Mum throws baby showers for the super-rich… including a full funfair with carousel (2024)

A BABY shower planner for the rich and famous has revealed the most lavish requests she gets from her wealthy clients.

Chrystal de’Gale, founder of Beforebaby.co.uk, features in Channel 5’s Billionaire Babies on Sunday night – where she is seen planning a luxury baby shower at a 47-bedroom mansion in Kent.

But she says the champagne tea with all the trimming, at Ingriss Abbey, was “standard” compared to many of the parties she throws.

Chrystal told the Sun Online: “One of the most lavish was a funfair theme baby shower, which was a popular choice at the time.

“Only these clients wanted a carousel in their garden, the popcorn stalls, the candy floss stalls and all the usual funfair stalls as well as mini makeovers for all the guests.”

London-based Chrystal set up her business eight years ago, after her friends threw her a baby shower shortly before she had her son, Samson.

She now has 25 helpers on her books – from caterers to beauticians and masseuses – and throws two to three parties a week.

Clients include Billy Faiers, Michelle Heaton, Imogen Thomas and Stacey Solomon – who had a memorable shower in April 2012 when she was pregnant with second son Leighton.

Chrystal said: “Stacey had a funfair themed baby shower at her house and with 20 or 30 of her friends but it was a complete surprise, she had no idea.

“She came in and they were all hiding round the corner and they all leapt out to surprise her. She loved it.

“One of the things we offer is the chance to get the baby bump painted – and Stacey opted for candy stripes and a cupcake.”

Although Chrystal never discusses the budgets, the super-rich clients are prepared to splash out thousands on their bespoke baby showers and they are weeks in the planning.

She said: “ We need a minimum of a month, ideally, but it depends how bespoke the party is.

“If you are wanting to factor in things like floral walls or really specific things, like a particular colour of lilac polka dot they want running through everything, then we need to source things and decorate it but it also depends on the size of the party.”

In Billionaire Babies, Chrystal is seen organising a party at Ingriss Abbey in Kent for the mistress of the house, Irene Major.

Pregnant with her SIXTH child with oil tycoon husband Sam, she is planning her first baby shower and opts for the champagne afternoon tea because “The Queen does tea.”

Chrystal decorates the ballroom of the huge home with huge pink silk flowers and balloons, as well as laying on an elegant tea on the best china.

Although Chrystal admits the venue was impressive, she says the demands of Irene – dubbed the “Queen of Ingriss” – were standard.

Chrystal said: “She showed me the house and it was a beautiful venue but lots of people hire out venues like that. You don’t expect them to live in them!

“Apart from that it wasn’t the most lavish. Afternoon tea is quite common so what she went for was standard.

Also, they only wanted 30 or 40 guests. We’ve had up to 400 people and we’ve had to organise games for them.”

Although she limits her parties to two or three a week, to maintain that personal touch, Chrystal says it can sometimes be a 24 hour job – and says her pregnant clients can be cranky.

She said: “Because I’m a woman, and I’ve been pregnant, I understand about the hormones.

“I get few ‘mum-to-be-zillas’ if you can call them that. They can go a bit crazy, especially a few days before the event.

They start nit-picking at everything you’ve already planned and worrying that something isn’t going to work and wanting to change it.

“So I often get calls in the middle of the night or very early in the morning. “

Billionaire Babies also features artisan cakemaker Debbie Wingham, who once made the world’s most expensive cake = with £48.3 million of gems on it.

Also seen is tea shop owner Lulu Gwynne, whose afternoon tea parties for kids – including a stunning Alice In Wonderland themed bash – can cost up to £25,000.

Billionaire Babies airs on Channel 5 at 8pm on Sunday