Founder & Editor of Party & Beyond
The Story Behind the Site
Hi, I’m Leah Meyer — founder of Party & Beyond and the woman who probably has more balloon pumps in her garage than anyone you know.
I started this blog in 2024 for one simple reason: I was tired of party planning content that assumed everyone had a $2,000 budget and a Pinterest-perfect home. Real life isn’t like that. Real parties happen in regular living rooms, on regular budgets, for the people we love most. And those parties — the messy, beautiful, made-with-love kind — deserved better resources than what was out there.
So I built this.
How I Got Here
I’ve been the friend who plans the parties for as long as I can remember. Birthdays, baby showers, surprise gatherings, last-minute backyard cookouts — if there was an excuse to celebrate, I was the one with the balloon pump and the printable banner template.
Eventually, “the friend who plans things” turned into actual party planning work. I spent years coordinating birthday parties, baby showers, intimate weddings, and seasonal celebrations for clients who wanted the wow factor without the eye-watering price tag. The lessons added up. The hacks accumulated. The notebook of “what actually works” got thicker every season.
In 2024, I decided to put it all online — and Party & Beyond was born.
What This Site Is About
Party & Beyond is your guide to throwing celebrations that feel intentional, beautiful, and budget-friendly. We cover everything from birthday parties and baby showers to weddings, Halloween, holiday hosting, and the occasional Tuesday-night excuse to use the good plates.
Our content is built around three core beliefs:
🎉 Every celebration matters — even the small ones
💸 The wow factor lives in the details, not the price tag
✨ Hosting should feel joyful, not stressful
I personally test the DIY ideas, party themes, and entertaining tips we share — because I’d never recommend something to you that I wouldn’t actually do in my own home. If a balloon arch breaks at hour two or a craft project takes three times longer than promised, I want to be the one who finds out first.
Meet the Team
Party & Beyond isn’t just me anymore — and I couldn’t be prouder of that.
Hannah Carter joined as our Party Food & Entertaining Writer, bringing her Nashville hosting expertise and an unreasonable talent for charcuterie boards. She covers everything food-related, from holiday spreads to no-bake desserts.
Chloe Parker is our DIY Decor & Halloween Writer, based in Denver. She’s the brains behind our craft tutorials, family Halloween costumes, and the dollar-store transformations that make our readers say “wait, how much did that cost?”
Together, we cover every angle of celebrating well — without breaking the bank.
What I Do When I’m Not Working
I live for the small, weird joys of party planning. Hunting for hidden gems at dollar stores. Reorganizing my color-coded craft drawer (yes, really). Inflating balloons (I own three pumps and I will defend this). And brainstorming the next celebration with my dog, who serves as the official Chief Inspiration Officer of Party & Beyond.
Outside of party season, you’ll find me thrifting for vintage serving pieces, testing recipes my husband has agreed to taste-test, and pretending I’m going to organize my craft closet “this weekend.”
A Note to Our Readers
If you’ve ever felt like the celebrations you imagined were out of reach — too expensive, too complicated, too far from what your real life looks like — this site is for you. There’s no party too small to matter. No budget too tight to work with. No “regular person” host who can’t pull off something genuinely special.
You just need the right ideas. We’ve got them.
Get in Touch
Have a question, a party theme you’d like us to cover, or just want to share photos from your latest celebration? I’d love to hear from you. Reach out at leah@partyandbeyond.com or browse all my articles.
Thanks for being here. Now let’s go plan something good.