Princesses are Brave
How To Plan a Princess Party
Enchanted Empowerment has created over 500 parties over the last 11 years! Here are some general tips and tricks, as well as answers to frequent questions. Never hesitate to reach out to us at brianna@enchantedempowerment.com with any questions at any time!
How Do I Start Planning?
Kid's parties can feel overwhelming, but they don't have to be! We have helped host hundreds of parties and have it narrowed down to 5 easy steps!
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1. DECIDE YOUR THEME
What movie does your child watch on loop? When playing pretend, who does she pretend to be the most? Which movie has the empowering message you like the most? This should help you decide which character to invite!
2. BOOK YOUR ENTERTAINMENT
We HIGHLY recommend booking entertainment before a venue if the character is the most important part of your party. There are a lot more kids' party venues than character companies in the area! We almost always have availability if you are flexible on time, because we have a large service area and may be coming from up to 50 miles away!
3. CHOOSE YOUR VENUE
Does your home have a fairly open space for the princess to lead activities? Does the public venue have a private party space so the princess isn't mobbed by people who aren't your guests? These are some things to consider before choosing where to host!
4. USE ENCHANTED EMPOWERMENT'S FREE INVITATIONS
We always recommend preparing your child and her guests for the character's arrival, and there's no better way to do this than our character-specific invitations that you can email, text, or print to all of your guests!
5. ORDER A CAKE, SNACKS, ADDITIONAL DECORATIONS IF YOU'D LIKE, AND RELAX!
It's our honor to have the rest covered! All you need is a camera for all the memories!
Do You Facepaint?
Before opening Enchanted Empowerment, our owner Brianna worked for 5 years at another princess company that offered facepainting. Even with all that practice, she never improved enough to be comfortable doing it professionally! If you are hoping for the children to have some sort of visual memory of the party, we are happy to offer our glitter makeovers (similar to those seen at glitter bars) and our crafts which they may take home! You can also ask us about our goodie bag add-ons!
I Can't Wait to Surprise My Child with Her Favorite Character!
In our 10 years of experience in the character performing industry, we have noticed approximately 90% of children who did not know the character was coming will be overwhelmed and shy upon arrival of the character. Only 50% of surprised children warm up to the performer by the end of the event. We estimate that 90% of overwhelmed children would have adjusted more quickly if they had been given time to prepare for meeting their hero. For this reason, we STRONGLY encourage you to NOT surprise your child with our appearance. If you wish to surprise your child, we suggest telling them the morning of your event that a character will be coming. Our character-specific invitations are a great way to build excitement!
I REALLY Want More than 30 Minutes with the Princess, but My Party is Outside!
We have a solution! First, let us explain: For the safety of our performers, we can only do 30 minutes outside at a time. Our costumes are made of high quality (IE thick and heavy!) fabrics such as velvet and brocade. Our wigs are similar in thickness to a wool hat, and many of them cover the back of our necks all the way to our shoulderblades! Even in popular theme parks, each performer only stays outdoors for 30 minutes at a time before taking a break.
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However we have workaround options:
If you have the flexibility to move one or more activities inside, we can do a longer package and split the time! You can send children one by one indoors for photo opportunities, or sing happy birthday at the kitchen table, for example.
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If your party ends by 11:30 AM or begins after 5 PM, we can stay longer as the temperatures aren't usually dangerous at that time.
Additionally, depending on the character of your choice we MAY be able to work with you to find a costume variant that could allow us to stay outdoors for up to 40-45 minutes. Our Royal Treatment package is not permitted to be fully outdoors.
When Should I Book?
We generally book 4-6 weeks out! For the most flexibility, we recommend booking 8 weeks out, but we can book as far as 6 months out!
When Should the Princess Arrive?
We recommend the princess arrive 15-30 minutes after the scheduled party start time in case some guests are late. You know how unpredictable traffic in this area can be! You also know your guests best, so use what you know of your invited families to decide if 15 or 30 minutes is a better fit!
What Does the Princess Need when she Arrives?
We pride ourselves on being as self-contained as possible! We need a wide open space so the children can move around, and if the character is in a big hoop skirt, perhaps some space for her to navigate between the furniture!
What Age is Best? Will Boys be Engaged?
We generally recommend our parties for ages 3-6, but you know your child best! We are happy to adjust our activities for any age; just let us know the guest of honor's age beforehand so we can make it developmentally appropriate!
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While we all know most boys are unlikely to invite a princess to their party, they're almost always thrilled to be a guest at one, especially boys 4 and under!
There seems to be something magical about being acknowledged and seen by an adult. This usually encourages them to participate, even if they aren't usually what's considered to be the "standard princess audience"!
Are You Insured/Background Checked?
Yes! Our performers work in educational settings and are background checked. We are also trained in a variety of requirements for the Virginia education system, such as first aid. We have full liability insurance and are happy to add any venue as "additionally insured" on our COIs with 5+ business days notice.
Can We Change the Layout of Activities?
Absolutely! We are 100% child-directed in terms of the length of activities. We always bring at least one backup activity in case a planned activity isn't engaging for the particular crowd. Please feel free to inform us about your child's interests and your vision for the party so we can work together to make it princess-perfect!
What Other Activities Should I Plan?
If your heart is set on face painting, we highly recommend booking a professional face painter! Ask us for our recommendations based on your location! There are plenty of places that plan additional activities like pottery or paint businesses, or trampoline parks! We recommend allowing the character to be the focus at her allotted time, however. We offer a variety of package lengths for this purpose!
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In our 10+ years of experience, characters cannot compete with the presence of a bouncy house. There is always one child more interested in bouncing than the princess, and they generally make the other children feel pressured to bounce as well. Plus, the fans and generators are often LOUD!
While our characters will try their best to interact with the guests regardless of other activities, we cannot force attendees to ignore a bounce house. Our performers cannot enter a bounce house for liability reasons, as well as for potential damage to our costumes and wigs. We recommend un-inflating the bounce house for the duration of the character's visit to ensure you have the best character experience! In fact, re-inflating the bounce house at the end of a character's visit is a great way to ease the disappointment of a character's departure!
Can Ariel be a Mermaid at My Party?
In our 10+ years of experience, Ariel walking around at a party as a mermaid creates confusion and disappointment in children. We also find that walking in the long tail is difficult and creates a safety hazard for the performer as well as children following her. It also is subject to more wear and tear than our ballgown costumes, as the fin pieces completely touch the ground.
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Ariel's stunning teal ballgown is the same style as she wears in the theme parks, and is also pictured in the most commonly available princess party supplies such as plates and napkins. Its twirl and sparkle are unparalled, and we promise that we've never had a child be disappointed or disbelieving of Ariel in her ballgown!
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We try to have Ariel as a mermaid available at least once a year at public events! Ask us about our plans!
How Do You Accommodate Children with Special Needs?
Please inform us of your child's needs at least 24 hours before the party so we can make appropriate adjustments. Accommodations we provide include BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: reduced volume of music, more sensitive/less overwhelming interactions, no hugs, different games or crafts, no activities provided and simply following the child's interest, etc. We also have accommodations for our public events; just ask and we will let you know your options!