The Ultimate Glow In The Dark Party

For Caroline’s 11th birthday, we threw the ultimate glow in the dark party—and it was all her idea.

She’s a party planner at heart and knew exactly what she wanted: a “late night” dance party with her besties, glowing neon lights, and a slime station (obviously). She asked the girls to wear their brightest colors, and they delivered—every corner of the party was glowing.

The dance floor was lit (literally), the outfits were vibrant, and the energy was electric from the moment the girls arrived. They danced under the black lights all night long, covered in glitter and neon paint, and it was everything Caroline had hoped for. Officially her favorite party ever (and honestly, same).

Here’s how we brought this glow in the dark party to life—with a team of incredible vendors and a husband who was all in to make Caroline’s vision happen!

**The photos are fun, but if you want to see the glow magic in action, my Party Highlight Reel brings it to life! You can see the neon dance floor, glow stick chaos, and all the sparkly details in motion!

Glow In The Dark Party Plans

I’m seriously so grateful for the incredible vendors who brought the energy and magic to this party. The vibes were on point.

Ali from Tiny Sprinkles Events handled the virtual event design and planning—and was truly the magic-maker behind the scenes! She turned Caroline’s Pinterest board into reality, then leveled it up with her signature sparkle.

She was amazing to work with and helped us bring everything together. Ali coordinated all the vendors, created a design board, and made a detailed vendor timeline to keep everything on track—allowing me to focus on actually enjoying the party. With her creativity, passion, and attention to detail, she turned the whole experience into something unforgettable.

As soon as we had the party date locked in, my next call was to Alyssa from The Golden Times to see if she was available to capture the event. It was SO nice being able to just be present at the party, knowing all the memories and little details were being beautifully captured in a way I never could have done myself. Alyssa truly freed me up to enjoy the night while she worked her magic behind the lens. Her photos were nothing short of stunning, and I’m so grateful to have these memories captured so perfectly!

Neon Marquee Letters & Balloons

The neon marquee letters from Alpha Lit Charlotte were hands down the decor star of the party! We had these giant letters spelling out Caroline’s name, outlined in the most vibrant neon pink lights.

Then House Party Lake Norman came through with the ultimate balloon glow-up! The combo of the glowing letters and bright, colorful balloons made the whole setup pop and brought such a fun, festive vibe. It truly felt like a party scene all on its own.

I can’t even tell you how much of a statement those letters made. The moment the girls walked in, they were in awe—this was the first thing everyone noticed and couldn’t stop talking about. They were the perfect centerpiece for the night and set the tone for the entire party.

And here’s how the letters looked when the sun set! SUCH. A. VIBE.

Custom Coloring Wall + Party Banner

The custom coloring wall by Draw It By Mel was such a fun and thoughtful addition to the party! Not only did it double as adorable decor, but the girls had a blast coloring and signing it throughout the night.

By the end of the party, it was filled with colorful doodles and sweet little notes for Caroline. Mel is such a talented artist, and now the finished piece is hanging proudly in Caroline’s room—right next to the one from last year!

Mel also created the most gorgeous hand-painted “Glow All Out” banner for the party, and it was the perfect statement piece. We hung it at the station with all the food, drinks, cake, and glow accessories, and it totally tied everything together. It added such a fun, creative pop and brought even more glow-in-the-dark magic to the setup under the black lights.

The Cake + Party Snacks

Since it was a late-night party, I kept the food simple with a bunch of snacks, candy kabobs, fruit skewers, a variety of punch flavors (Hawaiian Punch mixed with Sprite), and of course, cake! Caroline hand-picked all the tween-approved snacks—Takis, Sun Chips, Oreos, you name it!

She was so excited about her cake this year and knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted a black cake with neon splatter paint, and Harris Teeter totally nailed it—for less than $20! The cake turned out perfect, and I just topped it with some neon pink candles to keep with the vibe.

Caroline also made the yummiest candy kabobs, which were a true labor of love! She picked out all the candy, assembled them herself, and they were gone in about 15 seconds once everyone arrived—definitely a huge hit with the tween girlies! It was the perfect sweet touch to add to the snack table.

Glitter Hair Braids & Neon Face Paint

The Glow Hair Station was a complete surprise for Caroline, and let me tell you—all the tween girlies FLIPPED when they walked in and saw it!

SparKids did an incredible job creating gorgeous glitter hair braids and neon glitter face paint for 15 girls throughout the night. They all looked amazing and felt SO glam, decked out in glitter from head to toe (literally!). Go check out their Neon Party Reel for a closer look at all the glitter details!

The Ultimate Slime Station

As I mentioned, Caroline’s second-highest wish list item (right after the dance party, of course) was to make slime with her friends! She’s been obsessed with slime for years, and it doesn’t look like that’s changing anytime soon. So, for her birthday party activity, we set up the coolest slime station, thanks to Rachel from Gold and Gray and Mel from Under The Sky Picnic.

Rachel did an amazing job creating custom slime kits for each girl, complete with the most fun mix-ins you could imagine. The table was seriously adorable, with each place setting featuring a jar of slime ready to be customized with colorful add-ins. The girls went wild over it, and watching them get creative and personalize their slime was one of the highlights of the night. Plus, it made the perfect party favor for them to take home!

A huge thank you to Mel for providing the tables and neon pillows that made the slime station extra cozy and fun! We’ve used Mel for several parties, and she’s always so wonderful to work with. The setup looked like a dream and was the perfect vibe for the slime-making fun!

You can find all the tablescape sources (plates, cups, napkins, etc. HERE!

Glow In The Dark Dance Party

The dance party was everything Caroline dreamed it would be—and honestly, more. She curated her own playlist (packed with every tween-approved dance hit), and it did not let up all night. The moment the music started, the girls went off. They covered themselves head to toe in neon glitter paint, layered on glow stick necklaces and bracelets, grabbed light-up foam sticks, and let loose under the stars.

At one point, they tossed more than 200 glow sticks into the air and just danced like nobody was watching—nailing every dance routine and living their best lives.

A huge shoutout to Matt for absolutely crushing the glow dance floor setup. He mapped out a full design, measured everything (twice, of course), and carefully taped down neon lines until it was perfect. Once we flipped on the black lights, it glowed like magic—and watching the girls dance across the floor he created made it all so worth it. Truly the unsung hero of the night!

You can find all the dance party sources (Neon Dance Floor Tape + Glow Foam Sticks + Glow Glasses + Glow Sticks/Necklaces + Blacklights + Glitter Body Gel + Glitter Paint Pens + Glow Tattoos HERE!

One of my besties was right alongside me all night helping me keep an eye on the chaos, but mostly we were just soaking it all in. We both teared up watching it all unfold—just seeing Caroline surrounded by her besties, glowing (literally and figuratively), and having the time of her life. It was chaotic in the best way, and so full of joy. It felt like peak girlhood—the kind of moment you want to bottle up forever. I wanted to freeze time and just soak in the beauty of them being their loud, silly, sparkly selves. Exactly what Caroline had hoped for…and honestly, a reminder of how sweet this season of life really is.

Glow In The Dark Party Sources + Credits

All the magic makers and supplies that brought this party to life…

Vendors

Party Planner: Tiny Sprinkles Events / Photography: The Golden Times / Neon Marquee Lights: Alpha Lit Charlotte / Balloon Garland: House Party Lake Norman / Coloring Wall: Draw It By Mel / Glitter Hair Braids & Neon Face Paint: SparKids / Custom Slime Kit: Gold and Gray / Tables + Pillows: Under The Sky Picnic

Tablescape Sources

Plates + Napkins + Tablecloths + Cups + Glow Ice Cubes

Dance Party Sources

Neon Dance Floor Tape + Glow Foam Sticks + Glow Glasses + Glow Sticks/Necklaces + Blacklights + Glitter Body Gel + Glitter Paint Pens + Glow Tattoos

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