Tagging the ‘it’ girl of kiddie parties

PRISTINE Pascual says every day is a learning process. Photo by Little people photography

Pristine Carmona-Pascual is the party “It” girl. The idea of adding a touch of elegance to children’s parties first occurred to her when she was preparing for the first birthday of her son in 2010.

Pristine wanted a carnival-themed party.

“I envisioned the venue to be styled elegantly without losing the ‘fun’ quality.  However, parties back then were usually decorated with huge Styrofoam backdrops, ceilings covered with balloons of all colors. Sometimes, swags would hang when the ceiling was low, making your venue felt confined. That was the norm then,” she says.

COMING up with unique ideas, like a “You are my sunshine”-themed party, is Pristine’s forte. Photo by Little people photography

In the end, she decided to style the party herself. Her family and friends loved what she came up with.

“From then on, I have had friends asking for my help in styling their own parties,” she says.

Pristine knew that she could make a living styling children’s parties. Words of encouragement pushed her to turn the hobby into a money-making endeavor.

“When I finally had the courage to go for it, the next step was to find people I could sell my idea to and who would actually buy it,” she says.

PRISTINE has the full support of husband Herbert (left), from the time she hatched the idea of setting up Party Please. Photo by Little people photography

“I first spoke to my husband, Herbert, about my plans. He gave me his full support and committed to look after our son on days I need to work,” she says, explaining that, after all, she still is a hands-on mom. “As soon as he gave me his ‘go-signal’ I sought advice from my dad who has a good eye for business and has tons of innovative ideas. I am also blessed to have really good friends who have established their own businesses and are more experienced. They were glad to give me advice.”

On Sept. 29, 2011, the eve of her birthday, Pristine decided to take the plunge. She brought to life her brainchild, “Party Please.” Her vision: To transform how parties looked, one event at a time.

Asked where the name and concept came from, she says, “Party Please came from the American endearment expression ‘pretty please, with a cherry on top!’ Used more by children when they try to get something they really want by using their charms. Party Please is an invitation to prospective clients for my company to make their events fun and elegant, promising to go the extra mile in our services, hence the tagline, ‘styling your party with a cherry on top!’”

IT IS the simple touches that make all the difference in parties. Pristine says that a crooked bow will not escape her discerning eye. Photo by Little people photography

It’s been a roller-coaster ride ever since. But Pristine, who graduated from the University of Asia and the Pacific with a degree in Management, says that every day is a learning process. After all, nobody and nothing is perfect. At the very least, she says, she gets to take home valuable lessons at the end of each party.

One of the challenges she hurdled was dealing with anonymity.

“Nobody knew who I was, what I could do and what Party Please is all about. I had to find a way to get into the party scene and deem myself worthy of the trust of prospective clients. What made it even more difficult was the fact that there were other known stylists in the industry who have been around longer and whose works have been celebrated,” she says.

Yet she ventured on. In time, her work spoke for itself. With enough zeal and topnotch work ethic, Pristine forged a name for herself.

ONE OF her favorites is the Sesame Street party minus Elmo’s face in every nook and cranny. Photo by Little people photography

The clients came in trickles at first. Later, her schedule started to fill up.

“After two years of really just sticking it out and praying for a break, I’m happy to say that Party Please is getting more attention now. I continue to thank the Lord for the grace He has given me and all the opportunities that He has opened for the company,” Pristine says.

She has an eye for detail, bordering on obsession, and no crooked bow can escape her discerning eye.

“There are some aspects of the whole design process that I can delegate to my staff, but mostly, I’m very much hands on. I make sure everything looks perfect. You will see me in every event, personally arranging table centerpieces, adjusting photos, making sure everything goes as planned. This is also why we do not double book [events] on the same day,” she narrates.

WITH Sesame Street firmly in mind, the party planner sets out to do her thing, using rectangular tables, instead of the usual round ones, to attain the rustic street vibe. Photo by Little people photography

With her desire to always give 200 percent of herself to each event, she often feels she has not done enough.

“I have learned that last minute bookings limit me. Not only am I restricting myself, I also add stress to my suppliers, limiting their capacity as well,” she says.

But through it all, Pristine has learned to just sit back and enjoy the show.

Last New Year’s Eve, while counting the hours to the new year, Pristine recalled what happened in 2013 and realized that it had been a good year for Parties Please. She had an event every month. It was not bad for a company whose initial funding came from her own “save-it-for-a-rainy-day stash.”

“Comparing 2013 with the years 2011 and 2012, when we struggled to close deals, I couldn’t help but acknowledge how God has carried us through the year. I knew there was so much more in store for us in 2014,” she quips.

Now, Pristine is looking forward to a future brimming with hope and fervor. She has already devised an attack plan for 2014: “For Party Please to constantly find new ways to dress up events and improve our craft.”

She also hopes that by the end of each party, her clients, their families and friends will take away with them treasured memories to last them a lifetime. That, she says, is the company’s primary goal.

Her team of six, who is with her in every event and whom she considers an extension of her family, shares the same passion to make parties more memorable and creative.

Asked about her favorite event, she replies, “I have many favorites, but what stands out in my mind is the Sesame Street-themed party we did last January.”

For that event, she created a  “street party” ambience and called it Mateo’s Street Party.

“To achieve the rustic street vibe, we made use of rectangular tables instead of the usual round ones. You’d find a pot of herb, a chalkboard fact sheet of the celebrant and a crate of kropek as munchies on each table. The stage featured a custom-made school bus and [convenience] store as the prize booth. A brick wall showcased the photos of the celebrant. It was such a fun yet challenging party to plan for and design.”

Her son, Ethan Mikhailo, celebrated his second birthday. It was an intimate celebration with only 20 guests. Pristine thought of the theme, “You are my Sunshine.”

“We hung light blue buntings and yellow pompoms from the ceiling, and fixed up a small dessert table where his cake had a matching bunting topper with his name on it, cupcakes with customized toppers and cupcake sleeves as well. I also printed out and framed lines from the song, and placed them on guest tables together with yellow flower arrangements as centerpieces. Pinwheels were also part of each table setting and used as place cards. The cherry on top was the use of the laced table runners to tie everything together into one cohesive whole,” she says.

Hoping that the sun will always shine her way, Pristine looks forward to more parties she can transform and, in turn, usher in more bright memories for her clients.

Having a party? You can reach Party Please at [email protected]. She’s also on facebook: www.facebook.com/partiesbypartyplease