Mercedes, a qualified venue stylist and founder of 4YaParty prides herself on having great customer service and high attention to detail. Based in Bexley on the South London and Kent border, 4YaParty is a venue styling and prop hire company with sustainability at the core of everything they do.
Many of the items Mercedes uses are handmade using recycled materials, reclaimed wood and are hand decorated, bringing a couples unique vision to life while doing their bit for the environment. They believe weddings can be beautiful and waste free. They also plant a tree for every booking they get.
The story behind the name
Mercedes has always been the ‘hostess with the mostess’ and decorated quite a few events before she even started her business. Mercedes would say to family and friends, “You know I’m here … for your party!” and it became her catch phrase and eventually her business name.=
Advised by a fellow small business owner to change the name because it was “too ghetto”, Mercedes replied “I thank you for your opinion but I won’t be changing it”.
Almost 4 years later, a pandemic and becoming a mum to 3 extra kids overnight, 4YaParty is still going strong with 5* ratings on Google and Facebook. The only things that have changed is their ethos and focus on sustainability. The following tagline was added in 2019; “Transforming Spaces into beautiful Places, without costing the Earth!” but the name helps Mercedes to remember who she is and where she has come from.
How are 4YaParty Weddings & Events eco-friendly?
“4YaParty Weddings & Events will always strive to be as sustainable as possible, one step at a time.” They say …
- YES to handmade and reclaimed wooden props! This in turn reduces the amount of waste going to landfill.
- NO to balloons! Balloons take a very long time to biodegrade. 4YaParty believe there are so many other amazing ways to decorate without using them!
- NO to single use plastic! They no longer provide single use plastic such as water bottles, disposable cups, cutlery or plates. They also don’t provide scatter crystals for the tables, plastic decorations and disposable slippers.
- YES to reusing! All of their props and decor are of a high quality and that enables them to be reused time and time again.
- NO to travelling all over the UK! They keep their carbon footprint low by staying local!
- YES to recycling! They recycle in their home life and their business. Only printing documents when it’s absolutely necessary and ensuring that any single use decorations are 100% recyclable such as paper pom poms.
- YES to second hand and ethical sourcing! They love a good charity shop or car boot find but other than finding amazing and unique pieces they also know how much better it is to buy second hand than it is to buy new!
- YES to other Eco-suppliers! Check out their recommended suppliers page to see other eco-friendly suppliers that are local.
What has 4YaParty Weddings & Events been up to recently?
Mercedes got married! Legally but not officially. Mercedes and her partner Alex did the legal part on 15th August and are having their official wedding, the way they want it in August 2023. The best part of the ‘legal wedding’ has to be their wedding breakfast location, which you wouldn’t even be able to guess at… Wingstop in the Bluewater Shopping Centre. We love that, Mercedes.
You will also find not one but two articles on 4YaParty in the July edition of the A Kentish Ceremony magazine, the official wedding magazine in Kent supported by Kent County Council. Mercedes gives tips on ‘rustic wedding inspiration’ and also has a feature in the ‘Ask the Expert’ session.
To find out more about Mercedes follow her at @4yaparty or visit her website at 4yaparty.co.uk
