So I mentioned a few months ago about this fancy party for about 100 people I threw on a budget. This is part two, “the everything else.” The food was only one part of the party—and honestly, the easier part for me to talk about. This section is all about the decor, clothing, music, logistics, and everything else that went into making the event feel special.
I’m still nervous posting this because I know some people are going to look at the pictures and still think “That’s not fancy, you used disposables???” or “Wow, you really went overboard.” But the truth is, I did what I could within my means to make it beautiful, joyful, and meaningful. And we loved it. It was so us.
The hundred or so guests also really enjoyed themselves and I got lots of compliments, so that really is what matters.
Color Scheme & Decor
The color scheme we chose was dark pink, light pink, white, and rose gold. Once that was settled, I went all in—but the frugal way, of course. I ordered the disposables (plates, cups, cutlery, napkins, serving dishes) from AliExpress, because they were so much cheaper than anything I could find locally, especially when trying to stick with a specific aesthetic. I ended up getting way more than I needed (because apparently I don’t know how to do math), so we’ve been using pink and rose gold everything for far too long now (but we’ve just about finished them up).
There were some serving dishes I didn’t get from Aliexpress; those I got nice disposables at a Costco type store cheaply, and we’ve been reusing them until the last two finally broke yesterday. Serving spoons and such were from the dollar store, and are now in regular use in our kitchen.
I didn’t want to use disposable tablecloths because that felt far more tacky than disposable dishes. The tablecloths were borrowed from a local tablecloth lending library. Yes, that’s a thing. No, I didn’t know it existed until recently either. There were so many tables that we needed to borrow from two lending libraries, and they totally elevated the tables without adding to the budget.
We also had a balloon garland. My now 11 year old made it almost entirely on her own with just a little bit of help from mom and siblings. I ordered the kit from AliExpress and she figured out how to do it easily enough. It was only partially seen in the pictures, but it was a great backdrop and super festive. It didn’t have a stand and needed to be propped up on/above the curtains in the hall, so if I did this again I’d figure out how to hang it on cloth curtains- probably with loops of string and safety pins.
Clothing
Clothing was a whole balancing act. I wanted everyone to look nice, but I wasn’t about to drop hundreds just to get a matching aesthetic. The boys’ outfits were bought with price in mind, with my older son Lee’s outfit was paid for with a gift card he already had. I borrowed a fancy dress for one of my girls, another wore an outfit bought on sale, and my top was purchased on sale. Frugal, cute, and put together.
Crafts & Favors
Instead of traditional party favors, we had DIY crafts set up on every table to make bookmarks as mementos. I got bookmarks printed with the event’s details so people could decorate those. Note to self- I overbought those, so I should have counted better. I bought the supplies to decorate them from a dollar store style shop, which kept it affordable. We had washi tape, permanent markers, stickers, yarn, and ribbons, along with hole punchers and scissors. Bonus: I’ve been using the leftover supplies since, which is a win.
Invites & Makeup
No printed invites. I made the invitations on Canva (free), and emailed them out (also free). Done and done.
We also did our own makeup. No glam squad required. Just whatever was already in the house and a decent mirror. Luckily my daughters are terrific at doing their makeup. Meanwhile. I tried using an eyeshadow color I don’t usually use and it looks terrible in pictures. I should have stuck with what I knew worked for me.
Music & Tech
I was going to pay someone to create a backtrack for a song we performed at the party, but I found a free AI-based site that strips vocals from songs. It worked great, and I saved the money. Lee made a slideshow we played at the party (because he’s awesome like that), and instead of a DJ, we put together a few different Spotify playlists, one for during the meal, one for the first round of dancing, and one for the second round of dancing, with very different vibes for each. Speakers were borrowed from a lending library in my town. Between all that and the dance floor vibes, it felt like a full setup without needing to actually pay for one.
The Expensive Stuff (and What Was Worth It)
The most expensive part of the party was the hall rental. It cost about $500, which definitely wasn’t the cheapest option, but it was worth every bit. It was a much nicer space than the lower-budget options we looked at, and since my dad generously gave me some money toward the party, we were able to swing it without stretching the budget.
Another unexpected expense came at the end of the night. We had planned to clean up ourselves, but the hall owner showed up and casually suggested hiring his sons to handle the cleanup. It cost about $100, and honestly? Best hundred bucks I spent. The party ended late, I was exhausted, and it was so nice to just pack up the food and go without having to scrub down tables at midnight.
The only thing I really regret spending on was the photographer. I originally had someone else lined up, but they ghosted me last minute, and I scrambled to find a replacement. The guy I ended up booking did a terrible job. The photos were taken with terrible lighting, which made my unfortunate makeup choices even worse, and then he printed up large versions of the worst of the family pictures without first telling me. Definitely not what I was hoping for. At least I got some cute pictures of my kids, and the pictures guests took in front of the backdrop came out nicely.
Logistics & Transport
Literally everything for the party—food, decor, equipment—was transported in my minivan with the back seats down. Yes, it took a few trips, but we live close to the hall, so it worked out. I was determined to keep costs down and do it ourselves, and my little black minivan rose to the challenge.
Final Frugal Bonus
I used baskets from the dollar store for table decor and to hold the craft supplies, but I made sure to choose ones that I could repurpose later as gift baskets. Double use, double win.
Wrapping It Up
So that’s it—the non-food part of the party. Between the creative reuse, the DIY, the lending libraries, and leaning hard into what we already had, we pulled off something really beautiful. Yes, it wasn’t perfect. No, it wasn’t professionally styled. But it was heartfelt, meaningful, and—most importantly—within our means. And that’s something I’m proud of.
Do you usually DIY your party setups, or do you prefer outsourcing? What’s your favorite party hack or unexpected source for decor or supplies?
