Zoe had her first birthday party last Sunday, September 25th at Shakey’s El Pueblo. It was a wonderful result after months of planning and anticipating. Our families and friends filled up the 2nd floor function room of Shakeys that we were not able to go through the original plan of serving the food buffet style cus all the tables had to be used for the guests. My amazing daughter, though cranky at first cus she wanted to take a nap, cooperated beautifully and managed to wave to everyone and to smile all throughout.
I owe this supplier review to several ladies from the forums that I frequent so here it is:
Venue: Shakey’s El Pueblo
Our earlier discussions with Shakey’s El Pueblo weren’t very smooth but I’m happy to say that they delivered what was expected of them during my daughter’s party. We ordered 7 sets of Monster Meal Deals, 30 sets of kiddie meals, 30 party amenities, and had them plot an hour of extension. They initially misquoted the price of the MMD and the extension fee but honored it anyway since it was stipulated on our contract already.
On the day itself, the party before us ended a bit late but the staff were able to clean up the party area immediately. Anna, the party staff, was very cordial and attentive. She also informed me that there had been some issues with the party amenities and that she would give 15 Barney themed loot bags and 15 Justice League themed loot bags. It was actually alright with me since that how I wanted it originally, only they said it wasn’t allowed. Overall, our experience with Shakey’s was really good.
Photographer: Jay Raon (www.jraon.tk)
Among all my party suppliers, this is where I focused most of my time. I originally thought of booking several other photographers until I came across Jay’s website. When I saw his shots, I was immediately blown away and decided right then that I had to get him as photographer for Zoe’s party. His shots are really crisp and clear, not to mention the fact that his concepts are always different for every client.
Jay had a pre-shoot with us on the day of Zoe’s party and he arrived on time at the Discovery Suites with his brother Chris. He was super pleasant to work with and he knew how to adjust very well since my daughter was a bit cranky that day. True enough, I was really amazed with the teaser photos that he posted in FB right AFTER the party. I can’t wait to see the rest of the photos and get a hold of the photo book. I highly recommend Jay Raon, he’s worth every penny =)
Videographer: Moviescape
Moviescape is one of the last suppliers that I booked for this party. I originally wanted to get John Aguas’ services but Shakey’s had a problem with outside P/V suppliers. Since Jay Raon was a non-negotiable for me, I decided to get Shakey’s in-house video supplier since video wasn’t really at the top of my priorities. The videographer arrived a little bit late and I almost thought Shakey’s failed to book them but I just let it go since it was only for a couple of minutes and they were also a joy to work with.
Balloon Decorations: Ma-an Santos
Ma-an was recommended by my sister in law (they’re cousins). We corresponded through text/email, met up once, and we were set. I was really happy with the decorations because it made the room more festive and attractive. Ma-an was also very easy to talk to. I just gave her my working budget and specified the colors and arrangements that I wanted. The results were really fabulous.
Cake and cupcakes: Swirls N Sprinkles by Nadine Abraham
Nadine has been my cake supplier since Zoe’s christening. I started speaking with her regarding the cake design early this year and I just let her work her magic. She also gave me a huge discount. As expected, the cake and the cupcakes were fabulous. It’s always a pleasure working with her.
Party Outfit: Periwinkle
We bought 2 dresses for Zoe; 1 was a brown dress for the party itself and another dress for her pre-shoot. Her shoes were ordered from Pediped US.
Hotel Accommodation: Discovery Suites
My husband and I decided to book a room the night before the party just so we could have a place to do the pre-shoot at. Also, we wanted to be sure that we were closer to the venue just in case there were some issues that we needed to attend to. Good thing, Deal Grocer offered a deal for a junior Suite and we used it to book our room.
Invitation: DIY
I just chose a design online and sent it to my brother who’s based in Bahrain and had him edit it. This was the invite that we sent to our friends and families. We didn’t even bother printing it anymore :)
Overall, it was a really good party. The function room overflowed with guests that I had to ask my sister and her friends to move over to the ground floor. Even with so many guests, our food was still more than enough which I think was one of the best things about the party. At the end of the day, we were just really happy to have been able to celebrate my daughter’s 1st birthday with our families and friends. Looking forward to next year’s party.
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