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7 Creativity & Celebrations Go Hand-in-Hand I've always loved designing décor elements for any and every special event. Before founding Celebrations, Ltd. in 1993, I would spend hours at my dining table creating and arranging centerpieces for the holidays or going all- out for one of my kids' birthday parties. At the time, I worked for my husband's company—an air conditioning and refrigeration parts company—so it was passion alone that drove my creative projects. And then one day, a seemingly simple request from a friend changed my life. An average day at the office became one that sealed my fate and decided my forever. To my surprise, I received a phone call from a friend asking me to produce her daughter's wedding. It was a high-profile event here in the Cayman Islands, with 300 people expected to attend the wedding at the bride's family's home. At that time, the island's population was much less than it is now and a wedding of this size was the talk of the town. The Caymans, being as modest as they were then, did not have any event rental companies in existence as yet. This meant there wasn't a single place to rent tables, chairs, linens, or any of the basics needed for a wedding, and definitely no wedding planning services. My friend was ahead of what the local industry had available to offer in wanting to enjoy her daughter's special day without having to focus on the complexities of planning. It was also important to her that nothing distracted the entire family from totally reveling in that day, no matter what was happening behind the scenes. Needless to say, despite the challenges we faced, the wedding was magnificent. Its high-profile nature, though intimidating at the time, paid off. A few months later, I was approached by another family for a local wedding and news of my work quickly spread, reaching a popularity that prompted the need for retail space. Lo and behold, Celebrations, Ltd. was born. Photograph by Picture This Studios

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