Sweet Marie’s Party Shop

Sweet Marie’s Party Shop is an independent partyware and balloon business based in Cookham, Berkshire. Founded by Marie Hawthorne in 2019, the business was created to help people make life’s special moments feel even more memorable through thoughtful details, beautiful party supplies and imaginative balloon décor. What began as a local bricks-and-mortar party shop has since evolved into an online destination serving customers throughout the UK, alongside a private balloon studio providing Click & Collect orders and bespoke event services for customers across Berkshire and the surrounding areas. The idea behind Sweet Marie’s was simple: party shopping should feel inspiring and enjoyable, not overwhelming. Rather than offering an enormous selection of generic decorations, the store brings together carefully curated collections designed to work beautifully as a complete celebration. Customers can discover coordinated tableware, decorations, party bags, cake accessories, candles, balloons and finishing touches for children’s birthdays, first birthdays, baby showers, seasonal entertaining and milestone occasions. Collections range from playful themes such as dinosaurs, farmyards and safari animals to softer, more elegant designs featuring bows, florals, berries and pastel colours. Marie founded the business after more than 18 years working in international marketing and brand development. That experience shaped the way Sweet Marie’s approaches everything from product selection and presentation to customer experience and service. However, the heart of the business remains very personal. Every collection is considered from the customer’s point of view: how the products will look together, which finishing touches will make the occasion feel special and how the experience can be made easier for the person organising it. As a mother herself, Marie understands that customers often want to create something beautiful while balancing limited time, a realistic budget and the many other demands of family life. Alongside its UK-wide online party shop, Sweet Marie’s is well known locally for personalised and helium-filled balloons. Customers can order birthday number balloons, personalised bubble balloons, foil balloons, balloon bouquets and other designs for collection from the Cookham studio. Each order is professionally prepared with coordinating ribbons and weights, with personalisation available for names, ages and special messages. The business serves customers in Cookham, Maidenhead, Marlow, Bourne End, Henley-on-Thames, Beaconsfield and the surrounding areas. Sweet Marie’s also creates larger-scale balloon installations and event décor for private celebrations, businesses, luxury venues and corporate clients. Previous projects have ranged from elegant balloon displays for intimate birthdays and proposals to suspended balloon ceilings, branded installations and large outdoor event features. This side of the business allows Marie to combine creative design with practical event experience, translating an initial idea into something visually memorable and appropriate for the space. What sets Sweet Marie’s apart is the combination of a carefully curated online store and genuine specialist knowledge. Customers are not simply buying party products from an anonymous warehouse; they are ordering from a small independent business with years of hands-on experience creating real celebrations. That experience informs the product range, the advice offered and the attention given to every order. The business is equally happy helping a parent find the final few details for a child’s birthday party or working with a venue to develop an ambitious bespoke installation. Quality, integrity, joyful celebration, community, innovation and sustainability are central to the Sweet Marie’s brand. Wherever possible, the business looks for products that can be reused, recycled or enjoyed beyond a single event, including reusable decorations, compostable tableware and biodegradable latex balloons. Customers are also given responsible balloon safety and disposal guidance, and all helium-filled balloons are supplied securely weighted. Ultimately, Sweet Marie’s exists to help customers celebrate the people and moments that matter to them. Whether someone is planning a first birthday at home, choosing tableware for a summer gathering, arranging personalised balloons for a milestone occasion or commissioning a large event installation, the aim is always the same: to provide thoughtful products, friendly expertise and a little extra joy.