Would you like a reason to wear your wedding dress again? Would you love to dress up in vintage clothes…or perhaps as a rock star? Listen to live music? Watch a fashion show? Have a seven-course high tea? Support the Paeditatrics at the Canberra Hospital (PatCH)? All for under $100?

When our local small businesses combine, they sure know how to throw a party.  Sweet ChariTea at The Abbey, Gold Creek is going to be a seven-course High Tea with four hours nonstop entertainment, vintage dress ups, photo booths, auctions, raffles, lucky door prizes, floral exhibition, couture fashion shows and more!

When I first met Kartika Medcraft owner of Swish Vintage, I had organised her to provide a vintage birthday party for my seven-year old.  She arrived at my house with real fine china for the children to drink their chocolate milk from, hats, gloves, pearls, full vintage dress up outfits and oodles of scrumptious food.

As she set up the tables, linen and all, we discovered that our children went to the same school, and Kartika mentioned her child had (and still has) a rare spinal cord tumour.  At the time I had no idea what that meant for her or her family of six, but I do know that she found great support in the Paediatrics at the Canberra Hospital (PatCH).  Now it’s time for Kartika to give back to the organisation that helped her with this child, and another son who was born 14 weeks premature.

Knowing the success of my daughter’s birthday party, I can only imagine what a team of local event/party stylists, caterers and designers will create for this event.  Each table will be themed and styled by organisations such as Swish Vintage, Party with Peggy, Invitations by Melita, Belle Photography, A Vintage Look, Rockstars & Royalty, Cassandra Lee and Aprils Caravan.

Oodles of vintage fun!

Themes include “Rock Stars” “Gatsby” “No Place Like Home” “Alice In Wonderland” “Pretty in Pink” “Tiffany” “Vintage Circus” and “The Wedding”.  Guest are encouraged to dress to match their table theme or hire clothes from Aprils Caravan Vintage & Retro Clothing store that will be at The Abbey on the day.

The entertainment includes:

–        A two-part couture fashion show by local couture designer label Rockstars & Royalty 

–        Live music by the wonderful Rockabilly band Little Mac & the Monster Men

–        Swing Dance group Jump Town Jammers

–        Some family friendly Burlesque from the tantalising Sass & Tease Collective

–        Brindabella Chorus will also provide their vocal styling and Barber Shop Quartet for guests to enjoy.

The roaming photographers, Shannon Brown and Andrew Campbell, will capture all the action on stage and at the beautiful tea tables and Miss Belle from Belles Photography will be there to capture guests at the beautiful photobooth, the vintage caravan, amongst the floral display, in a cute kissing booth, or with the Antique lounge with or without props by A Vintage Look.

Dolce Cakes will be displaying an amazing High Tea inspired five-tier cakes which will be sliced up for guest during the event. Oh, and our very own HerCanberra editor, Amanda Whitley, will be playing MC for the day!

Become a corporate sponsor!

Two very special tables are reserved for patients, VIPs and special house guests from PatCH and Ronald Macdonald House, thanks to corporate Sponsorship from around Canberra.

Corporate Sponsorship is still available, so patients and families of PatCH and Ronald Macdonald House can come free of charge.  Each corporate sponsored seat will have a card for the guests with details of who sponsored their chair.  There will also be a sponsor directory for all guests so they can find details of each and every business involved easily for future reference.

Email Kartika at klm75@live.com.au if you’re interested.

the essentials

When: 1 – 5pm, Sunday 25 August
Where: The Abbey, Gold Creek
Cost: $96 tickets available from Canberra Ticketing.

Who’s keen to be part of a HerCanberra table?  If you are interested leave a comment below.