Hello Bedazzlers. Can you believe that it is nearly back to school time? We hope that you have had an amazing summer holiday.

For this week’s blog post, we will be shining a spotlight on charitable organisations that we support and love. We perform at many charity events and fund raisers throughout the year and are always so very honoured to be invited and involved. Here are a few of our most recent events and charities that have touched our hearts this summer.

Kissy Puppy

Sophie Rolf is a beautiful, energetic and happy little girl. This year, just 2 months before her 5th birthday, Sophie’s parents received the devastating news that Sophie had an aggressive and inoperable brain tumour. ‘Kissy Puppy’ (aptly named after a special sort of kiss and cuddle, only reserved for Sophie’s big brother Jack) is a fund to allow friends and family to raise money for Sophie during this difficult time. Bedazzled Parties’ Princess Sleeping Beauty met Sophie at her 5th birthday party this August. She and Sophie had the most magical afternoon; amazing Sophie’s friends with their magic tricks and dancing the day away!

Get a Life!

Karen Reader, founder of Get a Life! is a personal and dear friend of ours. I first met Karen some 14 years ago at Shanklin Theatre, when I was completely in awe of her amazing dance ability, killer abs and infectious smile. Karen and I worked together for a number of years at the theatre, with her later going on to being a Virgin Air Hostess, travelling the world and meeting the man of her dreams, husband Garry. In 2006 however, Karen was involved in a very minor car accident which turned her world upside down. After major spinal surgery, Karen contracted an infection and now has a degenerative neurological condition that will cause her chronic pain and restricted movement for the rest of her life. Karen has founded ‘Get a Life!’ to help others like herself who are born able bodied and later become disabled through illness or injury. Karen was recently photographed by world famous photographer Duncan Raban and featured in the Sun newspaper.

Clic Sargent

Every day, 10 children and young people in the UK are diagnosed with cancer. Clic Sargent is the UK’s leading charity supporting children, young people and their families through cancer. For the past two years we have been privileged enough to perform at an August Bank Holiday Fun Day in memory of Jack Wakefield. Jack’s Mum Niki Wakefield who owns Tickety-Boo Cupcakes on the Isle of Wight, hosts the event each year with the ever inspiring Clare Pocock of Rookley Country Park. This year they smashed their target, and raised over £1,000.00 for Clic Sargent! Here’s a snap of Princess Dazzle having a fantastic time with the children! For more pictures from the day, click here.

Pop ‘n’ Grow

Paula Smith gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Amelia, on 19th September 2011. Due to complications, Amelia was moved to NICU – it was during Amelia’s stay that Paula came up with a new idea to bring comfort to her baby girl. Paula, with the help of friend Alison Wright, then created the Pop ‘n’ Grow baby grow, which is specifically designed for premature babies and babies who need to stay in special care units. They are created with poppers on the arms to allow ease of access for tubing and cannulas, whilst giving baby warmth and comfort. Remarkably, Pop ‘n’ Grow provide these baby grows completely free of charge across the UK and rely on fundraising to maintain their venture. We look forward to delivering a Baby Signing Party for a Pop ‘n’ Grow charity event on Sunday 7th October at Rookley Country Park.

All Bedazzled Parties’ dresses featured in this blog, were made by Tina of Bellissima.

I hope that you have enjoyed this week’s Spotlight on Charity blog. If you would like Bedazzled Parties to be involved in your charity event, please email Charlotte at info@bedazzledparties.co.uk

As parents, each and every step in our children’s development feels like a life changing milestone; and it is! From their first tooth, to their first step (we are currently waiting for that one) to their first day at school, we treasure each of these magical moments with the utmost regard. So it is unsurprising that the popularity of parties for pre-schoolers is at an all time high! This year we have hosted a vast array of tiny-people parties, from ‘Welcome to the World’ parties for our tiniest of Bedazzlers, through to 1st birthdays and beyond. Here we explore a number of options for partying with pre-schoolers!

0-2 Years Baby Signing Parties

For our smallest friends, we offer gorgeous Baby Signing Parties. Now, if I am honest, Baby Signing is fast becoming my personal favourite party! I get to dress up as a princess/ pirate/ superhero and sing, dance and giggle with lots of delicious little babies! What’s not to love?! Baby Signing Parties are unlike any other young child’s party, as all of the action is simultaneously signed using the highly accessible Baby Signing Mummy Method. This means that even pre-talkers are engaged and can be stimulated by the strength of gesticulation and voice working in harmony. We use a vast array of visual and sensory stimuli to engage the children further such as bubbles, parachutes, balloons, puppets, cuddly toys and multi-sensory books. The action is strengthened by our unique script, which is delivered by a Bedazzled Parties professional actor or actress.

2-3 Years Multi-Sensory

For toddlers/ small children (maybe we could call them ‘choddlers’ for short?! Does that work!? Perhaps it will catch on in time…) we would recommend a multi-disciplinary approach to ensure their full interest throughout the party. The main show would be delivered in line with the Baby Signing Party script, but then we could elaborate on the offering around that. Mascot appearances work very well with this age group, particularly when combined with a led performance. The mascot character can meet and greet the children, pose for the cake and wave them goodbye at the end of the show. Inflatable items such as bouncy castles also work well with this age group, just ensure that they are inaccessible during any led entertainment sections, as otherwise they can prove too much of a distraction.

3-4 Years Party Plan

Congratulations! You’ve made it through the endless sleepless nights, not-so-pleasant nappies and seemingly constant teething and now you are planning your child’s 3rd/ 4th birthday party! At 3-4 years old, the children can now benefit from our mainstream show and the range of event extras on offer increases. The show time extends, as does the range of activities, which now include magic tricks and more dance, drama and party games. The children now also enjoy pass-the-parcel and get excited about fun-formalities such as the birthday cake! Here are a few shots from a recent 3 year olds birthday party that we planned just outside of London. We used sweet trees as exciting centre pieces, super cute cupcakes, candy carts, and popcorn and candy floss machines in the space. We also ensured that the table was both colourful and practical simultaneously, opting for children’s sized tables and chairs, colourful plastic cutlery and age-specific tableware.

We hope that this blog will help to inspire you when planning your pre-schoolers party! For any more questions and to discuss your unique requirements, please call us on 01983562019/ 07890665113.

Stay Bedazzling friends!  xxx

A birthday party wouldn’t be a birthday party without something sweet and delicious to make you feel all fuzzy inside! Whether it be a slice of cake, a cupcake, a sweet tree, a candy cart, or even a gourmet doughnut; there are a plethora of indulgent delicacies on the market to sate even the sweetest tooth.

So in this week’s blog we explore all things sugary and deliver a range of unique ‘sweeties’ from across the country and beyond.

Hampshire: Lucy’s Cakes

For a show stopping cake that will thrill your guests, we whole heartedly recommend ‘Lucy’s Cakes.’ We have worked with Lucy on a number of projects, including this rather fabulous Tom and Jerry cake featured! What makes Lucy so special is that each cake is entirely bespoke from start to finish. She works with such precision, creativity and flair, that the end product is not only visually stunning, but utterly delicious too! Well worth ditching the diet for!

Hertfordshire: Nevie-Pie Cakes

When we first saw one of Natasha’s cakes, we were in sheer awe and amazement! Nevie-Pie cakes specialize in hand-painted cakes, cookies and cupcakes, each one lovingly hand crafted and hand painted to your unique requirements. Artist and owner Natasha Collins is also gaining a growing international reputation for her cake painting classes. If only I weren’t so artistically challenged…

Kent: Candy Cartwheels

Family run business Candy Cartwheels was born when owners Kirsty and Alan wanted to offer their wedding guests something different to the traditional wedding favours or a chocolate fountain. Their beautiful Victorian Candy Cart is maintained and delivered to the highest standard. They will colour coordinate their sweet offering to complement your party theme and you will even receive an immaculate operative to deliver the treats. This is ideal for children’s parties, as it can cater for small to medium sized party numbers, whilst evoking all the fun of the fairground!

Isle of Wight: Miss Dotty’s Cakes and In Your Dreams Trees

Life on the Island has never been sweeter thanks to these two wonderful companies. Miss Dotty’s cakes are beautiful, delicious and entirely bespoke to your requirements. She even offers free delivery Island wide. In Your Dreams Trees are an innovative, tenacious and passionate company, who deliver everything from Sweet Trees to Candy Carts. We have used both of these companies on numerous occasions and both the service and results have been truly scrumptious!

Across the Pond: Dough a Deer

Since discovering this gourmet doughnut vendor a few weeks ago, we’ve spent many a working hour day dreaming about their doughnutty delights. Breaking from the norm, owner Nicole Anderson of Orange County, California has developed a luxury baked doughnut offering, suitable for any celebration. From ‘Doughbabies’ to ‘Doughnut Pops’ (a take on the established cake-pop), the possibilities are endless! Now, the question is, would it be frivolous to fly over to the US for a taste? No?! Well if you insist…

We hope that you’ve enjoyed this week’s calorific instalment and that it has provided some food for thought. I don’t know about you, but I’m off to stick my head in to the biscuit tin! For more information on Sweet Treats, please call us on 01983562019/ 07890665113.

We at Bedazzled HQ are getting extremely excited about the Queen’s Jubilee this weekend! With bunting appearing on every street corner and regal trinkets brightening up shop windows, we are positively beaming with patriotism!

In celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Bedazzled Parties will be performing at a number of public events across the South. Please find performance dates, times and venues below:

Thursday May 31st 1.30-2.30pm Totton Road College, Southampton SO40 3ZX

 Marvellous Magic Show with Dazzle the Magician
 Perfect Face Painting with Fizz-the-Face

Saturday June 2nd 2-3pm Hedge End Road, Andover SP10

 Super Street Party with Disco Diva

Sunday June 3rd 3-4pm 9 Rednal House, Greetham Street, Southsea, PO54LJ

 Brilliant Balloon Modelling with Ariel the Little Mermaid
 Fantastic Face Painting with Sleeping Beauty

Monday June 4th from 1pm onwards

 Isle of Wight Radio Presents: The Jubilee Garden Party!
o Level 42
o The Bees
o Bedazzled Parties (Static shows and walkabout entertainment)

Also, if you are having a private party that needs Bedazzling, there is still time to contact us! Please feel free to call us on 01983562019/ 07890665113 to arrange for a Right Royal Performance, fit for a Queen!

When planning a party, it is pretty standard practice these days to source excellent entertainment, cakes, food, party bags and decorations. Styling and décor is a crucial part of any party and helps transport the children in to their chosen fantasy setting. However, the excitement and anticipation for the big day can start a lot earlier.

Bespoke Save the Date cards and Party Invitations have been the norm in the wedding industry for many years; but now they are just as prevalent in children’s parties and sourcing the right design can be the first exciting piece of your larger party picture. With what feels like a never-ending stream of children’s parties to attend throughout the academic year, it can often feel challenging to make your child’s party stand out from the crowd. Delivering entirely bespoke party invitations is one of the many ways in which you can do just that!

Imagine the excitement at school when all of the children receive a bespoke party invitation! These can be colourful, quirky, three dimensional, incorporate sound and touch or even be in the form of a bespoke item! The beauty of children’s invitations is that the styling options are endless.

Here at Bedazzled Parties, we work with a beautiful team of artists who are on hand to design, create and deliver your unique invitation and save the date. We have someone to suit any theme, style, or request and can tailor make a package to suit your personal budget. Once we have decided upon a concept, our team will get to work designing your unique stationary, which can be as elegant or extravagant as your little one requires! Our capabilities extend as far as your children’s imaginations and our artists thrive on a challenge.

Logistically, we also offer a full RSVP service in order to fully manage your guest list for you. This allows you to enjoy the build up to the party alongside your birthday Prince or Princess!

From talking teddy bears, to kooky comic strips, super sketches to elegant envelopes, make your child’s party truly unique from the outset with our Bedazzled Parties Invitation service.*

* As featured in our Party Planning Service

Arranging your first child’s birthday party can be a daunting experience. With such an array of activities, decorations, themes, entertainers and packages on offer, it can often be difficult to know where to start. Long gone are the days where a quick game of ‘pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey/ Dad’ and a pass the parcel wrapped in newspaper are enough to capture the children’s imaginations.

The children’s party industry is a varied and ever expanding beast, which upon first glance, can seem impossible to tame. So we have put together our top 5 tips, to ensure a successful, enjoyable party experience for you and your family!

1) I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date!

Do not underestimate the magnitude of the job in hand! Arranging a party involves a fair amount of planning and you want to be sure that you allow yourself enough time to do justice to your wonderful ideas. At least 12 weeks before the party, start your research. Start exploring themes, venues, entertainers, or party planners if you would prefer. Even if you would like a party planner to arrange and deliver the party for you, please contact them as early as possible to ensure the most comprehensive service. Booking of venues and entertainers is recommended at least 8 weeks before your party date, particularly during busy times such as summer, Easter and Christmas.

2) Choosing the right entertainer.

The success of your party will largely hinge upon the entertainer. A great entertainer will enthral the children from start to finish, allowing you to chat to the parents, arrange the lunch and possibly even enjoy the party yourself too! Make sure that all entertainers you speak to have their own Public Liability Insurance and an up to date CRB check. They should also speak confidently on the telephone and be able to answer any questions that you may have about the show. Do ask them any questions you may have about their professional background too. Ask what the company/ individuals rules are on breaks, start times, finish times and when they will arrive on the day of the party. Also be clear on their policies for cancellations, deposits and how to confirm your booking. If you are booking through an agency, or a company who employs multiple entertainers, do check the employers knowledge of the entertainer that they are sending to you. Has the entertainer been trained in-house and if not, how well does the agency know the act? The agency should be able to speak in detail about their act and reassure you about the level of show you should expect to receive. Sometimes, a picture speaks a thousand words, so do check the gallery pages on each company’s websites, as well we any managerial biographies they may have.

3) Choosing the right venue.

Venues, much like entertainers, do book up in advance. So make sure that you enquire early to ensure success. When booking, make sure that you allow at least one hour before and after the party for your set up and break down and be clear upon who is responsible for cleaning the room after the party. Also check if there is an extra charge to use the kitchen and outdoor areas. Popular party venues are church halls, social clubs, community halls, hotels, arts centres, nurseries, school halls and theatres. For more illustrious venue options, do ask your party planner.

4) RSVP

The modern parent is so super busy, that getting all of your RSVP’s back in good time can often be challenging. This is particularly tricky when your children are very young and you are not familiar with all of the Mummies and Daddies at the nursery. To best overcome this, send out your invitations in plenty of time and make sure that you include a range of contact details (telephone/ mobile/ email/ twitter). If you can hand out invitations face-to-face, this is also great, as you can collect each parent’s return details on the spot. It is also fine to state a date to respond before, say, two weeks prior to the party. Many top party planners will also manage your RSVP list for you, simply state that you would be interested in this service upon enquiry.

5) Added extras!

Bespoke details will really add the ‘wow’ factor to any party. Below is a list of popular party extras that you may like to consider when organising your party:

* Birthday cake
* Party bags
* Table favours
* Centre pieces
* Face painting
* Personalised party invitations
* Decorations
* Table wear
* ‘Parents’ area (food/ canapés/ drinks/ a safe haven!)
* Cake and present tables
* Soft play/ area for very young children
* Costume for the birthday child!
* Photographer/ videographer

Finally, make sure that you bring the following with you on the day (because when there are 30 children running around, you can never be too prepared!):

* Candles
* Matches/ lighter
* A Pen
* Blue-tack
* Sticky tape
* Board pins
* Extra cutlery/ napkins
* Balloon pump
* Sharpe knife for cutting cake and extra plates
* First aid kit
* Baby wipes
* Emergency contact numbers for each child
* Money in appropriate format for all entertainers/ caterers etc
* Mobile telephone
* Emergency venue contact details

Above all else, enjoy this party planning period! You will be amazed at how creative you can be and there are always dedicated professionals, such as Bedazzled Parties who are on hand to advise you at any stage.

I hope that this was useful for you! Remember, if this still all seems like a minefield, there is always our Party Planning service on offer to you.

Thank you for reading and have a dazzling day!

Love and sparkles,

Charlotte xxx

Hello Bedazzlers!

March is here, spring is in the air and the Bedazzled Parties office is a hive of activity!

All of our new entertainers are now out on the road delivering beautiful parties and their feedback has been 100% exceptional. We really do feel so proud of our entertainments team and so privileged to work with such a talented bunch of actors!

We have also launched a number of new themes, all of which have been incredibly well received. Spiderman, Dorothy (Wizard of Oz), The Fat Controller (Thomas the Tank Engine), Indiana Jones, Rosetta (Disney Fairies) and Rapunzel (Tangled) have been Bedazzling young audiences all over the country this week and with great success. On a personal note, I am completely and utterly in love with Rapunzel. There is something truly magical about three foot long glowing blonde hair, even at the ripe old age of twenty-six! Whether of not the hair will fulfil its promise of eternal youth is still up for debate; I will let you know in a few years time whether or not the crows-feet have multiplied! Even if she cannot turn back the hands of time, she really is a magical character and the children are certainly incredibly fond of her. One Mum came up to me on Saturday after the party, amazed that her twin boy and girl who were usually “very sceptical” of party entertainers, so whole heartedly believed that the “real Rapunzel” had come to the party!

With our new Baby Signing Parties now live, we anticipate even more first time parents contacting us. In light of this, next week’s blog will be in the form of a ‘How to Arrange a Child’s Birthday Party!’ guide. Come and join us next week for a party planning master-class! If you have any advice you would like to include in the survival guide, do let us know either via Twitter @bedazzledpartie, Facebook or via email info@bedazzledparties.co.uk.

That’s all for now folks! May your week be sparkly and filled with laughter!

Charlotte x

This week has been one of the most exciting in the history of Bedazzled Parties! Working in partnership with the beautiful Baby Signing Mummy, we have launched Baby Signing Parties!!

We are the first and only company in the UK to offer Baby Signing Parties, which will be aimed at babies and young children under three years old. Baby Signing Parties will include a dazzling range of song, music, dance, imagination games, balloons, magic, bubbles, and sensory stimuli to fully engage the tiniest of Bedazzlers! The shows will be forty-five minutes in duration and will be delivered by a Bedazzled character of your choice.

Only two days after we went to press with Baby Signing Parties, we have already received our first booking.

We are also performing an adaptation of a Baby Signing Party for the amazing children at Beaulieu House this summer. Beaulieu House is a respite residential unit for children with severe learning disabilities or health issues. Many of the children use Makaton and British Sign Language as their primary method of communication. Baby Signing Mummy uses a combination of Makaton, BSL and the Baby Signing Mummy Method to create their accessible signs. We will therefore combine our Baby Signing Mummy expertise with our regular Bedazzled Parties shows to suit this wonderful audience.

If you have a child with special educational needs and would like us to include signing in to their party, please do let us know and we will be more than happy to help! We believe that every child deserves the party of their dreams and we will do our utmost to ensure that this happens!

In the press! Read the IWCP press release online now! Click here- Baby Signing Parties.

Hello Bedazzlers!

We hope that you are having a fabulous February and making the most of the unseasonably warm weather. It has been a mad month for us at Bedazzled HQ! Firstly, we hired two new gorgeous entertainers to join the existing Bedazzled Parties Team!!! Magical Marie and Lovely Louise will be performing their premiere parties this weekend and after weeks of hard work and glitter, we are certain that they will be fabulous! We will be posting entertainer profiles over the coming months, so you can meet the team and learn a fascinating fact or two.

We have also launched a number of new party themes. Rapunzel and Spiderman are now available to book and are already proving very popular. All of our Princess and Fairy dresses are handmade and are so beautiful, I must confess, it’s hard to take them off at the end of the day! Housework is that bit more exciting when dressed as a princess after all…

This Friday we are also thrilled to complete our training with Baby Signing Mummy! This means that Baby Signing Parties, aimed at pre-talkers and very young children, will be live and launched extremely soon! We are the only children’s party company in the UK to offer Baby Signing Parties, in association with Baby Signing Mummy, so please do contact us for more details.

Finally and perhaps most exciting of all, I have just found out that I have not only been nominated for a Mumsclub Business Award; but that I’ve actually now been short listed too! This is the 4th annual Mumsclub Business Mum’s Awards, as sponsored by MyFamilyClub. This really is such an honour and I am so very grateful to everybody who was kind enough to vote. Bedazzled Parties was nominated for a ‘What’s on 4 Junior Award’ in January of this year, so to receive a personal nomination from Mumsclub as well is truly overwhelming. The winners of the Mumsclub Business Awards 2012 will be announced on International Women’s Day, which is March 8th. I would like to take this opportunity to wish everybody involved the best of luck and I look forward to connecting with lots of wonderful new business Mums as a result of the awards.

That is all for now folks. More exciting news to come very soon I am sure, but for now, I must try and get this wee baby to bed!

Night night x x

We are thrilled to announce that we have been nominated for a national award! We have been nominated in the ‘Best Children’s Entertainment’ category of the highly prestigious ‘What’s on 4 Junior Awards 2012′ in association with Konfidence!

Thank you so so much to everyone who has already voted. We truly love what we do and to be recognised for our life’s passion is such an honour.

The next stage of the awards is the live ceremony in June 2012. We would love to be present, so to ensure that we are, we need your help!

If you have not already done so, please take a moment to visit www.whatson4littleones.co.uk/awards.asp and vote for us as your ‘Best Children’s Entertainers/ Entertainment’ 2012! Every vote counts and if we get enough of your gorgeous votes, we may even be in with a chance to qualify as finalists!

Thank you so much in advance for helping to support our growth and development.

Love and Sparkles, Charlotte x x x x