Elan Artists

Sure, photo booths have become regular party staples, but these guys figured out a way to elevate the experience by way of bigger, glossier formats, GIF-making capabilities, blacklight booths, and custom backgrounds and props. Headquarters are in NYC but they can easily accommodate more far-flung locations.

This is a one stop shop for browsing and booking all sorts of live entertainers—from musicians to DJs to toastmasters. What's more, they provide client reviews and sample contracts to simply the process.

The modern, minimalist answer to the oversized photo booth (so tricky to match with party decor), this free-standing, wood-finish camera is designed to make every aspect of taking and sharing group photos fun and simple. Here’s how it works: You rent the camera stand, all your friends take turns gathering around it throughout the night for pictures (it works via touch screen), and the images are instantly available via an app for social sharing. You can also opt for on-site printing, or print your favorites later. It’s one of those why-didn’t-we-think-of-this ideas.

Jim Eppolito has been running his full-service production company for over two decades: He knows what he’s doing. West Coast Music specializes in what the company describes as “record-industry quality” music for events—which could be as large as the Golden Globes or as small as an intimate wedding for less than a hundred guests. The company has relationships with big-name talent like Bruno Mars and Stevie Wonder, as well as full orchestras, dance troupes, bands, and DJs.

This is an invaluable, freakishly user-friendly food truck tracking and booking tool that services the bulk of major U.S. cities. If you're in SoCal, consider Dogtown Dogs, Kogi Truck, and Urban Oven—we've had great experiences with all three. (More food truck inspo, here)

This online service essentially functions as a virtual party planner (or a search engine for handymen, tutors, accountants, etc.). You submit a request for say, a Washington-based magician, and wait for available pros to respond with quotes and details. Once you're ready to pull the trigger, you can book directly through the site or app.

Whether it’s a wedding, luncheon, anniversary, or kid’s birthday, this is a truly priceless resource if you’re looking to host somewhere other than at home.

With warehouses all over the country, Classic is a no-frills—but consistently reliable—rental resource that specializes in the basics: tables, chairs, tents, lighting, and linens. They've been at it for 30 years, so their customer-service game is on point.

Founded by a bridal magazine editor who brought a big fat Rolodex, The Bridal Bar is like a virtual concierge for wedding planning specializing in the Los Angeles and San Diego Areas. They vet vendors in every category, going way beyond photographers and wedding planners—you can come to them for bachelorette party suggestions, honeymoon ideas, and cinematographers. The best part? It's completely free. Photo credit: Docuvitae

These are not your average party-store fare. Geronimo mastermind Jihan Zencirli’s creations come in a rainbow of balloon-and-frill combos and are so massive they require as much helium as 30 standard balloons. She'll gladly accommodate special requests if you don't see what you want in her online shop.

Disposable party supplies are meant to make life easier, but more often than not, finding ones that aren't hideous is hard. Elliewood's themed Party Packs (which can accommodate up to 40 guests) and Parties-in-a-Box aren't just beautiful, they're practical, too: every element from cups, to plates, to decorative accessories is accounted for. For procrastinators, there’s a two-day shipping option.

Pictures don’t really do Scott's marquees justice: Most are made from up-cycled materials and can be shipped everywhere. Not only does he have pre-made and rentable options, he’ll custom build logos, lettering, signage, and more.

After bonding over a shared love of throwing parties and scouring Pinterest boards and Etsy for inspiration, Jessi Means and Lindsey Kauffman decided there must be a faster way to put together cohesive, beautiful events. With Celebrated, they do the legwork for you. The party-in-a-box kits cover both adult and kids’ parties and accommodate twelve guests or more. For kids, expect clever themes, like Happy Camper (stocked with fairy lights, buffalo plaid plates and napkins, scavenger hunt activity cards, and toy flashlights), plus staples like princesses and superheroes. For adults, garden parties, baby showers, margarita fiestas are covered. (They'll also send you party menu suggestions and a shopping list.) What we love: Each party type includes a "special touches" section where you can add extras to customize your event—be it confetti balloons, pool floats, or cake toppers. Attention procrastinators: There's an option for two-day shipping.

Wedding invites are Julie Song's bread and butter, but her illustrations, calligraphy, and branding are all excellent, too. She's also really popular, so get in touch with plenty of lead-time. (Julie is responsible for the gorgeous watercolor menus at our goop x Net-a-Porter dinner.)

Nicole is a great classic calligrapher. You can select from a number of different styles, and while she's based in Dallas, she takes orders from across the country. And yes, she really is left-handed.

Minted came up with a fool-proof system for making sure clients get exactly what they want—and it all starts with a rich assortment of save-the-dates, menu cards, invites and so much more, all pre-designed by an artist. (They also do fully custom stationery and invites.) Once you've picked something you like, you can tweak it to perfection. And don't skip over the Art Marketplace, it's hands down one of the best places online for affordable art.

Anne Robin has been doing calligraphy for most of her life, and it shows. She'll gladly churn out traditional scripts, be it for invitations, place cards, or monograms, but her true talent lies in designing unique, modern styles you won't find anywhere else.

We love Paperless Post. So much so, that we collaborated on a bunch of limited edition cards a few years back. Since then, they've teamed up with the likes of Oscar de la Renta, Kelly Wearstler, and goop pal, Derek Blasberg on tons of digital and physical invitations (many free options, too!). They also do brisk business with birthday cards and personal stationery.

It’s hard to believe that just five short years ago, Beacon Lane was a one-woman show operating out of a Chicago apartment. While their creative studio is still in Chicago, Beacon Lane now services global clients with through their online invitation design services. The entire process is blessedly streamlined—you’ll live chat with a designer who works with you to select and customize from several template designs—the process includes three rounds of proofs, so you can tweak and adjust until everything is just right.

This online stationery hub specializes in all the paper products that you need for a wedding from save the dates to shower thank you notes, invitations, gift tags, guests books, and everything in between. They make it easy to shop by style (vintage, classic/formal, modern, whimsical, rustic) and relatively affordable.

The best businesses are born out of need. The Chain Press is one such example. Masterminded by Naoise McGee, an Irish émigré who missed handwritten letters, the company celebrates old-fashioned craft and encourages the simple gesture of sending a note or invitation on proper stationery. McGee works with clients to create designs and monograms that reflect their personalities and passions. Aside from bespoke personal stationery, the Chain Press also designs custom wedding invitations, announcement cards, even accent pieces for the home, all handmade by McGee—a one-woman show—on a midcentury Vandercook cylinder press in her new Los Angeles atelier.

What started as a simple design studio back in 1998 has grown into a fully-fledged digital company more than adept at handling the stationery demands of the modern, time-starved customer. Snow & Graham's predesigned lines are perfect for those wanting to send out invites, announcements, or save-the-dates in a pinch. And clients wanting to design bespoke stationery are also well taken care of. All custom pieces are handmade on the softest double-thick 100 percent cotton-pulp paper—pasted by hand with nontoxic adhesive.