To make your Big Day extra special, you might want to base it around a certain theme and use an array of fabulous event props to help you achieve the right look.

Katie Price’s wedding prop

Increasingly, celebrities are taking advantage of the array of special props out there to give their nuptial celebrations an edge and glamorous Brit Katie Price is no exception. When she tied the knot to her now ex beau Peter Andre in 2005, she used a Cinderella pumpkin cart.

This unusual item was in the headlines again recently when its owner, Georgina McDonagh, appeared on Channel 4 show Four Rooms in a bid to sell it.

Price believes that her choice of wedding transport helped to inspire the bling seen in the hit television series Big Fat Gypsy Weddings. Commenting on this, she once said: “Big Fat Gypsy Weddings used the carriage I used when I married Pete. I love it!”

Choosing the perfect theme for you

Of course, when you’re on the lookout for items to help ensure your nuptial celebrations stand out from the crowd, you don’t have to go for anything as OTT as this. There are plenty of fantastic objects for you to choose from and, regardless of the theme you choose, you should succeed in creating the perfect atmosphere.

For example, you might want to go for Hollywood props. These can add a sense of fun to weddings and there’s no shortage of items for you to take your pick from.

A world of choice

Here at Keeley Hire we know that when you’re planning a special event, whether it’s a wedding, birthday bash, anniversary celebration or anything else, you want it to be special. We also know that you might have limited time to organise the details.

That’s why we take all the hassle out of event prop hire. By perusing our website, you can get your hands on an array of wonderful objects. Sticking with the Hollywood theme, perhaps some gold movie statues would make superb table centre pieces, while authentic movie lights can look great dotted around the corners of venues. Of course, no Hollywood reception would be complete without a red carpet.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of other themes for you to choose from. You might fancy getting into the jubilee spirit by hiring a royal ceremony setting, or perhaps a retro feel to your wedding would be ideal.

Simplicity itself

Once you’ve chosen the items you want, all that remains is to order them and we make sure this process is quick and simple. By getting in touch with us by phone or email, you’ll be able to confirm availability and price.

Meanwhile, if you’re unable to collect and return the pieces, we’re more than happy to quote for transport using our experienced courier companies.

It’s therefore well worth spending some time looking for the most suitable items and it pays off to choose a reliable supplier that can deliver in terms of choice and quality.

The power of props

The importance of theatre props was demonstrated recently at the Cambridge Arts Theatre. Last month, a new stage production of Arthur Ransome’s children’s classic Swallows and Amazons was showcased.

According to a review by Jennifer Shelton in the Cambridge News, those behind the spectacle made superb use of visual aids. She said: “The set is an ever-changing stream of inventive props, brought to life by agile actors who slide and cartwheel across the stage to evoke night-time storms, watery chases and a particularly stunning swimming sequence. There’s a sense of playfulness to this at the same time – and we suspect seven-year-old Roger’s bushy beard was not discouraged.”

She concluded by stating: “Beautifully staged and performed, it’s a triumph for the simple pleasures of childhood and the magic of theatre.”

How we can help you

Here at Keeley Hire we know how important it is to source the ideal objects to dress stages and to enable actors to bring stories to life. Without these items, it is often hard for audiences to fully engage with shows, no matter how fantastic the acting and plots are.

That’s why we operate a superb prop store that is brimming with objects that could be perfect for you. By searching our website, you shouldn’t struggle to find just what you need.

Property you can trust

Of course, it’s vital that you can trust the theatre property you use in your production. The last thing you want is to spend your money on offerings that look substandard. Also, it’s important that the items don’t simply fall apart when your actors are in the limelight and the public glare is upon them.

Over the years, we’ve supplied objects to the film, TV and theatre industries. We’ve even supplied stage property to West End and touring plays, as well as to numerous amateur theatrical groups.

An array of options

Also, thanks to the sheer number and range of items we stock, you shouldn’t struggle to find what you’re after. We have one of the largest collections of props you’re likely to come across anywhere. Indeed, at the moment we have more than half a million items available.

To find out more about what we have to offer and to see whether we could help your production to shine, just take a look around our website. You can also get in touch with our friendly and professional team over the phone or by email.

To this end, it is clear to see that a science fiction theme would be a great choice for a party. Certainly, the vast number of exotic and elaborate costume choices available is reason enough for having one (Princess Leia in ‘Return of the Jedi’, anyone?). Indeed, having Imperial storm troopers, Klingon warriors, Timelords, Jedis, Federation officers and Cybermen all in the same space-time continuum is surely a mouth-watering prospect for any pseudo-geek.

Furthermore, the fact that movie props can now be hired for very competitive rates also ensures that any sci-fi party venue can be made to look truly out-of-this-world. Certainly, the addition of generic sci-fi props like moon rocks and rocket ships alongside Star Trek and Star Wars props and characters really would ensure that such a party would be remembered for a long, long time – even in a galaxy far, far away…

However, it is fair to say that, even with the greatest enthusiasm in the world, these productions are not always blessed with much in the way of decoration and sets. In fact, it is often left to the generous efforts of the art department to create a few sheet-painted backdrops and papier-mâché visual aids to help transport the audience’s and actors’ imaginations to a far off land.

Naturally, this does little to help fire the kids’ enthusiasm or develop their love for stage acting.

Happily, it is now possible to hire high-quality, professional looking theatre props for prices that won’t dent the English department’s budget. Indeed, we here at Keeley Hire have a vast selection of props available for hire so you can be sure that we will have affordable solutions at hand for whatever production your school is putting on.

So, regardless of whether you need believable looking guns for a contemporary drama production or medieval props for a Shakespeare play, you can be sure that you will be able to source them all from us here at Keeley Hire.

Call us now on 01992 464040 to find out more.

Unlike a normal bash, a theme party will create an immediate camaraderie amongst your guests. Certainly, having people milling around in costume and eating themed food can help to make your fun occasion feel a lot more special.

Of course, there are an almost infinite number of themes for parties to choose from. Usually, the best way forward is to pick a theme which the majority of your guests will enjoy engaging with. For example, themes like ‘Hollywood superstars’, ‘I love the 80s’ and ‘Pirates’ are all good options as they enable attendees to immediately get in to the spirit of things.

Furthermore, the use of party props can help to make your special occasion feel extra-special.  Indeed, good quality props will not only help to make your venue look cool; they will also encourage your guests to further embrace the theme of the occasion and really let their hair down.

Call us now on 01992 464040 to find out more.

Of course, one of the best ways to cheer up your youngster is to have a party. However, if your little one has had an especially tough time recently, you will more than likely want to throw them a bash that will be so magical it will reinvigorate their child-like sense of wonder.

Happily, this can be easily achieved.

Indeed, we here at Keeley Hire have an unrivalled catalogue of party props which are perfect for creating truly magical events and occasions. For example, if your special little boy is one of the many young lads who aspire to be Captain Jack Sparrow, we can provide you with a wealth of pirate-related props that will turn your party venue into a fully-fledged corsair’s playground. In fact, with our pirate treasure chests, cannons, palm trees and boats providing the backdrop, your young scallywag and his pirate-pals will soon forget about the business of being ill and instead get on with the far more important business of raising hell and making scurvy dogs walk the plank!

So, if you want to reinvigorate the magic in your little one’s life, make us here at Keeley Hire your first port of call.

For example, if the person you’re throwing the party for has a nostalgia for the ‘glam-rock’ era of their youth, you could throw them a party where the guests come dressed in period costumes to a venue which is decorated with props from the 1970’s. These could range from Chopper bikes and giant Rubiks cubes to full-size R2D2s and K-9s.

Or, if your young-at-heart birthday boy or girl has a great fondness for the glitz and glamour of the golden age of Hollywood, you could create an Oscars type party where everybody ‘looks a million bucks’. Indeed, with glamorously attired guests milling around Hollywood props like giant ‘Oscar’ statues, movie spotlights and of course, the essential red carpet, the evening will be as successful as Ben Hur was in 1959.

If this sounds like a great idea but you are not sure how to go about it then get in touch with us here at Keeley Hire. Nobody knows more about party props than us so we will soon help you plan the perfect themed party for your special recipient.

All that is well known – the viewing public sees evidence of it each time they go to the cinema or watch a new DVD at home. What most people don’t know is that the kind of fantastic props used by the big names in European and American cinema are available to hire. It is perfectly possible for amateur dramatic societies, event organisers, and even the people involved in school plays to get access to movie props of the highest big-screen quality.

At Keeley Hire we supply film makers with all kinds of props. The people in question might be students creating their very first short film or established names busy with a much-anticipated big-budget epic. Our props were used in Neil Gaiman’s Stardust, in Gladiator with Russell Crowe, and in the 2001 Harry Potter movie to name just a few, but we also offer our wares to others who might want to create a visual impact of their own. You can even hire our props for a themed party or a school fete.

Naturally we have a huge collection of Wild West props, from wagon wheels to snarling wolves to the barrels that decorate the street in almost every western movie. We can even provide a complete saloon frontage. Here are a few tips for making the most effective Wild West scene:

-Don’t make your cowboys too clean. The best and most authentic westerns conjure up an atmosphere of dirt, dust, and hard frontier life. Make your characters look a little sweaty and grimy.

-Every western needs horses. Don’t make the mistake of using a comedy pantomime horse in a serious production. It can bring down the whole look and feel of the show. You can always suggest horses with a judiciously placed western-style saddle hanging on a rail, and if you want to go further we have a beautiful collection of life-size fiberglass horses to place in the background.

-If you need to create an indoor scene, rain barrels and hay bales won’t work so well but there are other stage props that will. Try a line of old liquor bottles on a shelf and a mounted bear or buffalo head for period colour.

With recent Hollywood movies starring the likes of Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr and the BBC’s hit Sherlock adaption, he is enjoying a special burst in popularity right now. That means it’s the perfect time to include Conan Doyle’s themes in your own plays, and Holmes-themed parties are also very much in vogue at the moment.

Creating your own Sherlock Holmes event is easy. At Keeley we’re event prop hire specialists and we have a particular interest in the Victorian period. After all, the company was established as early as 1830. That’s no less than 7 years before Queen Victoria ascended to the throne. We have provided props for a wide variety of period dramas, from Little Dorrit to Sleepy Hollow.

Aside from the widely recognised deerstalker hat and curvy calabash pipe for the man himself, the key to creating a successful Sherlock Holmes scene is Victorian ambience. When looking for the right theatre props think starched nurses pushing elaborate cast iron prams, gentlemen in dignified hats and frock coats, tradesmen hawking their wares from hand carts, grubby street urchins in flat caps, and ornate police lamps set into walls.