate birthday parties, all of them can be truly special, wonderful, and be all about celebrating the birthday child.

I want to help make planning special celebrations for children fun, something that you may even look forward to year after year. I plan to do this in a number of ways.

The first is by offering custom party packages that are delivered (for local Boston area residents only, at least for now!) to your front door just a couple hours before the party--and even set everything up for you, discuss menu and activity suggestions with you, pick up your custom couture birthday cake and balloons, so all you have to do is enjoy the party!

Additional services would be addressing, sealing, stamping and sending your custom invitations for you, and keeping track of your RSVPs for you. We can also come pick up your birthday gifts that need to be wrapped a week before the party, and drop them off before the celebrating begins, wrapped more beautifully than you ever imagined. If we can help you save time and energy, decrease the stress that may be associated with planning the event, we consider ourselves a success!

The second way I want to help make the birthday party planning process better for you, is by offering you a line of products you really want. That means you not being stuck with what is on the shelves at the party store, but rather offering you custom products where you can select the colors, the patterns, the fonts (but of course we are always there to help you by giving suggestions if you prefer to have it pre-selected for you), and having your products all come from one place, www.katelandersevents.com, that coordinate and give a classic, simple yet stylish look you are going for. I prefer event themes based off the imagination, not cartoon animation, and I have tried to look back to classic childrens' party products from the last 200 years for inspiration!

Within our exclusive line of products are several options for personalizing your childs' event, whether it is with our luxe bunting (which can later be moved to his or her bedroom to enjoy for years to come), personalized invitations with matching mailing labels and stationery, personalized fabric party favor totes, custom stickers, personalized party favors...adding that personal touch can be a very simple way to make the day all about the birthday boy or birthday girl, without feeling like you have to go overboard with a theme. It keeps it classic, simple, and all about the child!

Another feature of our line is that many of the products have been designed for multiple uses--whether it is something you use year after year at the birthday celebration such as our whimsical cake toppers or hand painted ceramic plates, or something that can be used every day like our fabulous line of melamine tumblers and plates, or designer fabric custom-made-for-your-table linens, these items offer a way to make a purchase you feel good about, knowing that the items will not be thrown out after two hours. We are trying to offer more eco-friendly products, that are equally as stylish as those which are disposable.

One of my favorite features is the unique one-of-a-kind items that are custom created just for your child, that make them truly special. This can be an embroidered felt party hat custom designed to match your party theme, or a smocked dress in your choice of fabric, with your child's monogram (not only a darling birthday frock, but perfect for the family photos for holiday cards next year!). Don't forget the custom felt mary janes and monogram hair clips and old fashioned button front bloomers. Looking for a wonderful favor or gift? How about our darling aprons, available with a name or monogram, that are perfect for cooking or baking parties, or a darling mommy-and-me matching gift. Again, I took a look back at classic styles from the 1940s and 50s for inspiration for these very special, highest quality products.

While I could go on about the products, I will just mention my last feature I love for now, and will surely bring this up again in a future post. The last feature is the inspiration for imagination in the products. Whether it is the couture tutus (perfect to wear to The Nutcracker Ballet, especially the ivory tulle with scarlett red velvet trim and bow), the old fashioned taffy wands (a simple favor that is less likely to be tossed in a junk drawer, and more likely to bring a little sweetness to the child's day), custom fairy wings, fairy crowns and wands (each hand made and can be customized with your choice of flower style, ribbons, colors--endless options) that make for fabulous dress-up items after the party.

The last way I would like to help make planning childrens' birthday parties more delightful (and keep the focus on celebrating the child!), was actually the original idea behind Kate Landers Events, LLC-- which is offering full-service event planning services specifically catered to celebrations for young children. While there are a number of event planners in this world, I wanted to focus specifically on planning events for children, based off of classic childrens' storybooks and themes that are traditional, old fashioned, charming, imaginative, sophisticated yet simple. I have found that there aren't a lot of event planners that cater to such a small market, and my hope is that by focusing on this special niche, I can help my clients feel comfortable knowing that I am dedicated to a type of event I am passionate about, not just all events in general. I do not and will not take on just any event. I spend countless hours on each event, making sure all details are in place, researching all the options to meet my clients budget. To me it is about creating a celebration for a child that they will always remember with joy in their heart!