Who'd spend £70k on a birthday bash for one-year-olds? Elton John's favourite party planner explains why parents are splashing out on lavish celebrations for kids

• A well-heeled couple splashed out £70,000 on a first birthday party for their twins
• The bill included entertainers, lavish decoration, a buffet and a beautiful tiered cake
• The party had an Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan theme and was held in a marquee
  
• The event was planned by Steven Duggan who also works for Simon Cowell
  
• Duggan also planned the Katie Piper Foundation Ball and has worked with Harrods
  

By Ruth Styles

Published: 06:19 EST, 19 August 2013 | Updated: 11:25 EST, 21 August 2013

He's created everything from ice castles to oriental palaces and numbers Simon Cowell and Elton John among his clients - and now well-heeled parents are asking celebrity event planner Steven Duggan to create equally lavish parties for children too young to have a clue what's going on.

Last month, Duggan created an Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan-themed event for a pair of twins celebrating their first birthday - and charged the parents £70,000 for the privilege. The party took place in a marquee erected in the family's garden in London.

While it might sound extravagant, Duggan says it's by no means an unusual event ('we do about one a month') and revealed that non-celebrities tend to splash out far more on private parties than their A-list counterparts.

The birthday party included elaborate props such as these flamingos (centre) and flowerbeds filled with windmills

The party had a combined Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland theme - hence forests of polka dot toad stools inside the marquee

Lavish though the children's party was, it's by no means the most extravagant event Steven has worked on

'[The 70k party] was about a month ago and for a private client,' he explained in an exclusive interview with MailOnline.

'We were asked for a mix of Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, so it was all themed around them. It was very colourful, with lots of props and lots of lighting effects.

'You'd be surprised by some of the things we have,' he added. 'It's more to make that child feel totally special even though they don't know whats happening. The bigger they can have it, the better.

'If it had been a for a 21st or something, it wouldn't have been such a talking point.'

Along with props and special lighting, the £70,000 bill also covered the cost of a full buffet, complete with beautifully decorated treats, and a vast Alice in Wonderland tiered cake.

The tables were decorated with bouquets of yellow and purple blooms and had centrepieces inspired by the Mad Hatter's tea party

The buffet included a three-tier birthday cake and plates of beautifully decorated nibbles - all with an Alice in Wonderland theme

Duggan aims to make sure no corner goes undecorated and that the client's dream design is realised as they imagined it

Duggan says parents want to create magical memories for their children and that he now does a party a month for younger clients

The Alice in Wonderland interior theme gave the marquee an unabashedly girly feel

Duggan, who began his career as an interior architect and has studied interior design, is no stranger to lavish requests.

With clients that include Katie Piper and Harrods, as well as Elton John and Simon Cowell, Duggan has worked for some of the biggest names on the A-list but says it's the creative challenge rather than the opportunity to rub shoulders with celebrities that drives him.

'It's definitely the idea of being more creative that appeals to me,' he says. 'It's very much about getting to what clients really want and bringing that fantasy to life.'

Are there any limits to what he'll create? 'Not really, he says. 'We're becoming more worldwide now and we've done events for the Monaco Grand Prix for the last two years but as long as events are creative and the client has a bit of an imagination, there is no minimum and no maximum.'

For more information and pictures, see stevendugganevents.com

Paper lampshades were used to give the outside of the marquee a fantastical appearance with the help of flowerbeds crammed with colourful windmills

From the outside, the marquee appears to be part of Neverneverland - inside, it's Alice's wonderland come to life

The attention to detail is incredible - down to pink Alice in Wonderland-style signs or flowerbeds and hedges dotted with purple toadstools

Entertainers dressed as Tinkerbell and the Mad Hatter were on hand to amuse the pint-sized partygoers

Famous friends: Party planner Steven Duggan poses with Leona Lewis (left) and his A-list client, Simon Cowell (right)

A-list favourite: Steven (far right) has planned parties for Elton John and has also worked with Katie Piper, Harrods and Simon Cowell

Steven, who numbers Elton John, Simon Cowell and Adele among his clients, pictured hard at work on his laptop

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