Sydney’s best group Packages
This month we present you with a generous head start on all the planning and preparation normally required when organising a group occasion that deserves more than just dinner and a drink. These perfectly formed packages will shave hours off your to-do lists and will undoubtedly provide you with ideas on how you can be clever and cost effective while celebrating in style.

From Bollywood Brides, to Complete Cocktail Parties, all of these group packages allow you to make one reservation; one payment, and the majority of tiresome tasks that usually have to take place at your celebration, like splitting bills, will be avoided. 

Flaming Flamencos
Dust off your dancing shoes for this Spanish inspired get-together. The experience will begin at Dance Central where your group will have their own 60 or 90-minute private flamenco class taught by a professional instructor in full costume. Learn the fancy footwork of flamenco and look the part with a complimentary flower hair accessory for everyone in the group. ... read more

Babies are back in vogue this summer and so is the assortment of baby showers. No matter what kind of mamma you are, we’ve got a runway full of ideas to please even the fussiest of preggos. Do you have Mother Fusspot coming over insisting on taking out the best china or your crazy girlfriend Ms. Tequila No Salt insisting on a day out in the city, here are a list of baby shower ideas to please your gang of girls.

EAT
For one or two, a girl’s got to eat and if you like mini food as much as I do, take Old School Mamma to a good old-fashioned afternoon tea at The Tea Room QVB. Simply exquisite.  If it is an ocean view that’s going to keep your water from breaking ... read more

Your six minutes in the social spotlight starts now….

Who are you and what do you do? My name is Simon Hancock and I am the Marketing and Leisure Director of luxury nightclub 21, as well as a former (and still occasional) model, lifestyle writer (simonandsociety.blogspot.com) and freelance events director. I like to keep my finger on the pulse of anything related to culture, fashion and the social scene both globally and here in Sydney. I travel frequently, and most recently was invited to attend New York Fashion Week late last year, an experience which inspired some new creative projects I’m unveiling in 2012. Stay tuned…

When and where were you last social? ... read more

When planning a social occasion, wouldn’t it be great to just snap your fingers and have the party come straight to you? More The Merrier has teamed up with a number of mobile providers to bring back the house party in a more sophisticated and grown-up fashion with an array of unique mobile entertainment options. Check out our top ‘Room Service' picks available in your home or venue of choice:

Mobile Zushi
Zushi Sushi
Bring your favourite sushi home with Zushi Mobile Zushi and Catering. For the ultimate in-home sushi experience, invite one of Zushi’s very own sushi masters to your next occasion. Impress your guests with an expert chef slicing, dicing and rolling sushi right in front of their eyes. This is entertainment good enough to eat. Minimum food spend of $1000 and 1 chef per 25 guests recommended. Zushi also offers drop-off catering platters.

Blow on the Go
Blow Dry Bar
Don’t let a bad hair day ruin your next occasion. Get the true celebrity treatment and host a blow dry party in your home with the Blow Dry Bar’s ‘Blow on the Go’ package. A team of hair professionals will come straight to you and get your group looking glam with blow dries from expert stylists - an ideal way to spend time preparing for a hens night, birthday party or even just a night out on the town with the girls, from $60pp. ... read more

Being the social, in-the-know person that you are, you’ve no doubt heard about this “group-buying” business, also known as coupon deals. There have been plenty of examples in the Australian market recently – Groupon, Living Social, Scoopon… the list is long but not always quite so luxurious.

As with many things that take place on the Internet, there are some amazing “deals” to be had, and it’s a great place to start when finding new options, as they’re out there as a promotional tool to get new venues off and running. So by all means, go looking for the next cheap and cheerful dinner for two. But forming great connections with other people, or coming up with the latest concepts to take your get-together off-line, well that’s a different story altogether. ... read more

I want to let you in on a secret… I never normally reveal my social secrets (unlike, a certain Sparkle that we all know and love).

However, recently SS was lumped with organizing a hen’s party for the bride – who has wanted to be bride since she could barely walk.  Did someone say the words hard & work? A gentleman never speaks out-of-turn.

Sparkle knew that it would have to be a different kind of hen’s party– something that would really resonate with this bride-to-be. ... read more

Let’s face it, as every socialite knows, weddings can be a fantastic place to meet new people. It’s not that hard to understand why they say that. After all, weddings are great ways to celebrate the marriage of good friends, but they’re also a top-tier social occasion that presents plenty of great opportunities.

What sort? Well, use your imagination. I’ll give you a hint: I have a good friend who met the man she was to marry and have four children with. Enough said? ... read more

From the James Bond films to Martin Scorsese’s Casino, popular films that men love worship the culture of the casino – and with good reason. They’re exciting places to be – the smell and sound of all that money going up and coming down, mixing around.

So when I got this week’s brief from one of Social Sparkle’s bachelor friends wanting to do something for six men looking for the next big idea for a “man’s night out”, I thought to myself, these are gentlemen who want to experience it for themselves. Why not give them the big money experience at a casino? So many things that a few good men can do… ... read more

Putting together a dining group is almost as nerve-wracking as throwing open the doors to your home for a dinner party. It’s your chance to let your people know that they’re special to you, as nothing says, “I value your friendship” like pulling together a killer dinner gathering at a restaurant that performs.

Cast your eye over these six tips to make your soiree sizzle. ... read more

I can't believe she said that!

There are plenty of rules about what to say and what not to say over dinner. The shape of your dinnertime conversation is like the ocean – it ebbs and flows, thoughts get drawn out or cut off depending on whether they're appropriate. No one likes to have a stiletto in the mouth due to saying something that puts him or her in the social sin-bin. So without further ado, here is my Top 6 List: Things to never says at dinner. ... read more

In the 1880’s the paper’s touted Balmain as Sydney’s ‘social suburb’. While on the other side of town razer gangs were slicing open the city’s dark underbelly, Balmain was the gentrified home of the clubs and societies in the 19^th century (cricket, anyone?  How about Tennis?) While the ebb and tide of time has shaped this harbour-side gem there are still little treasures to be found like The Balmain Bug, ever so suited to a gathering of friends.

Named for the famously delectable (yet equally unsightly) marine character, the ibacus peronii - otherwise known as a Balmain bug - the restaurant’s elegant interiors share the name only.  Graced with good looks and nestled into a gorgeous sandstone building, built circa 1856, diners are transported back in time by the fine surrounds. The private dining room upstairs seats 16, but for summery nights, groups of any size shouldn’t look past the courtyard (which can fit up to 24 guests).  It’s the perfect central location for social circles looking for something beyond their regular haunts but not wishing to travel too far afield. ... read more

Photo: Felix Forest

1. Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Gracie Otto. Most of my work has been behind the lens of the camera as a director, editor and writer, but sometimes I join the family acting profession, and occasionally do modelling and celebrity appearances to fund my film work.This year I played The Dead Girl in LBF, a pop art film that screened at the Sydney Festival and the SXSX Festival in Austin Texas which I attended. And my short film Seamstress has screened this year at festivals all over the world from London to Palm Springs and shortly in LA and Berlin. In between I've been making a feature doco Impresario, the story of Michael White and developing two films in Paris and Los Angeles. It's a great life! ... read more

Idea Man’s Trendsetting Tips for Talked-About 30^th Birthday Parties –

It’s always better to be looked over than overlooked. For a 30^th birthday party that will get the tongues wagging, be sure to check out these tips to make it memorable.

Keep it Close
Intimate Gathering: 6-10 people
Sometimes less is more, and if you have a tight knit group of up to 10 friends you can’t go past the quirky Duke’s Bistro complete with a prized private room. Wedge your tongue firmly in cheek and enjoy their unique menu and wicked desserts. Or gather round Wildfire’s roomy booths which seat 6, with a select few to enjoy some of Sydney’s finest Churrasco, washing it down with rare tequilas. If it’s a cosy restaurant with a twist you seek, then BYO to Harvest Vegetarian in Rozelle and savour the culinary cleverness of one of Sydney’s leading vegetarian dining experiences. Likewise, Rubyos never disappoints and can also cater for vegetarians if advised when booking. They offer set menus for groups bigger than 4, featuring degustation delights of Mod Oz’ness ($3.50 corkage applies) and you can natter away late into the night. ... read more

Every hen is different but one thing remains the same – the Lauper gospel of hens parties – girls just wanna have fun. As Ideas Man brainstorms the top six bucks party, here’s my list of novel hens parties to show him that Social Sparkle is not just a pretty face. Challenge accepted. ... read more

Plan a Bucks Party to Remember

The burden of responsibility is great when you must organise a legendary buck’s party but you can relax with Ideas Man’s 6 suggestions for epic stag parties!

What happens in Vegas Package
Fancy yourself a lucky hand? With the smallest handcuff in the world about to be slapped onto your buck, host a VIP night enjoying the last freedoms at home. Begin with the Beer Diva’s master class, she’ll teach you gentlemen to swill your brews in style. Then descend into pure Sin City game-play complete with chips and a croupier (wearing nothing but lingerie is an option) at your in-house casino, delivering an authentic high-roller Entourage experience.
Buck’s vibe – The Hangover @ home
Number crunch – Unlimited guests ... read more