15 Tips For Planning A Perfect Princess Party in Singapore

Bracing yourself for another year of attending princess parties, mama? Let the one you host make all the difference with these Perfect Princess Party Tips from Pare Swartsenburg, owner and founder of The Tiara Society at UE Square. With a princess-planning CV averaging 20 parties a month, Pare’s tips are invaluable whether you plan a ‘do’ yourself at home or engage her to do all the work play and save the day!

Pre-Considerations
1. First things first mamas – We live in Singapore where cost is a key factor. For a successful dress-up princess party, take into account the venue, entertainment, decorations, food, goodie bags, the cake, a princess outfit for the birthday girl and party accessories for the children. Decide on your guest list early so you don’t end up spending more than you need to. There is also cost to adding on siblings and adults that parents don’t normally think about.

2. Consider the personality of your princess to decide on the right tone. Some girls feel shy or are stressed in big crowds so you may choose to have a small 10-kid party in a cosy environment. Never force your child to have big parties. For 2-to-3-year olds, it is ideal to have a simple 1.5 hour party with about 10 kids.

3. Princess parties are usually girly parties. There may not be much entertainment for boys (though Tiara Society does have a “Knights’ Chamber” for “princes”), so do consider entertainment for all when making the guest list.

4. Always be prepared for the worst. Your child could fall sick so if booking a venue, check ahead of time if it’s ok to move the party around. Guests may not turn up, the cake may be late, or your princess could be in a bad mood. There’s a way around some of these incidents if you are prepared!

Timing and Invitations
5. Things in Singapore get crazy-booked-out, so start planning at least two months before. If you have limited time to work through the details, choose a party venue that will take care of everything – like Tiara Society!

6. Decide if you want a drop-off party and state it in the invitation. If you encourage parents to stay on, prepare snacks and drinks for the adults. Drop-off parties are perfect for 6-year-olds and above.

7. Send invitations at least two weeks prior but ideally a month before the party.

8. It is always best to invite more children than less, as there is always a possibility that 20% of your guests may not turn up.

Providing the X-Factor
9. Think of something unique to accompany ‘just another’ princess theme, such as an Ice-Skating Frozen Party, an Ariel Pool Party, a Mermaid Beach Party or a Princess Runway Party.

10. Plan a program for the duration of the party (e.g. when to cut the cake and when to feed the kids).

11. If you are organising your own, ensure you have someone who is good at engaging kids to play games. Entertainment for the children at a party is important and it always excites little girls to have a ‘live princess’ host! If your budget doesn’t stretch, then check out resources like Pinterest for some great DIY games.

12. For a Perfect Princess Banquet, add glitter, stars or tiaras to the banquet setup, but remember to keep the food simple. Whilst we may prefer to be creative or to serve healthy and organic food, basics like pizzas and fries will keep kids from leaving hungry. (Kids are always hungry at the end of a party!)

13. For Princess Goody Bags, it’s better to get one nice gift like a princess storybook, handbag, wand or tiara, instead of lots of little things. Avoid adding many lollies as most parents toss them away these days. Another idea is to have a Princess piñata and let the kids choose their own treats.

Finally…
14. Don’t forget to indulge your little princess on her special day — get a beautiful new princess gown for her to keep! Purchasing princess-themed basics such as swimwear, lunch bags, school bags, towels and cutlery will get her into the mood and theme.

15. Remember to sit back and relax. It is important to enjoy the party that you have planned. Things may go wrong but it is still your princess’s special day and her Mummy needs to keep calm! Have some bubbles on the side if that helps you relax J (Hear, hear to that! – Ed.)

The Tiara Society, #03-21, UE Square, 81 Clemenceau Avenue, Singapore 239917, (+65) 6822 9485 or [email protected]

For a list of party packages and pricings please see: www.thetiarasociety.com