80th Birthday Celebration with a pink theme

scottishminnie

A family friend is celebrating her 80th birthday in a few weeks time and some other friends and I are organising an 80th birthday do. We've got the food under control however I'm looking for some thoughts on the decor (we have the use of a huge loft type room in a barn conversion so lots of beams etc).

We've decided on pink as we are having pink champagne and various other pink foodie things included. I'm also planning to buy the pink hibiscus flowers from Lakeland to drop in the glasses too.

I've been thinking -

Balloons - I need about 30 in total - pink and white, probably with 10 of those little weight things to hold them down on the tables.

Old fashioned pink decorations - you know the kind of chain things you made at school where you looped a strip of paper around then looped another to it? The hall has some in yellow but they are ancient and need replaced and we know she made them originally so is quite attached to them.

I'm going to cheat on the cake as I don't have time to make a fruit cake and do all the other food items I've taken on so I'm planning to buy a Marks and Spencer iced fruit cake (probably a wedding cake?) and decorate it myself. Nothing too complicated probably little pink and white sugar flowers.

We have 10 round tables and 3 long trestle tables to cover so planning on buying the catering tablecover roll thing from Costco and another friend has sourced pale pink material and is making small overcloths to go over the top.

The chairs are plain plastic and not suitable for slip covers or bows so not really an option.

I'm really looking for any other ideas for cheap, easy things to include. I think because it's relatively small (20/24 guests) I'd probably be better to find a party shop and buy the goods than online. I think there is a party type shop in Stirling which isn't too far away from me so I could get them there.

The food will be buffet style on the trestle tables - 2 savoury and a dessert table - I did think of little rose petals scattered between the serving platters - is that a bit naff?

One thing I should say is that she is a very lively 80 year old so I don't want it to be an "old lady" type do, in fact I still can't believe she is actually 80.

Oh one thing I saw and wondered how you did it was an arch made of balloons - not helium, just air filled normal balloons. That's maybe a little ambitious but I was curious.

I'm also praying for good weather, there are wonderful gardens surrounding the barn so we can spread outside too if it's good however as it's Scotland we are preparing on the basis of it being cold, wet and dreich just in case:)

Any ideas welcome - thanks