What do you know about Communions? Here are some Creative Ideas and "Top Tips" for the Communion Season!

Anne Cahill-McGovern, created this beautiful
Communion centrepiece design using the
22" Elegant Greenery Deco Bubble with the
11" First Communion inside.

First Communion is seen as one of the holiest and most important occasions in a Roman Catholic's life. It is the first time that a person receives the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, which is the eating of consecrated bread and drinking of consecrated wine.
When a child experiences their First Holy Communion, it’s a major moment for themselves as well as their families. Like their Baptism, the day of First Communion is one that is filled with family, friends, and feasting after the sacred event has taken place.

Girls typically are adorned to look like little brides, wearing white gowns and veils, while boys wear their Sunday best or new suits and ties bought for the occasion.

Communion season is fast approaching, and as someone who knows very little about this very special occasion, I would like to know more! I'm curious about how communion celebrations vary from country to country, as well as how important the communion season is for trade within the balloon industry? 

My Angel's First Communion

Simple yet elegant, this beautiful design is perfect to celebrate any first communion.

Luc Bertrand, CBA, wAw Balloons in Vichte, Belgium

These adorable 14" Angel Boy and Angel Girls make a great addition to a Communion Centrepiece or arrangement.

I got some different perspectives from industry professionals, Luc Bertrand, CBA of WAW Balloons, Belgium, Tania Torre, CBA of Balloon Express Shop, Terme Vigliatore, Italy, and Anne Cahill McGovern,CBA of Elegant Balloons, Pearl River, New York, USA. It is clear why this celebration is a very important time for some balloon companies.

How important is a child’s first communion in your country?

Luc 

"It is extremely important in the Flemish area but somehow a bit less in the French-speaking part of Belgium. Not only First Communion, but Confirmation would be as important. As for balloons, we will sell for both occasions; albeit that the demand might be different. Then there would be the non-Christians - they want to throw in a party for their kids as well and call it something that can be translated into 'spring-party'.

Tania 

"For us in Italy, it is the most important religious event after the christening."

Anne

 "Communions are very important here in the US. It is a short period - 6 weeks starting the week after Easter. Over the years it has gotten a little crazy - little girls get their hair and nails done, and a top of the range dress can cost in excess of $500.00!  While communions don't tend to have the biggest budgets, they are very important to us and we have done very well over the years marketing to this area."

Communion designs can be totally on-trend with these beautiful
18" Golden Cross and Greenery Microfoil balloons and paired with the
11" First Communion Cross.

Beautiful Table Arrangement by Anne Cahill-McGovern

Can you describe a 'typical' communion celebration?

Luc

"Obviously there will be a celebration in church. This should be the most important moment of the day, but parents see the little kids dress, the party afterwards and the impression they will leave as more important. We call these parties 'the little weddings'.

Nowadays some priests try to boycott the party by having the celebration in church at a time that makes it impossible to organize a full party afterwards.

The party could be at home, a table in a restaurant or renting a whole venue. It all depends on how many guests are invited.

Tania

"The religious ceremony is in church; the party is celebrated in a restaurant with relatives and closest friends."

Anne

"Some people have parties at home but all the venues in my area are completely booked out nearly every weekend during communion season, except maybe Memorial Day weekend which seems to be the slower weekend for communions."

Happy Communion Flower
First communion in any language is a big deal for any little girl! And what better way to show it than with flowers!
 Luc Bertrand, CBA, wAw Balloons in Vichte, Belgium

How important is the communion season for your business?

Luc 

"This is the moment with the biggest sales of the year. From early in the morning we inflate so many balloons that we can barely see the ceiling of the shop any more! We have recently installed three large corral nets to help us to manage the orders better "

Tania

"For us, it's the most important event after the marriage and eighteenth birthday, especially if we consider that it is concentrated in one month only." 

Anne 

"Communion Season has always been a very important time for our business. We sometimes have as many as 20-30 communions added onto our regular schedule (bar mitzvahs, birthdays etc.) We know it is a short period and try to take as many as possible to make as much money as possible since the summers tend to be slower for us."

Here are some top tips to make communion season a success for your business.

Give your service plenty of promotion.

• Start your marketing campaign early, as most parties will already be in the planning stages.
• Find and join local Facebook Groups and Town pages in which you can promote your business. Many of these have a specific day that they allow local businesses to advertise, so check with the group admins.
• Visit your local Catholic Churches, see if you can leave some printed literature with photographs of your work that could be offered to families, or maybe offer a special discount Remember CANVA is a fantastic tool for creating professional looking printed literature.

Keep your designs simple and easy to transport

• Many of the parties will be relatively simple affairs that will just require bunches of helium-filled balloons to decorate a room or hall. Keeping your designs simple will enable you to sell multiple arrangements with ease.
• Make sure that you have ready to go - "Cash and Carry" designs available on the day. 

Show what you want to sell

• It is always a good idea to have a selection of designs to offer to clients. This is a great way to test your market and establish what customers are prepared to spend. Take a good photograph of each design to give you the opportunity to promote them in a professional way.

Offer a variety of decor to allow for different budgets.

• Everyone is different, so we should ensure that we cater to the variety of tastes and trends. When you look a Pinterest and Instagram, you will see balloon decor can that varies from organic style decor to balloon bouquets. Some people still want a religious element to their child's event, whereas others have moved to more trending decor.

Use air-filled designs and Deco Bubbles

• Communion season is notoriously busy yet short. To maximise sales opportunities, make sure that you offer decor that can be prepared well in advance. 

A big thank you to Luc, Tania and Anne for their input and the invaluable tips!

Happy Ballooning!


Sue
www.suebowler.com
Follow me on Instagram @suebowler