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A father is defending his decision to throw his daughter a nearly $39,000 third birthday party after critics said the affair was unnecessarily extravagant.

Eric Lembo and Trang Nguyen, parents in Perth, Australia, threw their daughter, Lauren, a 220-person birthday party last week, according to the Perth Now Sunday Times. “The day wasn’t all about the money,” Lembo said Tuesday, answering those who called the fete “wasteful” and “vulgar.”

The Disney-themed soiree included entertainment from a former Australian Idol contestant, a balloon artist, photo booth, ********’s high tea, and a menu the included tempura scallops, truffle arancini, pork belly, cognac and a Disney cake. Minnie and Mickey Mouse walked around greeting guests. The lavish event, which was held at the reception venue owned by Lembo, had a price tag of $48,195 Australian dollars, according to the paper, which is just about $39,000 USD.

“The Italian and the Vietnamese cultures have a large first birthday so we decided to do it for her second and third birthday as well,” Lembo told Perth Now. “It has really become a party not just for Lauren but for all of my family and friends to get together. That’s very important to me.”

Not surprisingly, little Lauren loved her party. “She thought it was amazing,” Lembo said. “Her face lit up. ”


Eric Lembo plans to throw a similarly extravagant party for Lauren’s fourth birthday.

But comments on the article on and Perth Now’s Facebook page, where the article was shared 324 times and got nearly 2,500 comments, were less impressed. “Even if it cost him a fight of that it is still obscene for a three year old. Or a ten year old. Or a 16 year old,” wrote a commenter named Eric. “They are setting this ***** up to be a spoiled brat.” Another commenter, Val, wrote: “Imagine how many blankets and meal this would have brought for families in need and the homeless.” And from Vicki: “What a waste of money! Imagine how much food that could buy for people who are starving hungry and have no roof over their heads. That party was not about their ***** so much as it was about the parents grandstanding. Shameful display of materialism.”

Some critics said Eric Lembo should have donated the money he spent on the party to charity.

Lembo shot back at his critics on Tuesday, defending his decision and saying that he plans to throw another lavish party for Lauren’s fourth birthday. He told Perth Now that the event was about friends, family, and marketing his event space, not just the price tag. He also said he regularly donates to charity – including footing the bill for a terminally ill cancer patient’s wedding and donating $1,000 lunch vouchers to charity auctions – and that he was proud to be helping the local economy with his pricey party. “One of the comments was that we should send our daughter to a refugee camp so that she can learn the value of money,” Lembo told Perth Now. “That’s very funny because Trang and her whole family came to Australia from a refugee camp.”

Lembo has plenty of supporters on Facebook as well. “Still a ridiculous amount of money for a *****’s birthday party. But, perhaps if we all had money to burn, we’d do the same thing, who knows? Least he is a present father, that clearly loves his *****,” wrote one named Cara. Added Ngaroma, “Stop being judgmental… Their *****, their money however they want to spend it.. Good on them.”

As for next year, Lembo says he can’t wait for Lauren’s big day. “I am going to inject more money back into the community next year, for Lauren’s fourth birthday.”

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40 Answers

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It was a party for the parents and they remembered to invite their toddler.
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There you go - I agree. When people starve all over the world people like this need to be slapped up for showing what pigs they are. A nice healthy income tax would be nice.
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Blah-blah-blah......
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I was correct. You're just another dumb *******. A jealous, dumb ******* at that.
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Blah-blah-blah,....
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Just another dumbass, jealous *******.
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I think what people do with their money is their business and I would be telling those that did not like it where they could go and how to get there. I may not spend my money that way but what others do is up to them.
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lol Do you have that kind of money?
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That is not the point, when folks work **** and achieve wealth in a free society it really is up to them what they do with it. There mistake as is with most young people is blabbering on social media about the party. Kind of like the lotto winner that lets the press take photos and show them with a check. Good way to have new relatives you never had before. People of real wealth play things low key.
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Think of all the starving, homeless people and these people have the gall to spend this.
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They always say that they donate to charity. Sorry - this dumb ******* needs to be taxed at 60% and that's reasonable.
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If you want YOUR money to go to certain places, do so. To say they shouldn't spend theirs the way they want means you think it's your place to dictate how someone else should spend their money.
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It means they don't give a s__t about others. they are probably GOP
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It was a party for the parents and they remembered to invite their toddler.
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100% right
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If it's their money, what's the problem?
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Who can put a price on happiness and if they can afford it I say why not it's their money not mine
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It's their money.
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The only dumb ******** are those that think someone should be taxed more because they spend their money the way the dumb ******** don't like. That's you.
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Seems like over kill for a birthday party for a *****. BUT....he also said he regularly donates to charity – including footing the bill for a terminally ill cancer patient’s wedding and donating $1,000 lunch vouchers to charity auctions – and that he was proud to be helping the local economy with his pricey party.

So he spreads his money around where needed. He can spread it around for little ***** too. Wonder what he'll come up with when she's 16? Who knows? By then ***** may have several ********* and tattoos and giving away her poetic verses on a Perth street corner.
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Wonder what these Australian kids got for their birthday.
australian kids birthday
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It's their money, and they can do what they wish, however, I find it completely unnecessary since a 3 year old isn't even going to remember it anyway.
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Instead of them spending that money on a ***** who will never remember the event, they should give the money to a ********'s charity.
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Again - just another good reason as to why the wealthy need to be taxed at a rate of 60%. Thank you
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So someone does with THEIR money what you don't like so taxing them is the answer?
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Nah - I just want them taxed at 60% in the USA - I don't care what they do after that.
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All you care about is someone that has what you never will have more of it taken than they get to keep. Jealous?
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Wrong - but thanks for commenting.
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Not **** to tell your jealous.
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Then you agree that they should be taxed a lot higher.
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scallops, truffle arancini, pork belly, cognac sounds like an expensive dinner for a wedding not a *****'s 3rd birthday party. A kid that age is just as happy with hotdogs chips and cake...
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Why should they be taxed higher because you disagree with how they spend THEIR money?
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Because gluttony isn't virtuous.
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Neither is jealousy but you practice it regularly.
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I'm not jealous in the least. lol
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You're jealous of people who will have more than you will in a hundred lifetimes even if they had 60% taken.
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Look, I'm all for people paying their fair share in taxes, but I don't even know what they are taxed. The taxes are irrelevant as far as I'm concerned.
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Since it's his commerce to control, and none of our business, then let him be blessed or suffer the consequences of those actions.
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What?
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I think he had an excellent point, it did put money back into the local economy. I think that is what people are missing here.
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