Even the rich and famous sometimes need a little help planning a party, so party planners are sharing their secrets.
LA-based party planner Mindy Weiss has some pretty big names in terms of who she's created events for.
While she's known for her spectacular weddings, she's also gained recognition for the lavish parties she's thrown for the Kardashian family.
Now a total party expert and something of a pro at kids' events, Mindy shared her top three tips for a foolproof party.
Mindy spoke about what it's like planning parties for A-list celebrities and said people would be surprised to see how supportive her clients are.
Though she joked that she's “always worried” there won't be enough themes for all 13 Kardashian kids, the party planning pro said the theme is usually given to her.
“Usually the girls will call (and Rob sometimes does) and tell them the theme,” she told Today magazine, adding, “They get the kids involved 100 percent.”
The planner revealed that the famous family is one of the most hands-on clients she's ever worked with.
“People are [the Kardashians] “They were uninvolved and just left it to me, but I think they're the most creative family I've ever worked with,” she said.
Once a theme is decided, Mindy works with her team to plan the event.
“Every event, I'm like, 'Oh my God, how am I going to do that?'” she admits, adding that because most of the events she organizes take place near or in Los Angeles, she's able to find “98 percent” of what she needs.
Mindy planned a lavish fifth birthday party for Kylie Jenner's daughter, Stormi, which included a giant grey inflatable “Astroworld” tunnel made to look like her head (inspired by her dad Travis Scott's album art) and custom T-shirts.
Mindy, who is also an admitted Disney fan, also showed off her expertise planning a lavish baby shower for Khloe Kardashian and Travis Barker in September 2023, which was featured on season five of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
She also prides herself on her attention to detail, noting that she arranged flowers in vintage vases featuring Disney characters that she found in the shower.
Mindy said she was repeatedly told that little details like the character vases wouldn't be noticed by the organizers, but Courtney loved them and even wants to put them in the baby's room.
Even though Courtney tested positive for COVID-19 before the event, Mindy came up with a solution: seat the couple farther apart from the other guests so they could enjoy the party without infecting others.
“Instead of getting overwhelmed with everything that's going on, deal with it one thing at a time because I'm sure there is a solution,” she pointed out, advising organizers to keep the number of crisis management teams small so as not to disrupt the atmosphere of the party as a whole.
“We may get upset if something goes wrong or isn't there, but nine times out of 10, no one knows it should have been there.”
Mindy also shared her best tips for making any event even better, some of which might surprise you.
Avoid gift bags
According to Mindy, the days of looking forward to gift bags after a party are long gone and are now considered a bit outdated.
“We've now given up gift bags for art projects at parties. It's an activity and a party favor,” she explained to Today magazine.
Encourage gift-free parties
Mindy also supports the idea of not giving gifts to children at parties.
“As a parent, you can go to Target or somewhere and buy them a birthday present,” she said, adding, “I want my kids to do that too.”
Get help
Mindy suggests hiring a professional rather than relying solely on parents to monitor a roomful of kids.
“We hire camp counselors who are like babysitters,” she explained.
“If you're taking a large group of children somewhere other than your own home, hire four chaperones for every 25 children,” she suggested.
“If you have a pool, hire a lifeguard. It's a great investment and allows you to party while still looking after your kids, not someone else's,” Mindy added.
