A BAT MITZVAH signals a young woman's coming of age-but that doesn't mean she can't still act like a kid sometimes. Ronni Kahn Event Designs created a vibrant Candyland for a recent bat mitzvah in Sydney, Australia. The theme kicked off with the invitation-a huge lollipop wrapped in cellophane and tied with green and orange satin ribbons. The invitation itself appeared on a green circular disk on one side of the lollipop, with an orange reply card on the other. A clown in full costume hand-delivered the invitations.

The venue-Sydney's Luna Park, a former fairground now used as a function center-signaled it was time to play. Guests could ride a giant Ferris wheel while enjoying cocktails.

The planners faced the challenge of keeping the vast space from overwhelming the event. To scale down the 22-foot ceiling, yellow, green and blue airtubes from Venice, California-based Air Dimensional Design were strung and interwoven 13 feet above the floor, creating a colorful new "ceiling."

A 6 1/2-foot pinwheel lollipop in the center of each of the 22 dining tables acted as the pivot for a carousel hoop of cascading ribbons, which pooled around a color-coordinated floral arrangement. Orange and yellow satin covered the chairs, while a multicolored candy cane held a mix of blue, orange and yellow napkins in place. Each foodstation was designed and painted to reflect the party atmosphere and the style of food being offered, including Asian and Middle Eastern.

How sweet it was! -L.H.