Okay, I have a critical party hosting tip for you. Let me share one of my secrets: entertain the children! If the kids are happy, the parents can relax.
I had a crafts table at the party — I’d printed out free coloring sheets of women in saris, elephants, mehndi patterns, etc, with crayons and colored pencils. Also a fun flower-making kit (from PaperSource, I think). The party went really well, and I think a lot of that is because I designed it (and our anniversary party too), to have lots of fun activities for small and not-so-small children.
I think this is key — if you’re going to have parents of small kids at a big party, and you want them to be able to enjoy the party, you have to make sure the small kids are safe and entertained.
The Oak Park Conservatory was a perfect space, because it was contained enough to be safe for them to run around, with koi pond and parrots for extra amusement (and an outdoor play space, even). And the activities — face paint and balloons and henna and crafts table, plus easy-to-grab bites that the kids could help themselves to, plus music to dance to, kept the kids happy for hours.
We didn’t manage to hire a face painter in time, but as I’d hoped, the $20 face painting kit I found online was immediately claimed and used by one of Kavi’s teen friends to decorate the children. It came with lots of templates so even a novice to face painting could use it successfully — link in comments.
I’d planned to have a bubble machine set up too, but alas, the one I had from before turned out to be broken, and I didn’t have time to get another. But it would’ve been fun AND made for great pictures. And we didn’t do sparklers, because we were finishing before it got dark, but we did them at our anniversary party, and they were a big hit and ALSO made for great pictures.
And yes, you COULD have a big party and not invite people with kids (or tell them to leave the kids at home, with a possibly expensive sitter), but where is the fun in that? You’ll be missing out on a lot of laughter and joy if you do.
I mean, I love a curated event, with an elegant theme, etc., but if you’re bringing a community together, if it’s at all possible, I’d argue for bringing the WHOLE community.
Here endeth the lesson. 
