In the end it was the chattering of the staff, and the clinking of glasses & silverware that got me.
My eyes swelled with tears.
I looked at my husband & said ‘this is what I miss most. The noise, the clatter, the anticipation of all of us coming together to create ‘something’.‘
He looked at me, shook his head and went back to preparing the boxwood wall we had custom designed for our client. I took a deep breath, wiped my tears and got back to the job at hand.
You see, I’m a Live Event Decorator. For over 35 years (16 of them under our ownership) our company has decorated events large & small all throughout Metro Atlanta.
On March 12, 2020 with a warehouse full of decor prepped & ready for a weekend of events, our world came to a screeching halt. Our cell phone started singing with text and email alerts. Suddenly venues were closed, synagogue services cancelled and almost all of our events for the next three weeks, poof. Gone.
By Monday our entire calendar had cleared out until December.
After a few days of trying to figure out WHAT we could do, we put on our thinking caps and created new methods of revenue. We started delivering balloons to people’s front porches and yards. We brought joy to those quarantined at home but still wanting to celebrate.
And we were busy. Not like before, but still busy. And thankful. Thankful for Angel clients & friends who hired us to send cheer to their friends. Hired us to invest in US.
In June clients started hosting home parties. We designed one party and brought in linens, and rentals and helped the client hire the right planner & caterer. It felt good. Really good.
We spent the next months delivering small balloon & floral pieces all the while looking to the future with hope. Hope that one day we would celebrate together again.
Our industry around the world has been rocked to its core. While events & weddings even are being held via Zoom, it’s just not the same as an in person live event. We’ve watched in sadness as our friends have had to close their businesses and we ourselves are struggling to keep our business afloat.
So imagine my joy as we were booked for an indoor event- an actual full service luncheon- one where we spent the week leading up to it creating custom pieces and hiring other vendors for our client. There it was, the adrenaline, the stress, the joy of preparation for a special celebration. I barely slept the night before, not from fear but from excitement & joy of preparing for a larger event. Something I hadn’t done since March.
We loaded in and started to set up, and then….There it was, the clink of the glasses & Silverware and the chattering of staff. And the tears. I didn’t know what I missed most until it wasn’t there any more.
So cheers to my fellow Live Event industry friends!
Cheers to the clink of the glasses & Silverware and the chattering of staff. It’s the core of what Live Events are made of and may we all hear it again more often SOON!
