Alice in Wonderland: Creating an Ambiance

Photos by Camp Fotografia

Ambiance is critical to the success of every party. As I suggested a few weeks ago, the Alice in Wonderland party had many possibilities and many characters to work with (see What About Wonderland?). The danger in a lot of imagery is creating chaos instead of a welcoming atmosphere. However, if your elements are harmonious, the outcome, as one observer of this party commented, can be quite... magical.

Cake by Carla Prado

I think the pictures speak for themselves. Especially these...

Photos by Camp Fotografia

The Importance of Personalized Details

What makes a party really special? It's those little personalized details that create ownership of the event for the child and the family. It's not just another Toy Story or Disney Princess or Lion King party. It is a special party for that particular Noah or Sophia or Rafael.

O que torna uma festa realmente especial? São os pequenos detalhes personalizados que criam o sentimento de apego a festa, tanto para a criança quanto para toda a familia e amigos. Não é somente uma outra festa bo tema Toy Story, Princesas da Disney ou Rei Leão.

Photos by Marina Markoff

It's the attention and time that goes into each element of the event that shows your guests that you care about their participation in your celebration.

É a atenção aos detalhes que envolvem cada elemento da festa que demonstra para seus convidados que você se importa com a participações deles na sua celebração. 

It is about creating memories to last a life time, maybe for generations. It is about ensuring that for at least one day a year a child feels very, very special.

Criamos lembranças que irão durar uma vida inteira, talvez por gerações. Queremos ter certeza de que no seu dia a criança se sinta muito, muito especial. 

Photos by Marina Markoff

It is the art of the party.

É a arte da festa.

What About Wonderland?

What do you do with a party theme like "Alice in Wonderland?" Honestly, I was a rather frightened of this Disney classic when I was a child. So many elements, so many weird and wacky characters, so many (dark) colors - so much chaos! So how do I turn this tale into a happy celebration for a little girl? In the story, Alice had a problem similar to mine when I took on this project. Chasing the elusive white rabbit. As she goes down the “rabbit hole” she wonder where exactly she will end up, and as I analyzed the various possibilities of this party, I wondered the same.

The important thing to focus on with a theme that has so very many possibilities is to find a thread of consistency - and stick with it. While you want to stay true to the sentiments of the story's origins, in this case disorder and whimsy, you need to create an environment that's festive and comfortable for guests. However, dealing with an idea like this gives you almost endless freedom to be creative and make your mark.  


So where to begin? Like any good story, you begin... at the beginning. The invitation.

A party invitation sets the stage for the celebration and expectations for your guests. Envelopes handcrafted from storybook pages allow the invitee to share a bit of the story prior to the party. It's also makes for a lovely keepsake.


Another challenge was, unlike newly released or re-released films, Alice in Wonderland hadn't played in theaters for decades. So Alice party supplies were scarce. But the film has some timeless imagery that made the design more than possible.

Characters like the Queen of Hearts, talking tiger lillies and rose gardens can lead to some very girly possibilities. 


Planning for this party is currently in the works, but I’ll be posting the outcome in the upcoming months.


Wish me luck!