By Karen Parr-Moody
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Starry-eyed girls will be mesmerized by the Mermaid Princess and the Belle of the Ball Princess at a free promotional event by Ever After Parties on Saturday, Oct. 18. The party will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Berry Bear Frozen Yogurt at 2341 Madison Street (located next to the Sango Wal-Mart).
The Mermaid Princess and the Belle of the Ball Princess look forward to meeting their fans and posing for photos with them, as well as signing autographs. The Mermaid Princess, with her long, red hair, will wear a blue dress and the Belle of the Ball Princess will wear a long, yellow evening gown. Fairy tale fans are sure to be delighted.
The young ladies behind Ever After Parties are Joanna Ragland and Shayna Jarman. They share a love for theatre, princesses and making children happy at birthday parties.
“One little kid told us we were the best birthday present ever,” Ragland said. “And once we had some kids curtsy to us and tell us it was an honor to meet us. That was adorable.”
Ragland and Jarman have been friends since both were members of the Montgomery Central High School drama club. Ragland was the club’s president and Jarman mostly did set design. Jarman now sews all of the princess costumes.
During the free party at Berry Bear Frozen Yogurt, Ragland and Jarman will put their dramatic talents to use by playing their parts and answering children’s questions.
Shayna Jarman, the co-owner of Ever After Parties, portraying Sleeping Princess.
“That’s fun to come up with answers on the spot,” Ragland says. “The most interesting question is, ‘Do you really have powers?’”
Children typically ask that question when Ragland dresses up as the Ice Queen, she says. She tells the children that she does have powers, but that she promised their moms she wouldn’t use them around the kids.
Children also ask the princesses if they know the other princesses.
“We give them all sorts of good stories about them, like we have sleepovers with the other princesses,” Ragland says. “The kids are usually fascinated by these stories and go tell their moms.”
The young ladies of Ever After Parties play an array of look-a-like characters: Belle of the Ball Princess, Home-By-Midnight Princess, Mermaid Princess, Princess Beauty, Snow Queen (and her sister, the Ice Princess), Sleeping Princess, Fairest-of-Them-All Princess and Long Hair Princess.
(As the owners of Ever After Parties don’t want to violate any copyright or trademark laws, they don’t use any character names used in animated films.)
The princesses the ladies portray arrive at parties and can fulfill special instructions requested by the host, such as placing a tiara on a child’s head as if it were a coronation ceremony.
Other activities they can provide include story time, the gifting of party favors, face painting, themed games and – naturally – the singing of “Happy Birthday.” They also offer special tea parties and spa parties. Prices range from $120 to $350 depending on a wide variety of factors; learn more about the various packages at the website www.everafterparties.yolasite.com.
Meanwhile, to get an idea of what a visit with two princesses is like, attend the free party on Saturday, Oct. 18 at Berry Bear Frozen Yogurt in Sango.
Karen Parr-Moody began a career as a New York journalist, working as a fashion reporter for Women’s Wear Daily, a beauty editor for Young Miss and a beauty and fashion writer for both In Style and People magazines. Regionally, she has been a writer at The Leaf-Chronicle newspaper and currently writes about arts and culture for Nashville Arts magazine each month.