Mini Mag!
FROM THE EDITOR Celebrations are amazing things. Whether big or small, budget or blow out, they are the little sparks of joy that we all look forward to in life. It’s a great time to be planning a party. Along with an abundance of local creative talent, there's a constant bounty of inspiration from social media, making it so easy to inject that little bit of enchantment and excitement into any gathering. This is why I always wanted to be in the party industry. Aside from the aesthetic pleasure of a beautifully styled event, the infectious happiness that parties bring is addictive to me! We may be a small country, but I am constantly blown away by the amazing talent in the Aussie party circuit, both from professional event planners and stylists and people trying their hand at a DIY celebration. I am absolutely thrilled to be continuing the work of Claire, Confetti's previous custodian, in supporting our thriving industry. I cannot wait to bring you another year of fairs, magazines, and workshops. Thanks for your support and here’s to 2017!
Esther
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MEET THE MAGAZINE TEAM ESTHER KEFALOUKOS
MARIA ANDRIOPOULOS
KAT CROSSLEY
Boss lady and star organiser, Esther is the recently instated owner of Confetti Fair. A lover of all things party and a perfectionist down to the minutest level!
Full time mummy and digital marketer, Maria’s weakness is beautifully illustrated party decor and stationery, her own hobby being illustration too. She works across social, email and content.
Florist, graphic designer and allround creative soul, Kat has a soft spot for kitsch and colourful celebrations. She can usually be found working on her latest DIY project – the messier the better.
On the cover: photography, styling, chocolate gems and love knot pretzels by Hey There Sugar; cake by Alcakemy; donuts from Donut Papi; macarons by One Bite Macarons; dessert cups from Sweet Vicinity; party plates from Party Kit Company (formerly The Kit Source).
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IN THIS ISSUE From the Editor
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Meet the Team
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Vendors in this issue
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FEATURE: Trend Alert!
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STYLE: Summer Lovin'
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REAL PARTY: Ruby's Summer Social
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REAL PARTY: Sienna's First Birthday
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REAL PARTY: Spring into Summer
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VENDORS IN THIS ISSUE A CHARMING FETE
FIFI LA FEMME
MY LASTING BOUQUET
ALAROCH
FOAMTASTIC PARTY DEOOR
ONE BITE MACARONS
ALCAKEMY
GLOSS EVENTS & DECOR
ARLIE CO
GOLD COAST TIPIS
OPULENTICITY PARTY & BUFFET STYLING
BELFLORA
HEY THERE SUGAR
CANDYBAR SYDNEY
ILLUME PARTYWARE
DONUT PAPI
KISS WITH STYLE
FAVOR LANE PARTY BOUTIQUE
LIFE’S LITTLE CELEBRATIONS MACARON DELIGHTS MONELLA MORGAN MAKE MY DAY
PAPER FACE PARTY POPOLO ARTISAN GELATO PRESTIGE CAKES BY GINA RUBY RABBIT RYAN JENKINS SUGAR POP PARTIES SUGAR STYLE SWEET BITS N PIECES SWEET VICINITY THE PARTY KIT COMPANY
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Trend Alert! What’s Ahead for Parties It’s a question foremost in the minds of event planners, parents and purveyors of party supplies – what will be the new hot trends in entertaining?
In the era where Instagram and Pinterest still prevail for inspiration, there’s no lag time between a trend hitting Europe or the US and reaching our shores Down Under.
GET IN MY BELLY
Whether you call them funfetti or unicorn food, sprinkles have exploded this year, hot off the heels of our Stateside friends first discovering the delights This is both thrilling and challenging. On the one hand, of fairy bread (an Australian institution since as early it’s great to know that a trend can start as a tiny seed as the 1920s!). Sprinkles come in all sorts of shapes, flavours and colours, and they’ll continue to pop up in from just about anywhere – a tiny account with just a all kinds of food – even savoury! few hundred followers can publish an idea that could end up breaking the internet once it’s been picked up When it comes to cakes, the rustic edges of the naked by a major influencer. cake and contrived ooze of the drip cake are set to be replaced by a return to glamour and luxe. The mirror But the relentless influx of inspiration can sometimes cake (a firm favourite of Moscow bakeries) and the be overwhelming. When you’re planning a special lace cake will definitely be winners in grown-up girly event, it’s easy to feel dragged in a bunch of different gatherings. Traditional round cakes will start to give stylistic directions. Unicorns! Pom-poms! Handway to square shapes (which are easier to serve and lettering! Floral crowns! actually yield more portions, yay!), along with layered, It’s all lots of fun to browse, but sometimes what’s offset cakes. required is a little editing. That’s where Confetti Fair In the wake of cupcakes and cakepops, macarons and comes in! We’ve scoured a host of our go-to sites doughnuts will continue to preside – but is there room (some major, many more obscure) and come up with for a newcomer? Our baking insiders suggest that the our hit-list of top trends for 2017 and beyond. 6
eclair maybe the next dessert du jour for Australian parties. Certainly, specialist patisseries such as La Maison de L’éclair, Ninou and Textbook in Sydney prove there’s a blossoming interest in the delights of all things choux. DECORATE YOUR DO Balloons, the perennial party staple, will always be around, even if they’re now rounder and clearer and fancier than ever before. But still to reach their peak are garlands and swags, especially adorning that other key décor trend: arches and canopies. Think garlands abundant with faux or fresh florals and foliage, paper honeycomb decor and ribbons. Speaking of honeycomb paper, we haven’t seen the last of this trend n party decorating yet – it’s even available uncut to create your own on-theme party shapes! Colourwise, there are two clear trends taking shape. The first is dominated by earthy tones (with hints of mauve and indigo), natural textures (stones such as onyx are set to replace last year’s marble) and ethnic and tribal references. The second is colour pops, jewel tones, and bright, cutsey illustration. We are already seeing this in some beautifully illustrated invitations which are directing our attention away from last year’s focus on type and lettering. Expect to see eighties-inspired fonts and neon signage popping up at events. The announcement of Greenery as Pantone’s colour of 2017 means that succulents, foliage and rustic wreaths will be hotter than ever. Tropical style will remain strong too, although with a slightly more luxe angle; think palm fronds and banana leaves mixed with gold and even black for grown-up glamour. Oversized paper flowers will also be huge this year (pun intended!) – they are photogenic too, making them great assets at photo booths and as backdrops.
DREAM A LITTLE THEME Party themes are a little trickier to track than one-off trends, but there are a few places to look for clues on what’s likely to strike a broad chord. Cinema is a big one – especially for kids. For example, The Little Mermaid is likely to be bigger than ever, especially with news there’s a new live-action movie in production. A new film adaptation of Beauty and the Beast set for release this year is also sure to inspire. Retail is another big influencer – the gift and home trade fairs are great places to track party trends for the season ahead. Watercolour florals have been one of the prettier trends to develop, and they will continue to be popular, although interest is also growing in smaller, Liberty-style floral prints too. The fascination for crystals and semi-precious stones will only get stronger this year, a natural extension of the geode and agate trend we’re currently seeing all over Instagram (those cakes!). Location-wise, the trend we’re tracking with great interest is the tipi as full-scale party tent, instead of a regular marquee. Yep, just like the kids’ toy version, but on a super-sized scale! Another hit prediction for party themes in 2017 is mini mania. We’ve already started to see a huge craze in all things mini occurring worldwide – whether it’s on-trend dollhouses, crafting workshops or tiny food parties. This is one theme everyone has the space for! Of course, there’s always going to be that one, unpredictable trend that will sweep in and take us all by surprise. That’s the joy of a creative community driven by the fast-moving, highly democratic machine of social media. We can’t wait to see what’s to come!
Balloon garland embellished with greenery from A Charming Fete; Swap a standard marquee with an awesome tipi! Hire one like this from Gold Coast Tipis; Give your event a Beauty & the Beast twist with a long lasting rose in a dome from My Lasting Bouqet. 7
Tanya from Life's Little Celebrations shares her top party trends... MERMAIDS, UNICORNS AND MORE Many of the popular party themes of 2016 will continue into 2017 – think unicorns, tropical and fruitinspired parties! Mermaid parties also are hugely popular at the moment and we will see more of this theme in 2017.
TRIBAL TIMES The tribal trend has brought with it many outdoor and rustic settings and incorporated tipis, cacti, woodland elements, feathers and arrows. We will see more of this in 2017 but also with florals and a pretty ‘garden party’ feel for girls.
PARTY ANIMALS Unique themes which are centred around a particular animal were wowing us last year with plenty of gorgeous swan and flamingo parties, as well as cool panda and bear monochrome parties. This year we may see other animals take centre stage for unique party themes.
METALLICS ARE HERE TO SAY We will see gold and rose gold in particular continue to be mixed in with various colour schemes this year and they'll also be found in stylish party décor and settings.
POPS OF COLOUR This year will also bring huge splashes of colour for modern takes on various kids party themes. We will see more wonderful clusters of balloons, balloon garlands and tassel backdrops mixed in with other décor to create colourful setups for events.
BACK TO NATURE We will also see more “natural” elements in styling with greenery mixed in with other décor and neutral colour schemes. This page: White Baptism image styled by Gloss Events & Décor; Rose gold partyware by Illume Partyware; Unicorn party by Kiss With Style. 8
Follow @lifeslittlecelebrations on Instagram!
This page: Panda party by Opulenticity Party & Buffet Styling; Bright honeycomb decorations by Paper Face Party. 9
Follow @hey.there.sugar on Instagram!
Brooke from Hey There Sugar shares her tasty dessert predictions...
MAKE-BELIEVE FRIENDS ARE HERE TO STAY Good news for our favourite mythological creature – there's no danger of extinction for the unicorn, with plenty more unicorn-inspired cakes on our horizon.
FLAVOUR, FLAVOUR, FLAVOUR Good looks can only take you so far – expect increasing emphasis on unique flavour combinations and amplification of dessert flavours. Fore-runners in the flavour stakes are Cakes by Linda To, Alcakemy, and of course Hey There Sugar.
SINGULARLY STYLED For individual sweets, cuteness hasn't reached its peak yet. Lots more fun awaits, especially in the form of fudge pops and doughnuts in the embellished style of makers such as Melbourne's rymondtn Clockwise from top left: dessert cups by Hey There Sugar; 21st birthday cake by Alcakemy; Tarts by Arlie Co; Black sesame and chocolate cake by Alcakemy. 10
magazine COMING SOON CONFETTI FAIR
coming may 2017 Have a party or an article you would like to submit? Send an email to: partysubmissions@confettifair.com.au
a bout i qu e party fa i r
a bout i qu e party fa i r
r e m m u S Lovin’
th of last mon e th e b may t in this February n bet tha a c u o y ing t bu ’ll be see e w summer, te a m ahead, ssie cli il. So go warm Au r p A l ti s er e day a Summ h it w 30 degre d n ecided the sun a up, we d t e celebrate s r u o of sh! For mind us re Lovin’ ba t a th s k tone rse), to use pin s (of cou o g in m a lon, fl s! waterme ydrangea h d n a , nate pomegra
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SHOP THE LOOK!
Where to head for your summer lovin' party essentials
Gold XOXO Balloons: $19.95 from Ruby Rabbit; Flamingo food toppers 12pk: $4.95 from Favor Lane; Metallic ruffle paper plates 10pk: $8.50 from Favor Lane; Magenta honeycomb ball 15cm 2pk: $2.50 from Candy Bar Sydney; Giant sunglasses: stylist's own; Foil rose gold script love balloon: $19.95 from Favor Lane; Kissy lips balloon: $12.95 from Ruby Rabbit; Classic pink square dinner paper plate 18 pack: $8.95, Candy Bar Sydney; Foil heart balloon on stick: $19.95 from Favor Lane; Pink hearts paper napkins: $5.95 from Paper Eskimo; Wooden Cutlery: $3.00 from Kmart.
Love the pink nougat as much as we do? Grab some at Candy Bar Sydney They also have blue, purple, green and yellow for your coordinated table set up!
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Ruby's Summer social "Ruby loves ice cream and couldn’t wait to be the ice cream lady at her own party which happens to be in the hottest part of summer," says Carly of Sugar Style. "So we decided to combine summer, tropical and Ice cream themes into a Summer Social with all of her very best friends!"
Sugar Style chose a bright pink, yellow and blue colour scheme, and paired it with matching balloons, flowers and matching desserts. From the bright dessert and candy bar, to the ice cream and lemonade stands, tropical-themed fairy face painting, disco dancing and limbo, there is so much to love about this summer celebration!
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Carly's business, Sugar Style, handled the styling of the party, the labels and graphics, party favours, cake styling and even the custom mini cookie graphics. The Pink Sugar Fairy from Sugar Pop Parties, Carly's other business, delighted party goers with face painting. 16
Photos by Ryan Jenkins; Dessert shots, strawberry cheesecakes and lemon meringue by Alaroch; Macarons by Fifi La Femme; Ice cream from Popolo Artisan Gelato and Monella; Flowers by Belflora. 17
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Sienna’s First Birthday Styled and co-ordinated by Sweet Bits and Pieces, Sienna's party was an event fit for a princess. Peach, pink, white and gold were the colours of choice for the day, and these were elegantly paired with rustic accents and plenty of gorgeous blooms. The incredible line up of desserts was sitting pretty under a pretty balloon garland and a custom sign by Foamtastic Party Decor.
The sweet spread included cake pops, cupcakes, dessert cups and a beautifully presented candy bar, as well as strawberry and macaron towers by Macron Delights, which matched the party's soft colour scheme. A stunning cake from Prestige Cakes by Gina sat pride of place, and we're completely in love with its beautiful gold and floral details!
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Styling, balloons and props by Sweet Bits and Pieces; Party held at Mortdale Community centre; Sienna's foam name by Foamtastic Party Decor. 20
Cake and cupcakes by Prestige Cakes by Gina; Strawberry and macaron towers by Macaron Delights.
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Event concept, planning and styling by Morgan Make My Day. 22
Spring into Summer
Another star attraction was designated 'Whiskey Club' area where whiskey-loving friends could make their own drinks. "I wanted a more old school, Kentucky Derby look with this, so I used a wooden As the main idea behind the party was celebrating table from our dining room to be the drink making the arrival of warm weather, she chose a fresh station. I used vintage crystal decanters and jugs to colour palette of mint, apricot, gold and cream. house the premium whiskey and the corresponding "I wanted to create a relaxed space, that didn’t look cocktail ingredients, a wooden chopping board to so orchestrated and put together," Morgan explains. cut the garnishes on, plus old Jack Daniel’s bottles wrapped in twine to serve as flower vases," Morgan explains. "I think indoor furniture looks fabulous outside, so I moved a white French provincial cabinet from our "Menu wise, I really wanted to keep it simple but bedroom to the outdoor party area. This became also providing something that was somewhat the DIY bar, which was the big hit of the night. I filling. I decided to serve giant stuffed potatoes and wanted guests to be able to mix their own drinks and get into the festive mood by sampling different created a 'Spud Station' where people could DIY and stuff their own potatoes with the fillings of their cocktails throughout the course of the evening." choosing," she says. The bar was broken down into three parts: the The delicious filling options included smoked pulled spirits, the mixers and the garnishes, which guests pork, chilli mince, guacamole, cheese, plus sour could combine to suit their tastes, or they could try cream, and chives. suggestions from a board of drinks recipes. Cocktail making tools like muddlers, stirrers and citrus The look was topped off with paper tissue tassels peelers were also on hand. and paper fans in the party's colour theme. Morgan's annual Spring into Summer party is all about cocktails, food, sun and catching up with friends.
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COMING SOON GET READY!
CONFETTI FAIR IS COMING TO SYDNEY
WINTER 2017 DETAILS COMING SOON
a bout i qu e party fa i r
a bout i qu e party fa i r
