D's First Birthday Party Overview

Finally the day has ended and it gave me a huge relieve that it was finally over. Couple days prior the party, i had terrible worries regarding the seating for guests. The guests invited were almost 120-130 not including the nurses and babies they are bringing. As for the place can only hold for 130 Max. Thus making this whole party in jeopardize. Worse, the EO was not giving much help in calming your mind because he was not answering my messages regarding the preparation of how he's handling so far. The EO is not much responsive and so not good in communicating. I changed my referral to this EO unless you are really in over budget and in need of cheap EO.

Therefore, i seek to only place that could comfort my anxieties - Him. i prayed and made a promise to Him that if He could make the party enough to seat everybody then i would go to church the next Sunday. Please note that i had been absent for 1 months since last attend.

I woke up earlier and pampered myself to get ready to the place so i could comment and make any last changes to the decoration, cake, etc prior the party. Once i arrived, the EOs were half done decorating the place and the cake turned out to be stunningly beautiful yet cute. I love of how this cake which i ordered just exactly the same as the picture, except that i made couple of changes bit in here and there.
Cut the story short, the party was great and i bet everyone loves the food. The MC has entertained us a lot because i was laughing my ass out and i praised for his comicality because he's totally blown us by his jokes and funniness. The crowd was great, clown was great, all the seats were enough for everybody because it turned out that the guests were below expected. Some of the guest couldn't make it. This was His doing and i couldn't express of how grateful i was for that.

Here are couple of pics to show. 

Me, Wife and the Birthday Boy

 

The Cake with 50 cupcakes all around it. 100cm x 60cm. Jungle Theme

The Cupcakes Souvenir after the party given to guest.

With grandpas and grandmas

D with his Aunties

Chloe (D's cousin) with the funny comical MC

The Animal Themed Souvenir

This is how it looks like for each table: Suki + BBQ for the whole table booked for D's party. (Surya & Yun)

Note: "When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the Lord your God will surely require it of you. However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you. You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God, what you have promised." (Deuteronomy 23:21-23) 

I paid my Oath to God by going to church the very next week and learned valuable sermon that day. 

DIY Invitations for Kid's Birthday

For the invitation, there are couple of things that you need to take note for preparing a DIY invitation for you kid's birthday. These are couple of things that you need to reconsider your thoughts on before doing you cards.

• TIME! (You need a lot of time ahead for preparing DIY invitations.) at least 1.5 month for me
• Ordered Online Vs DIY made
• Landscape vs Portrait.
• Themes
• Color

First of all, i managed to browse online for the ideas. Then i stumbled upon these two great ideas.
Idea 1
Idea 2

I mixed both the ideas and here is my work.
First i designed my invitation using Adobe Photoshop CS5. 

This suits best with the jungle theme. With cartoon animals printed, it just adds the cuteness yet joyful and lively atmosphere into the cards. Choose your wording carefully because you may want it to be formal yet not so that formal. Putting a friendly essence into it.

This one is for the direction. Smaller in size and i added a different animal.
After the designing, i select a background and choose black color to make it more contrast with the white frontal page.

As seen above, this is the final result after gluing all together. First, i made the black background as the foundation. Using a carton, i cover it up using black paper so it would be thicker for the invitation. Then paste it to the green paper.

After you glued together...select a nice ribbon to tied all together. i choose two different colors. after tied together nicely. You could insert it into an envelope with the same color = green or you could insert into plastic. i choose plastic because i do not want it to be that too formal.

after all are finished, have yourself a nice 10 minutes break looking at your works. you'll be happy and so proud that you could make a very nice invitation that saves you a lot of money.

EO (Event Organizer) for Kids Birthday

(Courtesy of HoneyBeeKidParty.com )

Choosing a good EO for D's Birthday. I know that some of you might think that this is the crucial part after selecting a place for birthday. But in my opinion, it does that too much important because this EO is not so wide coverage on managing all the things happen for the event like WO's.
EO only provide you with decoration, MC, sound system, keyboardist, receptionist, character clowns, and mostly all mentioned like that. Not like WO, they managed everything from the time you wake up, have lunch, makeover etc, seating charts, etc.
First, you have to know your theme for the birthday. As for mine, is jungle. First, we thought we wanted Madagascar, but then we change it to jungle because we don't want it to be focused on certain theme.
Here, I managed to have couple of lists of EO birthday that I think are professional on their job.

BOOMBAAKIDZ
(http://www.boombaakidz.com/)

If you look at the package size, add additional Rp500,000 for every package. I had called Yen2 (2011) and she said that she have not updated the site coz she's been busy. And for the price is nonnegotiable. I like the Package B (4,4jt + 500 = 4,9) but too bad it doesn't have backdrop decoration where you put name of it. If you want full decoration, add 1mil so total 5.9mil. Too much for a 3 hour event so i put aside this in search of a better ones.

HONEY BEE ENTERTAINMENT

(http://www.honeybeekidparty.com)

From the look of the website, i am liking it already. So professionally done and simple. As for the price could be challenging. Still...not the one i am looking for

HIPHIPHOORAY

(http://www.hiphiphoor4y.com/)

This EO is so high end. From the previous customer we could she that they were hired by artists, mentri, pejabat etc. I bet this EO is good and the price also non negotiable. I like the package B for Rp. 5mil. No backdrop decoration, if you want it add additional Rp 3.5mil for backdrop semi flat 4x2m. Total of 8.5mil for the whole EO. God damn....now i know where the money generated = Decoration.

BADUT GALLERY

(http://www.badutgallery.com/)

My preference. 
If you look at under decoration jungle, the price is 2mil. You have the same backdrop 4x2m semi flat + other bonus 300 balloons, gated balloons, + clown character. I wanted a larger backdrop 6x3m but the place is not so high and could not fit and so i choose 4x2m.
As for the MC i choose with non magic 350 because for the lunch time you have to cook the meal yourself so it is just a waste of time. Add additional keyboardist and sound system for 1mil. total of 3.35mil. So below my budget.
If you are having a party that you don't have to cook a meal for yourself, then i suggest spend 4-5mil for EO seems to be reasonable price. last time i asked the owner i was given a discount, he will calculate the price according to what you want. (i choose a big backdrop 6x3 for 3.25 + 900 ss+ 500 mc badut sulap = 4.650mil).

(Courtesy of Badutgallery.com - This is the jungle theme like)

So it goes back to how thick is your wallet. If you want to be extravaganza then go for hiphiphooray, to budget minimalist go to badut gallery, honey bee, or boombakidz. Other EO listed on website or on forum is so not trustworthy. They may be cheaper but no decoration examples could ruin your children's birthday.

I'll let you know how the party goes.....

D's First Birthday Party - Selecting Places

My little D is almost one now. This Nov 29 2011 he'll be starts to walk and starts to spend more money. Some parents may disagree on this however one thing that is a common, we all love our children so much. Cant agree more on that.

First thing that when preparing a party for my son, i don't want it to be extreme. Meaning - glamorous. Having a party in Jakarta especially on hotels are quite pricey, and i don't want it to be on fast food restaurants either which most Indonesian thought it is a common thing to have. First thing to do is write down you budget and the people you are going to invite. mine is about 100ppl. So i run down couple of places such as cheap hotels and nice restaurants. Couple made to my list.

Angke Funtion Room (Courtesy of RestDB.com)

First one is Angke - Chinese restaurant on Ketapang. The function room is quite big and you can have to 100+ person because they have a minimum order: 10mil which is okay but one thing that i am not choosing this is because most people are already knew this place and they're aware of the food so you cant surprise them no more.

Second: Chunagon at WTC mangdu. I really like this place a lot. The place is so spacey, you have a private function room with stage, MC, keyboardist, balloon decoration all free!. Saves a lot of money. Can hold to 100+ ppl. with 3+ private tables and lining up chairs for guests. Too bad my little sister already had her son's first birthday here. Can't redo it...till maybe 2 3 years.

Come Kidzania Pacific Place. You can have your private party here with free ticket to the attractions. they charge only participating children + free adult. additional adult is affordable. However, on sunday you can only choose two sessions. first session starts at 10 -3PM and 3PM-8PM. Can't cross that session. time's up then you're out! too bad for that session otherwise it might be a good choice. BTW, They give free food for those who has the tickets.

If you are having a party at Alam Sutra, then i suggest go to Nuzzy's. I only seen it on website but i could tell that they had a decoration fucking done. The menu is Italian, for kids they'll love the pasta or pizza and for elderly they can have vegetarian pasta or fettuccine. If you want you could request Indonesian's nasi goreng or Sop Buntut which is comes very handy. They don't charge for outsource deco, wont need it anyway. min order request on pax.

Nuzzy's Resto at Alam Sutra (Courtesy of Nuzzy's.com)

couple more made to my selections such as circus - Senci, jun jian - setia budi (great deco but pricey food), penang bistro - central park or Kebun Sirih (great deco but pricey and small food), golden leaf, pisa cafe, and the rest are all Hotels which mostly they required min rev 25mil and you only get small function room. I know...it sucks.

My preferred choice is Cazasuki at Kebun Sirih. Great food on buffet. Sukiyaki or BBQ mixed. Halal. Free stage and Slideshow, large parking space. min order by pax. You can outsource decoration and they dont give charge on it. The reason i choose this is because you can all you can eat! Takes time because you have to cook it coz its sukiyaki/BBQ but i thought, what the hell you wont give a shit about it coz in the end your full and you're happy. hahahahaha.....great selection on sukiyaki: meatballs, pangsit, ayam bbq beef bbq, sate, and dessert! Funny that you realized that you have not tried the dessert because you are so busy cooking your meal and again you have to try the dessert, so full+Full again = almost exploded myself and i was happy trying out the food the first time i went there. Everyone was happy including my wife and parents. Further the plus sign, you never gone to a party like this before and i hope it will be fun for everybody to enjoy the experience.

Cazasuki Resto (Courtesy of Cazasuki.com)

I hope this helps for those moms googling for places to held their children's bday. I'll keep posting the result....one month to come.