OK everyone; here's the reason parties sometimes are a dud; it's not because you're a bad host or…read moreyour friends are dull; it's because the lighting isn't right. Mostly, it's too bright, but occasionally it's too dim and nobody can see who they're talking to. Too bright and people will want to get away from it. If you want to sort your party lighting out, go to Party Direct, where you can hire everything you might need, including a LIGHT UP DANCE FLOOR. Yes. Pretty exciting right? These guys are also super helpful; I needed to hire some lights urgently, and they not only gave me a great price, they also pulled stuff out in the middle of moving warehouses. That's impressive; I can imagine most people would have just said it was too much trouble.

Celebrations is a wholesale party supplies store. Floor to ceiling of tinsel, sparkles and plastic…read more Personally, I find it a bit depressing but each to their own... Celebrations also have a tonne of themed stuff for kids parties - party favour bags, birthday hats, paper plates, cups and the like. If you're throwing a Frozen themed party then this is most definitely your jam. They also sell and fill helium balloons.

A whimsical treasure cove for anyone with time on their hands, Look Sharp in Mt Wellington is one…read moreof the better Look Sharps in Auckland. Staff members are friendlier, and the items are categorised as well as can be. Party goers and throwers will make it their haunt, and crafty types will rejoice with this alternative to Spotlight. Even great for top notch stuff, Look Sharp stocks some pretty sharp items - cue Wilton products and Martha Stewart-branded paraphernalia. Without Look Sharp, life would just be plain dull.

rude service. helium balloon for baby shower didn't even last the car journey home. when I asked…read moreabout the colour confetti inside a party popper that said it was gold, the staff reassured me it was gold and not blue or pink. we found at the time of the gender reveal it was actually pink not gold. super disappointed, don't recommend

Carlton is a big player in the party hire business. They have lots of stock, but have become…read moreobnoxious to deal with. Our most recent order was very large, worth several hundred dollars. After returning everything carefully cleaned, counted, and in good order, they alleged one fork was missing -- and sent us an additional invoice for $6.32 for that single fork. This plainly overstates the replacement value and will strike most people as petty in the circumstances. In the end, we decided to pay up to avoid further unpleasantness. Although we have used this company often in the past we will not do so again.