Fairy Godmother makes birthday dreams come true
When Julie Martin was planning her daughter’s birthday party years ago, she struggled for original ideas.
“I was looking for something different to do,” Martin said. She soon discovered princess parties, parties featuring young women who dressed up as fairytale princesses for birthdays and events. She found these companies in cities like Houston and Dallas, but nothing like this existed in Shreveport.
With a background in sales and marketing, Martin established Shreveport Princess Parties six years ago. She began with the Fairy Godmother, who she portrays at the parties, and Cinderella. She now has more than 25 young women working for her as princesses, as well as a staff. Martin credits word of mouth and social media for her company’s growth.
“I’ve got a lot of really loyal moms.
They tell everyone about us,” Martin said.
Traditional princess parties entail a visit from the Fairy Godmother and a princess, as well as story time, fashion shows, manicures, dress up and makeovers. Party-goers can even create their own lip gloss.
“I have moms with daughters that are aging out of princesses,” Martin said. Shreveport Princess Parties offers other kinds of parties for different age group, like spa parties and cheer parties.
“We’ll pretty much do whatever they want,” Martin said. With 13 different princesses, super heroes and mascotsuit-style characters like Mickey and Minnie Mouse paired with a supply of decor, Shreveport Princess Parties offers a variety of options to parents.
Their main goal is to take the stress away from party planning.
“We do all the work for the moms. All they have to do is bring the cake,” Martin said. She wants the parents to be able to enjoy the party and relax.
The business puts on a large-scale event once a month, like the Ariel’s Under the Sea Ball and the Snow Sisters Tea Party. At Rapunzel’s Light Up the Night Ball, every family receives an LED-lit balloon to release into the sky. As they send the lights, the parents are able to make a wish for their children.
“As all the balloons release together, it’s really a cool moment,” Martin said. The large-scale events are similar to a wedding reception, Martin said. The events allow the entire family to dress up and step into a fairytale together.
Some of Shreveport Princess Parties’ upcoming events include the Frozen Fever Birthday Party on May 31 at Pierremont Oaks Country Club. Tickets are $90 for a mother/daughter ticket. Also, The Fairy Godmother’s Royal Father Daughter Ball will be held 7 p.m. July 25. The cost is $85 for a father/daughter ticket.
Shreveport Princess Parties also gives back to the community through free events. Princesses will visit restaurants like Chick-fil-A and Ralph & Kacoo’s for meet-and-greets. They also work with Pay it Forward Networking, a nonprofit organization who grants wishes to children facing adversity, such a disease or disability. Martin said these events are important because they allow children who may not be able to afford a princess party or a trip to Walt Disney World to meet princesses.
“We can create something that everyone can enjoy,” she said.
The parties are more than just makeovers with a beautiful princess, Martin said. They are also lessons for girls.
“There are a lot of different things you can take from a fairytale, like teaching girls to be who they are. We talk about how princesses act. Princesses are good friends. They are sweet. We make all the little girls feel like a princess and feel like someone special.”
These lessons in character align with how Martin chooses her princesses.
“You can find a beautiful girl anywhere, but I want my girls to be genuine, sweet, and good role models,” Martin said. She looks for young women with pageant experience and childcare experience.
“I don’t have to look far,” Martin said. “I have a really good group right now.”
The Snow Queen and Snow Sister, inspired by Anna and Elsa of Disney’s Frozen, are in highest demand now for parties, Martin said. Shreveport Princess Parties has three sets of young women portraying the sisters, and they are booked nearly every weekend. Martin said she’s starting to see the traditional princesses come back in style, like Cinderella.
The company’s event venue and boutique, Wishes, sells children’s clothes and offers a space for parties. The princesses’ gowns are displayed throughout the boutique, all created by their own royal dressmaker, Wanda Becomb, a friend of Martin’s.
“She loves rhinestones. I’ll have an idea of what I want, and it will come back super sparkly,” she said.
With branch locations in Alexandria and Lafayette, Shreveport Princess Parties continues to grow. Martin is considering opening a location in Longview, Texas, and she’s added the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to their character lineup.
“It’s fun,” she said. “There’s a lot of preparation, but it’s fun. As long as I’m having fun, I’m happy to do it. It’s about making those memories and making it really special for the kids.”
For information on Shreveport Princess Parties, visit shreveportprincessparties.com.
–Tara Bullock
