The Party Planner: Beijos Events’ Top Tips

We caught up with Jacquelyn Kazas, owner and creative director of Beijos Events – a California-based business known for creating unforgettable celebrations – to get her tips on throwing the ultimate kids' party.

Jacquelyn Kazas (left), founder of Beijos Events with her business partner Leah Carriger.

Firstly, can you outline a bit about Beijos Events and what you do?

At Beijos Events our mission is to make each and every event memorable and unique to our clients. We love celebrating life’s moments both big and small and making them special. Every time a client hires us we put everything into their event to make it an amazing experience for them and their loved ones. We pay attention to the little details, take pride in creating a beautiful design and make our events a party to remember with unique and fun experiences. Ultimately, we like to party, make it pretty and memorable!

How do you choose the perfect party theme?

More often than not our clients come to us with a theme in mind. Usually, it’s a fun idea that we roll with and try to bring new ideas to. If not, then we will come up with suggestions. If that’s needed, I usually look to my favourite tabletop brands like Meri Meri to see what fun prints and plates they have. This is a great starting point for me to get creative!

What are the top kids’ party trends for 2025?

Wow, we get so many different ideas year after year. I’d say anything Western or country is popular. Whether it’s disco cowgirl, pink pony club or coastal cowgirl – they’re all in demand. Boys love a good Western theme as well. We’ve also been getting requests for more cottagecore with soft pastel colours and florals. Taylor Swift and Barbie are still huge – no surprise there!

Beach parties are always a big request – and heading into summer, we get lots of bright colour requests with fruit themes. For boys, it’s mostly anything sports-related mixed with fun colours, jungle and camping. Lastly, we’ve done many tween and teen parties with a hibachi vibe – always fun and entertaining! Read more on party trends.

What are the key considerations when selecting a location?

Generally, our clients like to host at their homes – and being in Southern California, it’s usually in their back gardens. I prefer outdoor events for the space, the lighting and the pretty elements like trees, plants etc. If we don’t do it at a client’s home, we find an attractive outdoor park with trees that offer shade – and we can add balloons to create a moment. Another favourite spot is the beach – however, the elements can be tricky there with wind and sand, but it’s always so beautiful.

When is the ideal time to send out invitations?

I prefer to send invitations five to six weeks in advance. That way you have time to hunt down RSVPs! I would set the RSVP date three weeks in advance so you can have a final headcount two weeks before the party date.

What’s the perfect number of kids for a well-balanced party

That’s a tricky question. I’m the type that says the more the merrier – but it also depends on the space. I’d say 20 kids is very manageable – however, we’ve had 80 before! If you have a large enough space and enough activities to keep them busy, you’ll be fine – but your house might be a bit of a mess, haha!

Should parents be invited?

Another difficult question. For me again, the more the merrier, but it may depend on the age. When kids are little I think you definitely want the parents there but as they get older around eight or ten you can have just kids. But I love having my adult friends there for fun and think it makes the party much more enjoyable for the parent hosts!

What’s the best way to handle gifting?

I’ve seen lots of different gifting scenarios. Some hosts don’t want gifts, some send registry ideas and some are just old school. In the end I think it’s always kind to bring a gift for the birthday boy or girl and celebrate them.

How do you plan and time party activities for the best flow?

Having activities and a flow to the party is a must! We like to have activities set up and ready for guests upon arrival. Some of my favourite activities are crafts. I love having parties where kids can get their hands dirty and use their minds to create something that is on theme and that they can also bring home as a keepsake.

We have done anything from painting to slime to making keyrings or making stuffed animals to doing experiments and more! Another big favourite is bouncy castles, ball pits and petting zoos. All keep the kids entertained and give the adults a moment to breathe.

Any etiquette tips for food and drink, for both kids and parents?

It’s easiest to serve buffet style at kids’ parties. We like having food that is child-friendly but that can also be elevated. We work with many different caterers and have lots of options for our clients. A few favourites are wood-fired pizza ovens, taco carts and BBQ.

Another fun addition to parties is a bar for adults. Usually, we serve a few signature cocktails and beer and wine. We occasionally do bars for the kids with mocktails like Shirley Temples. However, we always have drink bins available with water and juices that are easy to grab as we don’t want anyone getting dehydrated.

Find out more at Beijos Events.

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