Best friends start up slumber party side business

During the pandemic when so many places were shut down, a lot of parents had to make the tough decision to hold off on having a birthday party for their child. But three moms from Central Mass saw that as an opportunity—and turned it into a business. They started up Annelise Rose events, which specializes in holding slumber parties that are a big hit with kids—and parents.

During the pandemic, there wasn’t much partying going on. With so many places closed, there were limited options for kid’s birthday parties. That’s exactly how a health care supervisor, photographer, and nurse came up with a business idea---themed slumber parties.

“At the time people were sticking to their pods so we thought, what better time than now to start a company and it took off,” said Kate Colarusso, who started up the company with her three best friends. Colarusso works full-time as a supervisor at a healthcare facility.

Best friends Kate, Katie, and Jenny always wanted to create a business together. With nine kids collectively, they definitely have experience with planning birthday parties.

“Sleepovers with a bunch of little girls can kind of be a nightmare for parents because they’re so loud, you have to entertain them but with these tent parties, it’s literally hours of entertainment,” said Katie Capistran, who is a full-time nurse.

The moms tested it out on their kids. They set up tents, created a theme, and posted pictures.

“Parents see that shared on social media and think oh I want that for my child,” said Jenny Shepherd, who also runs a photography business.

The three friends combined their middle names to create Annelise Rose Events in January of last year, and since then, they have been busy nearly every weekend.

“In the beginning, we actually did create a lot of stuff on our own,” said Colarusso. “A couple of our husbands created the tents, they were actually all handmade at first.”

From the pillowcases to the stuffed animals, to the décor, as their business quickly grew, so did their inventory. They’ve hosted more than a dozen different themed parties, and they can even customize whatever the child wants

“We’ve definitely got some interesting requests and we do our best to make their dream come true,” said Colarusso.

From glow in the dark to boho, and harry potter, these moms create the setup and then let the kids’ imaginations take over.

Katie

“They woke up the next morning at 6 am and they were playing quidditch in the front yard,” said Capistran.

The moms make party favors and team up with other local businesses to personalize them.

“I’ve had birthday parties for my kids before with all their friends, or just large family gatherings, but the one that they remember is the one that had the tents and they got to do something special,” said Shepherd.

The kids’ reactions are priceless.

“Just seeing their big, bright, smiling faces makes everything worth it,” said Capistran.

And for these best friends, working together doesn’t even feel like a job.

“Doing something that really you love doing that doesn’t feel like work will make you successful and happy,” said Capistran.

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