Party Planning - Tropical Moana Party

Every time I host a party or event my guests tell me that they've had 'a wonderful time' or another flattering comment which makes my heart beam a little. I know they're probably just being polite but I do like the affirmation of a party well planned.

And yet any praise from myself is normally lacking.

So it surprises me to say it, but Lily's fifth birthday Moana Party was actually PRETTY GOOD.


And with an intro like that, take a look!

This year we invited more guests but limited the budget to only £50 more than last years budget. This meant that we did the whole thing for just £10 a head. It was tricky to stick within the spending limits but I managed it by planning many months ahead and buying items when they were cheap and plentiful in store, discounted in the sale or online.

For invites I designed them myself using Picmonkey. I'll be writing a tutorial for this shortly as it's amazing how easily you can create something personal and unique to your event. I only printed a handful for school friends and sent the rest online in an effort to save costs.

Our venue was once again the local library which can be hired for £20 per afternoon. This is the cheapest venue I have come across in the local area and yet it was perfect for our needs - close to home, enough space for 20 children and accompanying adults, an equipped kitchen area and a smaller 'quiet room'. We had the assistance of the librarian when it came to setting up the music which meant we had no problems with playing our online party playlist through the ceiling speakers.


For decor, I bought balloons from eBay from Missy Moo and used some balloon garland tape from Party One to create the tropical inspired arch. Instead of a normal table cloth, the dessert table was covered with an iridescent turquoise wrapping paper from Primark. I had planned to also have a grass table skirt but that still hasn't arrived... 


Pineapple party cups were bought in the summer from Poundworld and I used some simple hessian strips as table runners. The iridescent party napkins were from Not On The High Street and were purchased in their summer sale for less than half price - bargain!

Each guest was given a beautiful flowery lei (bought from dotcomgiftshop.com) to wear during the party and take home at the end. Some declined but the adults were happy enough to stick them on so none went to waste. These were also bought in the sale and I can't recommend them highly enough!

I also picked up artificial flowers and leaves on eBay - delivered from China. These were great but do buy them in advance as they can take a few weeks to arrive.


Entertainment was provided in the form of my sister, Louise, and Lily's Godmother, Nola, who led a dance routine and ran most of the party games. I don't know where they got the energy from but they were truly amazing.

Other games included pass the parcel, musical statues, pass the coconut (like Hot Potato but with a coconut instead) and a skittles game using green bottle palm trees and a coconut ball.

Food was kept simple, I provided some child friendly rolls, plenty of crisps and a few snacks like sausage rolls, chicken, crudites and cheese and pineapple sticks. For dessert there was a small selection of 'sea and sand cupcakes', fruit, pink and white wafers and chocolate wafers.


And then there was the cake. As usual it provided me with some stresses and a few tears but honestly? I even managed to impress myself (just a little bit) with this Moana-themed waterfall cake. My hubby tells me it's the best cake I've made to date and I'll accept that - at least decorations weren't dropping off throughout the night and it tasted good enough.


The party was two hours long. I think this was just the right length of time as both children and adults were beginning to show signs of strain towards the end! 

Lily delighted in giving each of her guests a party favour bag filled with bubbles, sweets, a flip flop keyring and a tattoo, closed with a frangipani flower clip that could also be used as a hair clip. Although simple they were effective and cost just £2 per person to give, alongside a piece of party cake (of course).


It really was a fabulous time. As always, I was incredibly grateful for all the support I had from my friends and family - from setting up, entertainment, clearing away and a hug when it looked like all was about to go wrong, I couldn't have done it without them. Thanks guys.



I hope you've enjoyed discovering our Moana Party. For more ideas or to plan your own, head over to find more ideas on my Pinterest page!


3 Little Buttons
Unknown said...

LOVE this! I'm bookmarking it as my daughter is a big Moana fan and I suspect this is the theme she'll pick for her next birthday. I love organising parties and we do ours on a strict budget too. The cake looks amazing! Can we have a tutorial on that too? Would be fab! #dreamteam

3 Little Buttons said...

Oh my goodness! Wow, wow and wow! What a brilliantly themed birthday party. It looks like you have thought of absolutely EVERYTHING. Completely amazed by your stunning cake and cupcakes. Thanks for joining us for the #DreamTeam x

Our Cherry Tree said...

Thank you so much! I'll see if I can do a tutorial - I suspect that this attempt was pure fluke! x

Our Cherry Tree said...

Thank you lovely! Glad you liked it! x

Suzie @ Cinnamon Sunrise said...

What an absolutely brilliant theme for a party! :D The cake looks amazing too.
And I've never thought of renting a library for a party - that sounds excellent.

mozza said...

Oh my goodness you are so talented! That cake is amazing but the whole party looks fab. Lucky girl!!!

Dear Mummy Blog said...

Great theme! We're super impressed with the cake and it's a great idea to save up on sale items x Sorry for our super late comment on #DreamTeam

wifemotherlife said...

The party looked amazing and like it cost a lot more than it did, well done! I bet your daughter was over the moon?! Brilliant x

Jo - Pickle and Poppet said...

I love this - the cake is amazing! Such a colourful party.

benilhalk said...

That’s very good! I was looking for a party planner for my daughter’s 7th birthday bash that she wants to have outdoor. So that this moment I am looking for affordable San Francisco venues and then will hire a party planner. I am sure that will be able to find a good planner on a budget.

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