12:00a.m. 6th August 2008

| Megan Jeffery

Costumes Galore's Jay Murray (Captain Sparrow) and Hana Tolhoek wearing two of the many dress-up outfits they have in store. Photo: Nicholas Falconer/177342

Photo Gallery: Theme parties and dress-ups

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Celebrating those big occasions is a time for family, friends and a lot of fun.

And in recent years, there's been a revival of theme and costume parties for all ages, ensuring the celebrations go off with a bang!

Some people think others will be put off by theme parties and won’t be bothered dressing up. But that’s seldom the case.

Lisa and Bruce Williment started Partee Petite – a business hosting themed children’s parties – five years ago. The parties were so popular that Parti was started one year ago to cater for adults.

“All our clients who were hosting little people’s parties were asking, ‘What can you do for the big people?’” Lisa said.

The business is based at Eumundi and has catered for parties locally as well as in Brisbane and Sydney.

“With the adult parties, we go and theme out the house or the deck or the backyard. They can opt to have hosting – people serving drinks and food, and we can also organise the catering.”

The parties include a theme-decorated marquee, an entrance façade, props and decorations, plus table settings.

Lisa has found the most popular theme for adult parties is a night in Paris – a Moulin Rouge-style night where people dress up in French-inspired outfits.

Other themes include: a night in Cairo, Egyptian-style; a night in Rome, toga-style; and a night on the island, survivor-style.

Most people are very keen to enjoy the theme nights as someone else they don’t normally get to be.

“It amazes us,” Lisa said.

“At first you get adults that say, ‘I don’t know if I could dress up’, but then when you see their costumes, they fully get into it.

“We have had a 16th (birthday), all the way up to a 70th, and both were Moulin Rouge parties, with 40ths in between and 21sts.”

Lisa admits party planning is quite involved and thinks this is why people moved away from hosting their own parties like these in the first place. But she agrees theme parties are making a comeback.

With Parti, the celebrations can be as small or extravagant as you like, depending on your budget and what you want, with the team able to organise music, gaming, fire twirlers, belly dancers and can can girls.

Phone Partee Petite on 54428964 or 0432822901 or see www.parteepetite.com.au

What will I wear?

Theme parties may be something you have always wanted to try, but when you don’t know where to start, they can be a little overwhelming.

Owners of Costumes Galore in Maroochydore, Jay and Jitica Murray, said theme parties were a fun and adventurous way of celebrating. With a range of more than 8000 costumes, they know what they are talking about, and have costumes, props and accessories that can be hired or bought.

Themes they have seen include: movies, alphabet (P parties, for example), superheroes, when I grow up, famous people, under the sea, masquerade, decade (the 1970s), and cartoon characters.

Jay and Jitica have seen people of all ages coming through to hire costumes and all have different reasons why.

They have seen theme parties for birthdays, hen’s and buck’s nights, Christmas, Easter, New Year’s Eve, staff parties, going away parties and even weddings.

“(Dressing up) is becoming more and more popular,” Jay said.

“It’s always been there but I think dress up is huge,” said Jay

Jay said dressing up allowed people to come out of their shell: “I definitely think it’s a release – the majority of people that come in are upbeat and excited and they’re with it.”

“People can hide behind a costume and they can become anyone.

“I definitely think it’s a release – the majority of people that come in are upbeat and excited and they’re with it.”

“They can be the quietest person at work. You put that mask on and you can be a little bit crazy that night, and still go back to work.”

Jitica said theme parties were a great way to do something unusual, and encourages others to do the same: “People say they hate dress-up parties but once they’ve been to one or they get dressed up, they say that their next party is going to be a dress up.”

“There is a lot of people that just want to make it very different and a bit more adventurous and fun”.

So if you have a reason to party or want to try something different, why not try hosting a costume or theme party? It could turn out to be the most fun you have had since you were a kid.

Basic costume hire is $45 but includes all accessories and cleaning. Standard hire is Thursday to Monday or Monday to Thursday.

Costumes Galore: 13 Newspaper Place, Maroochydore. Phone 5451 0404.