Meet Vanessa Garcia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Garcia.

Hi Vanessa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have always been the Party Planner for my family and friends for as long as I can remember. It really started all the way back when I turned 15, my Quinceañera, I witnessed all the hard work, sleepless nights making decorations, the time and effort my family put into making my special day unforgettable, and it was! Even after all the hard work, I fell in love with process, the planning, and being able to put a flawless event together, I was hooked! I would volunteer myself to plan Birthday Parties, Baby showers, I even planned my whole wedding from beginning to end. It became my dream to become an Event Planner. But, I put my dream on hold to be a wife and a Mother and follow my husband around with the Marine Corps. So after 20 years and six duty stations later moving all over the world, my husband retired and we FINALLY put down roots in Austin, Tx. My husband said it was my turn, and I am now turning my dream into reality. Sweet and Classy Events started out slow, and I did many events for free, with little to no money just to gain exposure. Owning a business is hard, it is easier said than done, hard work, long hours, many sleepless nights, and people don’t see the blood, sweat and tears. I have to remind myself I am human, so I do get stressed out, I get overwhelmed, and I have bad days, but I am determined, this is my dream, my passion and I will not give up. I have learned so much along the way, and I will continue to learn and grow. I am now booked out for all of October, I am doing Private Events such as Baby Showers, Birthday Parties, and even more community events like City Festivals and High School Homecomings. This is just the beginning for me and I can’t wait to see where this business is going to take me.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not all been sunshine and rainbows, there has been a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Our original plan after my husband retired was to open up a venue or a banquet hall, but with COVID that definitely put a hold on our plan and so we had to redirect and make some tough choices and changes. I think one of the biggest struggles for me is that right now I am a one women show, I do all the planning and coordinating, the marketing, inventory and ordering all the supplies, designing, I blow up each and every balloon and make the custom balloon garlands and arches. Another struggle that I believe affects me and my family is working from home. I have definitely taken over our home, my guest room is my office, my loft is my workspace, but as I have gotten busier, I have started to outgrow my space. I have to remind myself, baby steps, and all businesses started out small, but I am determined, my business is my dream, my goal, and my passion, I will not give up. Having a place for my business is next.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We offer party rentals, backdrops, custom party decorations and our most popular, custom balloon decorations. Decorating enhances your event which makes your celebration more festive, memorable, and meaningful. Our organic balloon garlands are the perfect centerpiece for any photo op or sweet table. We also provide neon signs and marquee numbers which enhances any evening event. Also, I believe, customizing your party decors gives your event a personalized touch, so I make custom acrylic welcome signs, I can personalize your balloons with any message, and I make T-shirt’s and koozies for party favors. At Sweet and Classy Events, we understand how stressful and time consuming planning an event can be, so additionally we offer party planning services but most importantly the day of your event, we all need a day of coordinator, I LOVE stepping in and making sure my clients event goes as smooth as possible, executing their plan and making their dream into reality.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Ok, this is a great question, in one of the last questions I mentioned me, myself, and I but I HAVE to give my husband and my two sons credit also. Not only for supporting me and believing in my dream, but they have been by my side on my journey. First of all, they have sacrificed parts of our home for me, they go with me to most of my installations and help me set up. My husband has been my muscle, my assistant, my woodworker, and I think being in the military he takes orders pretty well. He makes my backdrops, marquee letters and other props, he helps me bring my vision to reality. I have to give him credit when sometimes I’m stumped out of ideas, he comes behind me, has the better idea, creates something but no one’s knows, and he lets me take all the credit. He served 20 years in the Marine Corps and he planned and organized several Marine Corps Balls, so he might get embarrassed because I’m saying this but he is a GREAT event planner/coordinator. And although my family is my biggest supporter, my biggest influencer @houstonwehaveaparty, her floral backdrops are flawless, her balloon garlands are amazing and her Instagram is captivating. She motivates and empowers other businesses to be successful and she offers classes and gives all her tips and tricks to help women achieve their goals.

Contact Info:

• Email: sweetandclassyevents@gmail.com
• Website: www.sweetandclassyevents.com
• Instagram: @sweetandclassyevents
• Facebook: @sweetandclassyevents