Meet April Cornelius | Balloon Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with April Cornelius and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi April, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I’ve always enjoyed social gatherings, such as parties and events. I’ve always felt that the process and the energy that’s involved with planning the perfect party and event was exciting! Early 2020, during the pandemic, I had a little extra time to put some thought into my goals and at that time decided it was the best time to start my business. Of course, because of my love of parties, my goal was to start an event and party planning business. I soon found out very quickly that professional event planning is a huge responsibility and very hard to pull off as a one-person team. With that realization, I decided to focus on event décor, specifically balloon decorations and party rentals. I purchased whatever online balloon training courses I could afford, along with YouTube, and lots of practice, I eventually decided to launch Events & Bouquets LLC in March 2021.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Events & Bouquets is a Balloon Décor company that specializes in Organic Balloon Services. I offer a variety of options that are great for baby or bridal showers, birthday parties, weddings, popups and so much more!

I am so proud that I decided to just START! The fact that I took an interest of mine and developed it into a skill that can be considered Art is amazing for me, and I’m so proud of myself for having the courage to do so.

When I initially started the process of legitimizing my business I was so excited and motivated, I wanted everyone to know what my plans were. I soon realized that trying to get a new business up and running with limited money and resources, limited time because I have two small children, no marketing knowledge, AND because of the pandemic, parties and events were not on people’s priority list; my excitement quickly turned into disappointment and frustration.

After realizing and understanding the real challenges involved in starting and running a small business, I had a little bit of a set-back because I wasn’t ready, but I had to get ready fast because I couldn’t give up. I started budgeting a set amount of money for my business and realized that I didn’t need to buy everything all at once. I had to set a schedule for my business and personal time, I purchased online marketing courses (marketing is something that I still struggle with but I’m learning), and I started networking with other individuals in this industry and received some great advice and so many other great ideas for my business. So I was able to get myself back on track emotionally and mentally and I’m determined to make this business work, and now I know that I need to always be ready for whatever changes, and challenges that may cross my path.

My goal is to create something unique for each individual person, event and party. My mission is to create lasting continuous memories for any party theme or color scheme by adding a touch of my creativity to every design. My motivation is seeing friends and families come together and celebrate their special occasion and allowing me to take part, even in a small way, in transforming their ideas into the celebration of their dreams.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I enjoy outdoor events. I would hope that they’d visit during the summer or fall, because Atlanta has the best outdoor events and activities going on during those months. We would definitely have to stop by one or maybe two of the Pop-up shops and festivals that have become very popular during the summertime. The Battery Atlanta has some great shopping spots, dining and some nice wind-down options to choose from, AND one of the best spots to grab a Gelato to-go. I enjoy great food and I’m pretty sure my friends feel the same, so we would have to visit Roc South Cuisine. They have these honey lemon wings that’ll have you dreaming about chicken, these brussels sprouts that’ll randomly have your mouth watering and my favorite, their lamb chops, that’ll have you feenin! Atlanta is also home to a huge selection of brunch spots, rooftop and cocktail lounges, which we would definitely have to checkout to relax and listen to some great music.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have received so much support and encouragement from family and other small business owners, which I appreciate more than they’d ever know! I appreciate my husband for all his help during this journey, from being my financial support to the unofficial “balloon man”. I appreciate my brother and sister-n-law for being my first paying clients even before they knew if I could even tie a balloon together. I appreciate everyone who has supported me in any way; sharing, liking, commenting, engaging with me and allowing me to take part in celebrating their day or event with one of my balloon services. I am truly thankful!

Website: www.eventsbouquets.com

Instagram: @eventsnbouquets

Facebook: Events & Bouquets LLC