FancyFeathers Inc: Your one-stop party solution
FancyFeathers Inc is an event management company that organises special occasions like birthdays, weddings etc
Unless you know how to handle pressure and have a good knowledge about the party stores at New Market or Elephant Road, chances are high that you would need help if you want to throw a party.
Whether it is a party planner, on-the-day coordinator, caterer or a family member, you need a single point of contact who understands your party theme, can organise all the chaos and also help you through the decision-making process.
To cater to this need and make your parties unique, Sania Amin, a Dhaka based school teacher, founded FancyFeathers Inc in 2014.
FancyFeathers Inc is an event management company that organises and executes different special occasions; be it a birthday, wedding, baby-naming ceremony or just a regular party.
The company was born out of Sania's personal experience as a mother. Back in 2011, party organisers were not yet a thing in the country and decorative items were scarce.
While spending countless hours sourcing everything needed for her son's birthday party, she recognised a gap in the market for themed party supplies.
In a conversation with The Business Standard, Sania shared her nostalgic memories of those days and how she had to do everything from scratch.
She used to download pictures following a specific theme, get them printed at the computer shops in Sobhanbagh and then paste them on disposable plates, glasses or paper bags.
She even used to draw pictures on big chart papers and cut them out to put around the room along with balloons.
"There were some items at the Gulshan DCC market but they were random. For example, Winnie the Pooh plates, Angry Birds napkins and then Princess goody bags; these do not fall under the same theme," recalled Sania.
She aspired to throw a party where all the items – tablecloths, plates, napkins, glasses, hats, or cutlery – match each other, just as she had seen in parties abroad.
She felt that it would be lovely and also convenient for all parents if themed birthday products existed.
Hence, with the help of her niece Sanah Sharif, she started FancyFeathers.
Sanah, who also has a boutique line of her own, travels in and out of the country as she is a US citizen, but whenever she is in town, they try to do projects together.
Initially, FancyFeathers Inc started selling only decoration items of 12 themes (six for boys and six for girls), all sourced from China.
Sania made packs of each theme with everything one would require for a party for 12 or 18 children. Each package contained 17 different objects, from plates and goody bags to straws and hats.
Within a short time, FancyFeathers Inc received an overwhelming customer response. Eventually, Sania and Sanah started doing entire events.
Clients mostly place orders at the company's Facebook page. After hearing the requirements from clients, Sania visits the venue to figure out the decoration arrangement.
FancyFeathers Inc has a team of 20 who help with the decoration etc and additional workers are employed during peak season.
The company also hires magicians, clowns and bioscope operators for birthday parties. Bouncy castles and ball pools are also available in its packages.
FancyFeathers Inc has a reputation for catering to all sorts of parties, whether a lavish one or one on a limited budget.
"While it is true that I make money through this company, it is not the sole reason why I founded it; all I dreamt of was brightening someone's special day," added Sania.
FancyFeathers Inc is devoted to creating memorable events, and while doing so, the team creates its own memories.
"There are many funny or outrageous moments that have occurred over the years and last-minute catastrophes, which were quietly sorted out without even the client knowing and sometimes at our expense, if I may add," she said, adding, "but it is all part of the whole hustle and bustle of putting up a party and we love every minute of it."
When all the events were on hold during the lockdown, Sania took orders for customised gift boxes, hampers, bottle wrappers etc. She made everything herself.
The company does not have any specific price range as all the events are unique and entirely customised.
However, the themed birthday packages that they initially sold were priced at Tk3,000 for a party of 12 children. They stopped importing those products because now these are readily available in the country.
"A party to me is a moment, which should be such that it remains in the minds of those attending it forever. People should have fond memories of the occasion and remember for years how pretty everything looked!" concluded Sania.