FAQ

Best way is to contact us, have date and time in mind as well as a budget and idea of what you want. A 50% deposit is required to save date and get started. Your deposit secures date and we can plan from there. We are happy to provide brief consult via text or email. We do work with all budgets but our minimum party/event/class/decor is $100 if done locally within 5 mile radius. 

Prep time is vital. If you are planning for a large event and renting a place to hold it in please consider how long set up will take. Food prep, lighting, electrical, classes, decor all take time. Factor this in please. We cannot set up event in an hour unless it is a micro event or decor has been premade. When we arrive we expect area is clean. We will not pick up refuse or move furniture. Please make certain area is cleaned and prepped for our arrival. Please make sure it is safe for your guests. We cannot be held accountable for venue sites, only our own equipment. To ensure that you have successful and memorable event we need you to prep area. For outdoor events special considerations NEED to be discussed PRIOR. Once we arrive we work quickly to ensure that everything is set up for success. Our arrival solely depends on the size of your event and what needs to be done. It can be hours for large scale events. If it is nothing more than minor décor or rental drop off the minimal time is an hour to two hours. Onsite adjustments may happen during transit. We plan for this! 

Reschedule is not a problem. You paid 50% down to schedule. Supplies are purchased and work has begun according to the down payment and can be carried over to another date that is agreeable to both parties. If you have to cancel completely within a weeks time we retain the right to keep deposit as things have been purchase and work has began. If you cancel 30 days ahead and no supplies have been purchased and no work has began you can receive deposit back. If a large degree of planning has taken place a nominal fee may be kept. If you have to cancel 24 hours in advance a nominal surcharge on top of deposit may occur. Dates are precious and it does take a lot of behind the scenes work to create a magical event/party/class! 

Here’s the deal: We are an LLC for a reason. It stands for limited liability. We have contracts. You sign them. Some of our equipment is very costly. Your guests break it? You buy it. You also have the sole responsibility of making sure your guests are not unruly. I have seen some BAD things in my time. Parents not watching children who run amuck and break items, tipping over props and sticking their hands inside of bubble machines WHILE they are running. Adults thinking that they can operate the ice shaver and jam the controls? Oh no…we inspect our equipment after every single event for safety and parts. The bouncy house rental is subject to permission slips and strict rules signed by all parents. We do hire subcontractors’ to assist with big parties and run things like the snowcone/popcorn machine just so nothing happens. Occasionally we will rent out to trusted clients. We are first and foremost about safety. If you chose to invite the neighborhood brat to the bouncy house party and he punctures it with his toy soldier? Guess what? That just cost you an extra $300. You allow children to run behind tall curtain props and it tips over bending the metal and stripping out screws? That is $200.00. Curtains $50 each panel if ripped. I recently threw a neighborhood bubble party. Several parents were busy chatting while their darlings broke wands, tipped over bubble solution, popped all the balloons, jammed the bubblegum machine and destroyed the hoola-hoops. That was a very costly party…word to the wise, be very careful who you invite. If we have set up in a manner that causes damage to our own equipment or your property then we will absorb the cost of that mistake. We will do nothing on property without your permission. {tape, glue, nails, staple gun etc.}

In short. no, you don’t get a refund. Contracts were signed and agreed upon, chose better friends. It happens. It has happened to me {more than I would like to count}. I make hand crafted and detailed invites and mail them out. I attend to every detail of my own events. When I put that much effort in and people don’t bother to tell me they cannot come or they forget? I stash this in my memory bank, don’t invite them again and let them know that they were missed. It is a matter of manners plain and simple. If they cared? they would have taken the 30 seconds required and wrote it on a calendar or called you with regrets. 

If guests are late to a class? We generally wait for 15 minutes to start. If it is a small class we are happy to accommodate and catch student up. If they roll in 5 minutes before ending time? That is poor planning on their part and they get the kit that came with class and hopefully the host or friend will help them catch up. Create Joy LLC charges by the hour/student for classes depending what project is and how long it takes. We don’t stay over extra hours just because someone forgot or has a loss of time management skills.  

Nobody wants to get the Rona virus. We here at CreateJoy LLC are fully vaccinated and can prove it. Any of our subcontractors are also fully vaccinated. For indoor parties/events/classes with large gatherings of people we will follow CDC guidelines. For outdoor parties/events/classes we will most likely forgo mask wearing unless we are in close proximity to folks. Again, this is for everyone’s safety. We know that the guidelines are always changing and things evolve according to infection rates. Before we book a gathering we ask if it is indoor/outdoor/vaccinated guest list. 

Short and sweet, we do not decorate, rent or hold any indoor events with smokers. Sorry. The fabrics/curtains and some equipment absorb the tobacco odor. The cost of cleaning the décor panels is to great. We are happy to accommodate a few smokers at outdoor events with plenty of fresh air circulation.

Same goes with indoor candle usage and fires. A lot of the plastics and sequin curtains are highly flammable. We cannot absorb the cost of soot, fire or cigarette damage. 

We can do small backdrops for limited budget weddings. That is no problem. We do not do large upscale weddings that require a moving truck to handle all the equipment it may take. Nor do we do furniture rentals such as chairs/tables and benches. We know several fabulous wedding planners that do very high end and upscale weddings that I am happy to give referrals to! A wedding event of that size costs thousands of dollars and takes months of planning. That would leave us no time to do smaller parties and classes and that is what we LOVE to do! 

Our business model is set up for affordable events. We work within your budget. Set a price, dream a bit, make a list of what you want and we can go from there. We actually prefer to work with lower and middle income folks. If you have several houses, live in Medina and have a yacht? I can refer you to an event coordinator who enjoys rich folks. I don’t. Been there done that…NOPE. 

We charge $25 and hour for  design work. I have a degree in residential and commercial design {and a clinic nursing degree so if you choke on your snowcone or burn yourself with hot glue gun, I got you}. I have years of experience. Most of my décor associates will charge $150 an hour and that IS the going rate. It’s just not who I am though. I love what I do and if you read my about page you will understand a bit more. MANY things can be done on a budget. I have packages as low at $150 and will work with you on pricing/trade work or getting your own volunteers to assist to keep costs down. 

Fabulous gatherings are not just for the rich. Sure, we don’t have warehouses full of giant props but what we do have creates loads of JOY and fun for all ages. I am also happy to give referrals to other event planners who do things I don’t do.