My most magnificent, patient, gracious client, Zulpha, reached out to me in MAY regarding her 40th birthday party. Her party was eventually in September, so four months from planning to fruition, and believe you me, I needed all that time!
Zulpha had a very specific request in mind, a rollerskating party to include both adults and kids with a touch of disco. You don’t have to ask me twice when there’s a disco ball involved!! I offered her a few options theme-wise, and being a child born in the 80’s, this was an easy choice to make. This party was surely my most fun, yet most extensive party I have ever had to plan. My study looked like an FBI field office on steroids: mind maps, lists, the lists had baby lists, the walls were covered in mood boards, there was not a spare spot!!! It took hundreds of hours (no exaggeration!) literally to plan, but I loved it all! I grew up in the 80’s too, so planning this party had me reminiscing BIG TIME! While out running or indoor training, my phone played 80’s music and I brainstormed the living daylights out of that! Listening for a catchy phrase for a food name, or a toy name, or an idea for a poster or the name of an activity station!
The hall was massive – Sunningdale Sports complex, so this was challenge number 1! Filling it! I divided the hall in half: one half was the disco/rollerskating side (Highway to the danger zone!!! ) together with the best DJ, interspersed by the most phenomenal Mocktail section, where guests were served their choice of Cranberry Fizz or Elderflower lemonade mocktails upon arrival. Throughout the evening, they were welcome to help themselves to Mango mojito’s or Electric lemonade mocktails . In true 80’s fashion, slush puppy HAD to feature, so there was a whole slush puppy station, right next to the Michael Jackson, King of POP, popcorn cart which popped all night long!! The fantastic crew who set up the Mocktails, also set up a “caffeine on tap” Coffee Bar which was also HOT IN THE CITY all night!
A major wow element to this party, was a company called Revolution Photo Booths, who set up an inflatable photo booth, photo backdrop and snap pics all night long which print there and then for guests to see their memories right away! Truly a unique idea! For those guests who did not want to skate, I had jenga (we built this city on rock ‘n roll), and other divine boardgames that they could play with a buddy!
The other half of the hall was divided into an exquisite canape and harvest table, three very funky lounge pockets with ample seating on white couches, ottomans and beanbags, then cocktail tables and chairs here and there. A stunning white jumping castle was the focal point here, for adults and kids alike, flanked by two gaming consoles on each side, each console complete with 200 games, from pacman, donkey kong, super mario, street fighter etc etc!! Nothing quite takes you back to the 80’s like a game of donkey kong! I designed a magnificent adult dessert table (Pour some sugar on me!!) complete with chappies, jelly cups, shaggy cake and cupcakes, pacman oreos, tape cassette cakesicles and Zulpha -branded chocolate bars. Zulpha also had a main themed cake, which nearly required a forklift to get into, and out of the building and had to be assembled on site!
For the adults, and kids, there was also a candy wall (sweet child of mine!) wqith scoop[s and packets and a donut wall (donut stop believin’).
As adult favors, I had tote bags made, that stood on each side of a striking backdrop (PUT ALL THE BLAME ON VCR), the totes were printed: video killed the radio star!
There was a Dirty dancing station with the beautiful and famous silhouette of Baby being lifted into the air by Johnny, then on either side I had water bottles printed for the adults saying : I carried a watermelon. You’ll only understand this if you grew up in the 80’s!
Lastly, with a stunning backdrop of WHAM, were coffee cups for each guest with : WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO-GO printed on them, filled with coffee sachets!
On the opposite wall was the kiddies ZONE, strongly based on pacman, and feeding the hungry hippos, so included were : many 80’s -themed toys, and 80’themed sweets, the CUTEST FELT ET teddies, MTV designed tote bags for all their goodies, even CARE BEAR pez sweeties I stumbled upon in greenpoint one morning!
Last but not least, one of my favourite WOW points was a cotton candy area, or ghost-breath! I themed this area as ghostbusters, with: WHO YOU GONNA CALL?… GHOSTBUSTERS!!!! And a backdrop of “I AINT AFRAID OF NO GHOST”. The cotton candy crew spun 8 divine flavors (cherry, cookies and cream, passion fruit, Turkish delight, watermelon, apple, tutti fruity and strawberry) all evening long! Always a HIT!!
I’m sure Zulpha and her guests still have “radio ga-ga, radio goo-goo”, “hungry like a wolf”, “footloose, kick off those Sunday shoes!” on repeat in their heads, but what a DO know for sure is that they all HAD THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES!!! (as did I planning this phenomenally fun party!!!!)
