For years, the kids’ table has been a staple at weddings the world over: a convenient way to keep pesky youngsters busy whilst the adults party on down. But now, in a staggering turn of events, it looks like your offspring might just have tickets to the hottest seat in town.
That’s largely thanks to Pamela Macpherson, owner of Arty Party Crafts. She’s been offering birthday parties, workshops and pottery painting at her shop in Ardrossan since 2017, and has recently branched out into wedding entertainment for children – and we think it’s destined to be a hit.
The inspiration for Arty Party Crafts came from Pamela’s previous job as an assistant registrar, when she would often see kids bored at weddings. The idea grew organically from there, and so the events arm of Arty Party was born.
Before she could take any bookings, however, Pamela had to do her research: “I spent over a year visiting trade and craft fairs looking for appropriate activities which were also mess-free, before making them suitable for venues and functions.”
Pamela believes that what sets her business apart from others is the attention to detail she applies to each individual event. “We go to great lengths to ensure that every kid is made to feel special,” Pamela offers. “We gather a lot of information from the couple beforehand, and then work hard to prepare handmade and customised activities so that the younger guests will also have a day to remember!”
Pamela attended The Scottish Wedding Wedding Show at SEC Glasgow earlier this year, which proved to be a fabulous success. She was also named a finalist in the ‘Best Reception Entertainment’ category at the Confetti Awards after being nominated by one of her brides, and received nominations at the What’s on 4 Kids Awards in both 2018 and 2019.
Pamela is now also offering a ‘chill-out zone’ for kids, who can camp out in tipis should the excitement of the event become a little too much for them. On the other hand, the giant retro games, another recent acquisition, sound like they might just be enough to tempt us away from the dancefloor…
If you need to amuse a younger contingent on your big day, this could be the perfect way to keep tantrums at bay – check out Arty Party Crafts’ website, or take a look at its Facebook or Instagram.