San Francisco Bay Area
We plan the party. You get to enjoy it.
Funtastica is a full-service kids' party planning company. We design the party around your child, book every vendor, build the schedule and run the day — so the whole thing arrives finished rather than as a to-do list.
- One planner, start to finish
- Vendors booked through us
- On site on the day
What we handle
Everything that makes a party happen
Take the whole thing or just the parts you would rather not do yourself. Most families start with one and end up handing over the rest.
Kids' Birthday Parties
End-to-end planning for birthday parties from first-birthday gatherings through tween celebrations.
See what we handleParty Decor & Styling
Balloon installations, tablescapes, backdrops and full room transformations, designed and installed.
See what we handleParty Entertainment
Performers, character visits, face painting, craft activities and hosts, matched to your age group.
See what we handleParty Catering & Cakes
Kid-friendly menus, dessert tables and custom cakes, planned around the dietary needs in the room.
See what we handleParty Venue Sourcing
Finding, comparing and booking the right room, park or play space for your guest count and budget.
See what we handleParty Photography
Photographers and videographers who know how to shoot fast-moving children in imperfect light.
See what we handleBounce Houses & Party Rentals
Inflatables, soft play, tables, chairs, tents and kid-height furniture, delivered and set up.
See what we handleHow it works
Four steps, and only the first one is yours
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1
Tell us about the party
The date, the age, roughly how many children, and anything your child has already decided is non-negotiable. Five minutes is enough to start.
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2
We build the plan
A written plan: concept, venue options, vendor recommendations, a run-of-show and a full cost breakdown. You see every line before anything is booked.
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3
We book and manage everything
Once you approve, we contract the venue and vendors, handle deposits and scheduling, and chase every confirmation so you do not have to.
Why hand it over
A party is a project, and projects need someone running them
The reason kids' parties are stressful is not that any one task is hard. It is that there are forty small tasks, they depend on each other, and they all land in the same two weeks as everything else in your life.
- One point of contact. You talk to your planner. Your planner talks to everybody else.
- Nothing booked without your sign-off. You see the plan and the full cost breakdown before a deposit is paid.
- Vendors that turn up. We work with people we can hold to a standard, and we carry backups for the bookings that matter.
- Contingencies decided in advance. Weather, a sick entertainer, a late delivery — the decision is already made before it is needed.
- A real teardown. The party ends and your home or venue goes back to normal without you lifting anything.
What a plan looks like
- ConceptTheme, palette, look
- VenueShortlist & booking
- VendorsSourced & contracted
- MenuKids, adults, dietary
- Run-of-showMinute by minute
- BudgetLine by line, agreed
- On the dayPlanner on site
Where we work
Across the Bay Area
Every part of the Bay Area throws parties differently. We plan for the place, not for a template.
San Francisco
Party planning across all San Francisco neighbourhoods, built for small spaces and tight parking.
Planning in San FranciscoEast Bay
Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda and the surrounding communities, where yards and park space open up the options.
Planning in East BayPeninsula
San Mateo County and the mid-Peninsula, from Daly City down through Palo Alto.
Planning in PeninsulaSouth Bay
San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View and the surrounding South Bay cities.
Planning in South BayNorth Bay
Marin County and the communities north of the Golden Gate.
Planning in North BayFree planning guides
Planning it yourself? Start here.
Everything we know about running a party that works, written down and free to use — whether or not you ever hire us.
The Kids' Birthday Party Planning Checklist
Everything that has to happen, in the order it has to happen, from eight weeks out to the day after.
9 min read BudgetHow to Budget a Kids' Party
Where the money actually goes, which line items are worth protecting, and where to cut without anyone noticing.
8 min read IdeasBirthday Party Ideas by Age, 1 to 12
What actually works at each age, how long the party should run, and the mistakes specific to each stage.
11 min readQuestions
The things families ask first
What does Funtastica actually do?
We are a full-service kids' party planning company. We design the party, source and book the venue and vendors, build the schedule, and run the event on the day. You approve the plan and the budget; we do the work.
How far in advance should we book?
Six to eight weeks gives us room to secure the venue and the vendors you actually want. Peak weekends — spring, early summer and December — go earlier. We do take shorter-notice parties when our calendar allows, so it is always worth asking.
What does it cost?
Party budgets vary enormously with guest count, venue and how much is catered, so we quote each party individually rather than publishing a package price that would be wrong for most families. Tell us your budget and we will tell you honestly what is achievable within it before you commit to anything.
Do you only plan birthday parties?
Birthdays are the majority of what we do, but we also plan baby showers, christenings and naming days, graduation and end-of-school parties, and holiday celebrations where children are the main guests.
Which areas do you cover?
We plan parties across the San Francisco Bay Area: San Francisco, East Bay, Peninsula, South Bay, North Bay. If you are just outside that footprint, ask — we will tell you plainly whether we can do it well.
Can we use our own vendors?
Yes. If you already have a baker you love or an entertainer your child has asked for by name, we will work with them and coordinate them alongside everyone else.
Tell us about the party
The date, the age, and roughly what you have in mind. We will come back with a plan and an honest view of what it costs.