My Cake Smash

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Introduction: We specialize in Birthday Parties, Baby Showers, Gender Reveals and our most popular is the 1st Birthday. Our passion is being able to bring a vision come to life. Our Mission is to provide an affordable, stress-free, creative event that you and your family & friends will always hold dear to your heart. We use creative design practices and offer a lot of detail in our work. We will take your vision and bring it to life. We offer full and partial event planning & design, an event planner in a box service, balloon Garlands & Backdrops, Custom Props and Decor, Treat Tables, Personalized favors, Custom Themed Party Favors and Personalized Decor. All of the decor we provide is unique, detailed and made to highlight your theme and the guest of honor. We are very open minded and we are 100% confident that we will bring your vision to life like no other event planner has. We have successfully designed dozens of party themes and we have the rental decor needed to make your party a hit. Not only do we personalize our products with the guests name, but we are also able to personalize the guests favors with their name as well. Our packages range from basic and simple to luxurious & extravagant.We design every party as if it was for someone we love and we are not a stickler on prices and stick to our premade fee scale. Our work is a form of art and we know that you will appreciate it as much as we do. We make adorable Walls and 3D Decor to make your party stand out. We are the Themed Party Decoration Specialists, choose from over 50 themes or create your own. DETAIL is our favorite word and we promise that your guests will be talking about your party for the rest of the year. Whether your budget is $1000 or $100,000 we will pull off a beautiful event. Here's a sneak peek at some of the products included in our packages: Walls, Standups,Backdrops, Balloon Garlands, Papergoods, Cake Toppers, Goodie Bags, Banners, Balloons, Mosaics, Custom Straws, Custom Napkin Rings, Favors,Shirts, Treat Table, Photo Props, Streamers, Backdrops, Balloon Garlands, Banners, Centerpieces, Welcome Signs, Invitations and so much more. All you have to do is bring the Cake! We guarantee to be your event designer for the next 10 years (at least)! Please don't hesitate to reach out! Let us know the date of your event, what services you are looking for and what your budget may be. I look forward to designing the party of the year!!

Overview

Serves Peabody, MA

Background checked

2 employees

7 years in business

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via Cash, Credit card, Google Pay, PayPal, Square cash app, Venmo, and Zelle.

Social media

Facebook, Instagram

Featured Projects

357 photos

Our Newest Backdrops for rent
Event Planning

Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for professionalism, value, and punctuality.

Great 4.7

11 reviews

91%

Read reviews that mention:

Thumbtack Customer

Jun 28, 2022

From Google

The decorations were amazing! It was a unicorn theme with a balloon tower, table decorations, and the gift bags all looked like unicorns. I will most definitely be using this service again!

Thumbtack Customer

Feb 9, 2023

From Google

I have now worked with Melissa for 3 of my childrens parties and she has nailed it every time. Beautiful decorations, great service and easy delivery. She made everything so personal and i loved that i got to help in the design/ planning process. I highly recommend using her for your next event!

Thumbtack Customer

1 month ago

From Google

Great Baby Shower designers. Well worth it! Pays attention to detail and very nice group of women. Will be back! Thank You!

Thumbtack Customer

Apr 30, 2023

From Google

I loved everything she customized for my babys party she is amazing everything she did is just so so cute!! I would definitely recommend her the replies and everything is on point cant wait till my babys party

Raquel M.

Dec 11, 2022

Hired on Thumbtack

Communication was great with Melissa but the quality of products were not what I paid for. I even hate to write this but I’m disappointed. Thumbtack won’t let me post a lot so this is the condensed version. I spent a LOT of money to have Melissa decorate my daughter’s surprise 10th birthday party. A disgusting amount of money. The reason I hired someone was so I didn’t have to do anything but I might as well have. My guests arrived at 6pm and she was still there setting up and making the balloon arch after she reassured me that she would have enough time to decorate. She also had my guests place utensils on the tables which is so embarrassing. She then left the party and came back with things that she forgot apparently and didn’t communicate that to me at all. I didn’t buy a cake topper because I paid for one through her and it wasn’t there!!! My cake was naked. Also there was no neon sign as well. It was all dollar store products. It was very low quality items. I paid SO MUCH money. Shame on me for being completely fooled. Her pictures don’t do any justice on what her actual work is. The plates were flimsy, the cake plates were too. The utensils were also from the dollar store. I paid for someone to decorate my party and I was expecting way better quality of things. The centerpieces were balloon weights with cutouts glued to a stick on them. Please if you’re anything like me and actually buy nice quality items for your party, run. I’m embarrassed to even say how Much I’ve spent on her. My money literally went to the trash. Just wow.

Details: Birthday party • Party host • 26 - 50 guests • 12 years old or younger • Balloon arches • Indoors • My home, venue, etc.

My Cake Smash's reply

I am sorry you feel this way & I was hoping you would have enjoyed the event. The party package that I originally quoted you was for 15 Children. I also quoted it at a discount. I made you aware of this and you asked me to purchase additional plates and silverware, to which I did. I could not produce only 4 centerpieces (which comes with the package) as it wouldn't look good, so I improvised producing 14 Centerpieces (10 dinner and 4 for dessert/food/face painter/gift&goodies) so that every table would have a centerpiece. I did not purchase anything at the dollar store. I purchased normal plastic cutlery that did not come from the dollar store. The plates were ordered on Amazon by a very reputable vendor that sells quality papergoods: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08C4Q7G5W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0788P7J69/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 as well as the goodie bagshttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QNJ5C2H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 that I customized. I originally expressed to you that I needed 4 hours for setup and I was only given two but I was lucky enough to be able to finish right on time. I called you when I was on the highway and told you I would be 30 minutes late due to an accident. You told me your brother and sister in law would be there at 530 and if I needed any help they would be available to help me. While I was finishing the Balloon Garland at 6pm Your Brother and Sister in law arrived and asked if I needed any help and I told her yes as you told me they would be able to help. I would never ever ask a guest to help me set up an event. I could have left the forks on the food table which I would have done had you not said they would be available to help. I then asked your sister in law if she could put silverware at each setting and she was happy to oblige. I would never ever had asked her to do this as they were fine on the food table, but since that was the one thing I did not get to, I decided to take you up on what I thought was an offer of help which you sent in an email the day prior. In regards to the Neon Sign, that was completely Free and an extra. I first texted you about the neon sign on the highway asking if you had a USB block and you told me your brother in law had one and could give me one, which he did not. Due to the event beginning, I decided to scratch the Neon Sign that I brought as an extra and only told you about it on the highway hours earlier. The Neon Sign and 2 additional backdrops (Chiara Walls) were provided at no additional cost because I wanted the event to pop. The theme of the party was Squishmellows and I provided a bunch of Mini Squishmellows to put on top of the cake as a cake topper. There was not an additional table available for the goodie bags, since I had to sit around the area, I decided to come back and put the goodie bags down after everyone had arrived as I figured the table would be more clear once the party extra's were taken off the table. I did tell your sister in law before I left that I would be back in an hour with the goodie bags. I wish you would have expressed your concerns earlier to me and I could have remedied them. I take pride in my work and I worked very hard putting in all the little details on the straws, forks, blowers, plates, goodie bags, adoption center, backdrops etc. I went above and beyond ordering Squishmallow balloons and customizing the products as they do not have a squishmallow party goods line as of yet. If you were to get quotes from other event planners for a 50 person party and what was provided you would not be able to get one as low as I provided. I apologize that you did not like it, but I went above and beyond for this event and I was not expecting this sort of reaction. I hope the birthday girl enjoyed the event as that is truly all that matters. All the Best, Melissa

Balloon Decorations

Credentials

Background Check

Melissa Mckenna

FAQs

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I don't like hidden fees and I am sure you don't either. That is why I am very upfront about my costs right away. Yes, we understand you want a lavish event and you do not want to spend a fortune but we have to be honest here and realize costs. To get to a final price, I add in the costs of all the decorations, rentals, travel costs, and set up and clean up fees. Like every other event designer/planner, I also factor in how many hours I worked on the event at my hourly rate and did I need to hire anyone to assist me? Now my business is a little trickier as I make custom products. I do NOT charge you an hourly rate for the amount of time it takes me to make and design your custom products. I have a list of set prices that I work with that determines the cost of the item and that is what you are charged. Sometimes a simple centerpiece could take me 4 hours to design, imagine paying over $100 for 1 centerpiece? I DON'T THINK SO. So whether you decide to get a custom item off an online vendor or myself, the cost of the item will be in the same price. So, the first question I ask a potential client is what is their budget? I need to know what exactly you would like to have done and how much you would like to spend on your event. I then can source products and vendors based on your budget. Some items like a balloon arch and/or dessert table have automatic fixed costs and that includes are hourly rate but does not include the set up and transportation fee. When pricing a job clients need to remember several things will be factored into the invoice besides the cost of the decorations and the rentals. Here are some examples: The cost of the setup and breakdown of the event, the hourly rate of the event planner and how long they work on your event and the transportation/travel fees to and from the venue. GAS IS INSANE RIGHT NOW.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I love working with new clients because everyone is different and everyone has a different artistic vision. I want to WOW new clients so that they acknowledge my artistic ability and hire me again for their next event. I welcome the new customer as part of the My Cake Smash Family and I know that they will be overly satisfied with the event that they spread the word to friends and family. There is nothing better then a stress free event where you can enjoy your child's birthday party and relax with family and friends. When working with a new customer I like to have the client fill out my event questionnaire. This helps me decide if I think we will be a good fit for each other, if the event description is possible in the budget frame and if I am available on the day of your event. The questionnaire gives you the option to add inspiration and photos that I will be able to look at. If you have a picture of the venue or where in the home you are putting the setup, that is always helpful. After reviewing the questionnaire, I then would like to schedule a phone call and discuss the details of the party and what your dream event would look like. I would like to know your vision so that I can bring it to life. I will be taking notes during this call and listening to everything you describe. After you are done I will give you my thoughts and my feedback and how I can make your dream come to life. I will make suggestions and we can come up with something that is budget friendly. After our free initial consultation is complete, I will send over the proposal of everything that we have discussed. You will review the proposal and make any modifications as needed. I will then review your modifications and send over an updated proposal and contract. I ask that you sign the contract and remit retainer fee that day so that I can begin work. We are very busy during the weekends, some days doing multiple jobs. I unfortunately will not be able to hold a contract open longer then 24 hours and guarantee I can save the date and time. After I send the contract, if I do not hear from you in 12 hours I will send a reminder email or text. After 23 hours I will place a phone call to you. After 24 hours if contract is not completed I assume you are not booking and I will have to mark the date and time as open. I reserve the date for you for a max 72 hours - From Initial Consultation-to Proposal- to Contract and Payment. I always tell my clients, the longer I have to work on your project the more detailed it will become. I like to begin my work right away so that the day of the event is perfect and if their are any hiccups I will know about them sooner rather then later so that the hiccup can be fixed. I will reach out to you a week before the event and confirm with you the scheduled time we can arrive for setup and the address of the event. I will also reach out to you the day before the event and the morning of the event to continue to make sure that everything is going as planned. I ask if all customers could please leave a review after the event. Whether on my thumbtack, google page, Facebook, or on the birthday packages section of my website. Reviews help business's like mine grow and they are extremely important to the health and stamina of my company. SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINNESS'!!
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I was an indoor Children's event manager for a long time. I came up with the concept of themed birthday parties. The parties were such a hit that we went from 1-2 parties per weekend to 6-7 parties per weekend with a 3 month back log. Everyone that saw my work wanted to have their party there and that is how it all began.....

My Cake Smash

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