KOCHI: Gone are the days when birthday and wedding parties were mundane affairs. Today, everything has become professional and themes are the ‘in’ thing.
“Theme-based parties for birthdays and weddings are in vogue in the city. This may be due to a change in lifestyle and the onslaught of western culture,” said Vrinda Praveen, manager of Ice Cube Event Management.
The birthday parties usually fall under the ‘Sweet My Day’ category. “Parents want their children to have a fairytale experience on the special day,” says Vrinda. “So they spare no expense and are ready to shell out lakhs.”
Nayana Gireesh is one such parent. She came to know about thematic birthday parties from one of her friends. Since her son is an ardent Mickey Mouse fan, she naturally chose it as the theme for his birthday party. And she was happy with the end-result. “It looked like Mickey and his gang had come visiting our home,” she says.
If it was Mickey Mouse for Nayana’s son, little Johanna wanted a puppy land theme for her birthday party. Johanna’s mother Sharon John had wanted to give a theme-based party, but she was not sure which theme to select.
“It was Johanna who suggested the puppy land theme since she adores her pet,” says Sharon. “The bouncy castle and inflated balloons made the day for my daughter.”
Vrinda says that the most popular themes include Disney, Barbie, Star Wars, Disney Princesses and Chota Bheem. “Apart from this, there are some who even want a casino-themed party,” says Vrinda. “Sometimes, children choose themes from their favourite comic books.”
Then there are parents of little girls who love to dance who go in for princess-themed parties replete with crowns, sparkling ornaments and dresses. Small boys in spidey costumes trying out their superhuman moves also make a party come alive.