A Birthday to Never Forget
- lilykayethorpe
- Jul 25, 2020
- 4 min read
Monique Reeves and her 5-year-old daughter, Vivian, sat in the back of their pick-up truck with lawn chairs and posters hanging off the side, as neighbors and friends stood in their driveways to celebrate Vivian on her special day.
Just days before, Monique posted on Facebook asking if her fellow neighbors would be willing to participate in a birthday parade for Vivian.
“I thought, let’s put her in the truck and drive her around like a homecoming queen,” Monique said.
The response was overwhelming, and neighbors they have never even meet were there to wish Vivian a happy birthday.
Vivian is one of the many kids who will go without a birthday party during the current quarantine orders placed by the Center for Disease Control. On March 15th, all social gatherings of 10 or more people were strongly encouraged to postpone to a later date. With stay-at-home orders in place over the last few weeks, many are limited to interact with those only in their household.
While most people are unable to celebrate these milestones with friends and extended family, many businesses have adapted their strategies in unique ways to help elevate at-home celebrations.
Dallas balloon artist, Jill Berger, is the owner of Lushra, a balloon vendor that creates installations for many different events.
When COVID-19 canceled most events, Berger pivoted her business to market toward celebrating at home. She launched the internet campaign, “#partywithlushra,” to advertise the DIY kits Lushra offers online.
Clients can customize their balloon mix or select a premade kit to fit their party style.
“During this time, people are more willing to give DIY projects a try,” Berger said. “After they do, they realize how simple a 10-foot balloon garland is and what a big difference it makes to the space.”
Along with the DIY kits, Lushra continues to offer contactless balloon installations for local clients who are looking to add an extra pop to their day.
“Transitioning back to events will be slow and gradual, and these at-home events will remain popular for a while,” Berger said.
An event planner in Dallas is also using this time to leverage different aspects of her business.
Macy Pulliam is the owner of Social Llama Events, an event styling company that plans events from small birthday parties to large corporate gatherings.
At the beginning of the stay-at-home orders, Pulliam took some time off before planning how she would expand an area of her business she has meant to bring attention to.
“I didn’t want to create something that was just for COVID, I still wanted it to make sense with our brand,” Pulliam said.
With that in mind, Pulliam created a birthday candle and party hat yard structure that stands several feet tall.
“Having the sculpture allowed us to pivot our business easier than if I were just an event planner” Pulliam said.
Having these options for her business is essential, Pulliam said, because she believes that it will be these intimate at-home gatherings that pull the event industry through this time.
One company that has not had to pivot their business as much during this time is North Texas Yard Greetings.
Breanna Scalley offers custom yard signs that can spell out almost anything in your front yard. They install the signs the night before your event and take them down the following evening.
“We are completely hands-off with our business. The only contact we have with a client is over the phone,” Scalley said.
Since the beginning of the stay-at-home order, their business has gotten to be about 300% busier.
Scalley and her husband are the ones usually doing the installations, but with the volume of orders they have received, they have added ten people to their team.
With people planning drive-by parades for birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers, and much more, the signage brings an extra element of fun for the entire household.
“It’s not just ‘happy birthday’ but the signs include your name and little elements that reflect your interest,” Scalley said. “Business is continuing to boom, and I could not be more thankful during these times.”
Jamie Hayes ordered a sign from North Texas Yard Greetings to celebrate the 11th birthday of her daughter, Jaidyn.
Early on, Jamie knew a birthday party was not possible, so like Monique did for Vivian, she planned a birthday drive-by parade for Jaidyn.
The parade started when the Tarrant County Sheriff, Officer Sawyer, used his patrol car radio to call Jaidyn out of her house.
“That’s the only time you’ll want an officer calling you out by name from your house,” Jamie said.
Officer Sawyer was followed by all of Jaidyn's friends hanging out their car windows to celebrate her. They passed treats, gifts, and cards out the window from a safe distance.
During these times, it is easy to forget the importance of celebrating the ones we love.
Business in the event industry recognizes the need to make these at-home celebrations extra special. Maybe it is not the extravagant party some dream of, but there are still ways to incorporate your friends and family in your day to shine.
Jaidyn's party was one to remember, and she, along with many others who had a birthday over the last few weeks, will never forget this birthday.
“Of course, I was by the side just in tears with all of the kindness surrounding Jaidyn,” Jamie said. “I think in the end, this was better than any party she could have had.”
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