Metropolitan Weddings Podcast
Metropolitan Weddings Podcast
Meet The Wedding Pro - Jordan with Hip Hip Array
Step into the colorful world of party planning with our guest, Jordan, the lively entrepreneur behind Hip Hip Array. Her passion for creating joyous events transforms any occasion into a memorable celebration. We explore her exciting journey from running a party supply store to developing a booming business known for its creative offerings, including balloons, bounce houses, and marquee letters. Jordan shares her future plans and we get to know her whimsical side through fun quick-fire questions about her love for comedy, confetti, and cheesecake with extra strawberries. Her humorous take on managing road rage adds an entertaining twist to our conversation.
Join us as we navigate the innovative avenues of party rentals, where Jordan's entrepreneurial spirit shines. From the enchanting Bubble House to the whimsical cotton candy cart, we uncover the magic behind these popular party elements. We also delve into wedding planning resources, highlighting MetropolitanWeddings.com as a rich source of inspiration and connections for those planning their big day. Whether you're here for wedding tips or just love the art of celebration, this episode is a treasure trove of insights and inspiration guaranteed to leave you ready to party in style.
Welcome to Metropolitan Weddings. I'm Meg, I'm Dawn, and we are here to educate couples with information from wedding professionals in the industry.
Speaker 2:Our goal is to make the wedding planning process as seamless as possible by providing you with insight from industry professionals.
Speaker 1:Okay, couples, let's get this party started. Welcome listeners. We are here today with someone that I would just like to say. This is a side note, but yesterday we recorded a video in which we tried to upset our featured guest. Today, like on multiple occasions, we came up with all kinds of strategies to like cause a conflict, and she smiled the whole time, like she would not stop smiling. I think you're the happiest merchant that's ever lived.
Speaker 2:Jordan, please introduce yourself.
Speaker 3:Hi, I'm Jordan. I'm owner of Hip Hip Array. We do balloons, party rentals, bounce houses, marquees, and we have some fun surprises coming. I'm super excited. We have decided to add a little hustle to the hustle and we're opening up a balloon bar and small party space in Joplin, and I'm really excited about it. Oh that's awesome, I know. So I'm a little overwhelmed at the moment trying to get all of the back end stuff done and prepared, but I know it'll be a fun little addition to the business.
Speaker 1:It will be. I'm excited for you.
Speaker 3:Me too, thank you.
Speaker 1:What number business will this be for you, Ms? Entrepreneur of the Year.
Speaker 3:Well, it's under the same umbrella. Uh, we're just going to keep it at one, okay? Um, I'm still kind of figuring out the, the store hours and what that looks like and if I need to hire, so hopefully, um, everything will kind of fall into place okay, I love it.
Speaker 1:Okay, yes, me too, all right, so we've started. We've started a thing where we're going to give you some quick fire questions and it's just so people can get to know you, okay, and we can try and trip you up. Are you ready?
Speaker 3:I'm ready.
Speaker 1:Okay, have you ever experienced road rage, and if so, on a level of one to ten? Oh my god.
Speaker 3:Yes, extreme road rage, wow Better, extreme road rage and I would say a level of one to ten, probably like a six. I mean, I'm not throwing fingers or anything, but I do have a logo on my van, so I'm trying to keep it together.
Speaker 1:That'll keep you honest.
Speaker 2:You're like.
Speaker 1:I'm still a happy balloon lady. Yeah, exactly, I'm actually happy to hear that there is something in the world that can make you mad, because after yesterday I was convinced that it was impossible that there is something in the world that can make you mad, because after yesterday I was convinced that it was impossible.
Speaker 3:I think yesterday I blacked out as in it was just extreme chaos for me. So I feel like I just had a smile on my face, because if not I would have been crying.
Speaker 1:All right, your next question glitter, confetti or sequins?
Speaker 3:I would say confetti Okay.
Speaker 1:Comedy drama or mystery Comedy, cheesecake, carrot cake or key lime pie.
Speaker 3:Cheesecake strawberries extra strawberries.
Speaker 2:That's my girl.
Speaker 1:I love it. So like when you guys get the the cheesecake that's got all the different kinds. Is there like a fight in your household for the strawberries, or is everyone just?
Speaker 3:I'm pretty much the only one with a sweet tooth. So no, I get whatever. I get whatever I like.
Speaker 1:Good for for you, you don't even have to share alright last question three words to describe your business fun, happy glitter.
Speaker 3:I guess I should say confetti, because we try not to work with glitter closely because it's just everywhere, but I would say fun, happy confetti.
Speaker 1:Nice, I like that. That's the kind of business that I connect with right there. Yeah, you could have said glitter. I would still be in.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, just everywhere, you know, all right.
Speaker 1:So let's talk about your business in the terms of fun, like what about your business is fun? What do?
Speaker 3:you do. Well, obviously, when we show up with balloons, everybody's happy, but on top of that, we have fun doing the helium bouquets. Those are really cool. Bounce houses are fun. We have mini soft play rentals for kids and mini size bounce houses too. So a lot of fun things.
Speaker 1:Wait, talk about what was that you just said for kids.
Speaker 3:We have a soft play mat. It's a rental with like a soft floor, a bounce house. It has little climbing soft toys and a little slide that goes into their little ball pit and it's just fun and cute for like first and second birthday parties.
Speaker 1:Oh, that sounds fun too. All right, super cute. So for weddings, do you think um what's your main thing for weddings that people are renting?
Speaker 3:For weddings. We do a ton of marquee letters with and without balloons, but a lot of people like to have their name lit up on the stage or outside as a really fun picture. Up too, especially when the sun goes down, it just looks fun.
Speaker 1:There is something fun about those marquee letters. I don't know.
Speaker 3:I know.
Speaker 1:I love them. Yeah, they set the stage for sure, they really do, do you just have? So yours are the white ones. Mm-hmm, yeah, the big white ones. How big are they?
Speaker 3:They're three foot tall, Almost as tall as me, and we can stock them and we have the little toppers that say Mr and Mrs, or you can put a zone on top of it and we can put like the Smiths, or, obviously, whatever your last name will be.
Speaker 1:Do you have every letter?
Speaker 3:We have every letter, multiples of all of them. Some of them we have three of each. So very big inventory.
Speaker 1:Have you ever been asked for something weird like a marquee horoscope sign?
Speaker 3:Oh no, not yet. Yeah, no, Most of our people are pretty normal, I would say so. We don't have any crazy requests.
Speaker 1:Okay, nobody's trying to get like Prince's symbol, or probably nobody even knows who Prince is, that's listening.
Speaker 3:It's possible. Oh, one of those? Yeah, I mean we can have them custom made, but for them to want to pay for that, no, that's not really our client.
Speaker 1:Adam, we're going to just have to have you cut all that out because it didn't make any damn sense. He's like whatever, megan, all right, so tell me, like, tell me about the balloons. How did you get into balloons?
Speaker 3:Okay, this all happened by mistake in 2021 and there has been no looking back. So I started Camp Hip Array. It was going to be a party supply store. We were just going to sell cute plates and cups and napkins out of my garage online. I bought the inventory, I launched the website and then everybody was like, oh, what about balloons? We can get balloons from you. Do you have that? I'm like no, we're not, because I don't want to work on the weekends. So now we're working every single weekend, which it's honestly been the best decision and blessing, like I'm doing something that I love and I'm passionate about. Like yes, we have hard times, and like long days and long nights, but it's awesome.
Speaker 1:That is awesome, all right. So what else do you do besides balloons and marquee letters?
Speaker 3:Because I know you're always throwing new product in. But as for party people, so like some of them say balloon artist on them, but they're all kind of party related. We have some with billiard balls that say party and like weekend party crew, just do something fun. So we're not wearing like the same logo tee every single day. Yeah, but it's just. They know who we are because we're in a bright, fun, cool looking shirt and then on top of the little party space that we're getting ready to open. That's kind of taking up all my time right now.
Speaker 1:I see.
Speaker 2:Shirts yeah, oh, yeah you are doing the shirts, aren't you?
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's been fun. Whenever I started making them, it was just for me and my employees. And then I have a bunch of friends who wanted some, so I was sending them some and then I was like, oh, I'll just put them on the website and people are ordering them. I was.
Speaker 1:I am shocked, honestly so do you think this is going to branch out into like bridesmaids, like party, like bachelor and bachelorette party?
Speaker 3:shirts. Yes, I feel like at some capacity, whether I use it as like a hip-hip array or if I just do it like quietly online, but I do have some ideas. I got to focus on getting the new store open before I can like do something for fun.
Speaker 1:I'm so proud of you for like holding back instead of doing both at once.
Speaker 3:Yes, thank you. I'm learning a hard way.
Speaker 1:So do you still have like the the ball? What was the thing that we had at the photo shoot where it like was like getting in a snow globe?
Speaker 3:Oh, the bubble house. Yeah, we have the bubble house too. That's included in our rentals. It's just not as popular as it could be in Joplin because of the price that I have to bet it at. But there's a lot of work but it's really fun.
Speaker 1:So for our listeners, describe what it is, because I feel like it makes the funnest photos. It's like its own entertainment.
Speaker 3:Yes, okay. So the Bubble House is a clear. It's pretty much like a snow globe. So there's a little tunnel. You get in the tunnel, you open up the next zipper and you're in what is a snow globe with 100, 125 balloons just spinning around you. The pictures are so cool. Um, I have I have a lot of the parties that we do. They only want it for the pictures. They don't really want to get in it to like play, right, but it's for adults, it's for kids. Um, we've done some sweet 16 parties where the girls will get in their dresses and it's just, it's just really cute yeah, it's super cute and the balloons are customized to the colors of their event yes, yep.
Speaker 3:so we had a graduation party where somebody put money in there, so there was money flying around and you can like catch the money and it. It was a good time that is a good time.
Speaker 1:That's awesome, I know. I know It'd be a really cute prom thing too. Anyway, moving on, what do you solve the cotton candy?
Speaker 3:Yes, the cotton candy cart. Yeah, yes, the cotton candy cart. Yeah, I love that. We use that as a drop-off rental. Um, we don't typically stay and spin the cotton candy, but who knows what's gonna bring us in 2025, so we might have a a fun little branch out of that. Some of my friends who live in the bigger cities have their cotton candy rented out every day of every weekend and they have attendance Tuesday and then the cotton candy, so maybe we'll get to that level, but it is a fun little thing that you can do yourself.
Speaker 1:What else do you? What else do you have?
Speaker 3:The only other thing we have is a photo booth. It's just a selfie booth, so we just set it up, leave it there, and then all the pictures are digital so you can download them to your phone.
Speaker 1:Nice, so you actually have like several rentals for do you still? Do you do the?
Speaker 3:bounce houses. Bounce houses, yes, we have a medium sized one and we have three toddler-sized ones.
Speaker 1:I like how you're like. I think all we do is the letters and the balloons, Not true? And then the shirts and the bubble house and the bounce house.
Speaker 3:Oh, it is a lot when you say it like that.
Speaker 2:It is a lot, yeah, but at least you know how to diversify. Yeah, you know, know and do different things, so because different things are probably more popular in different seasons too yes it keeps you busy all the time yes, that's the way to say it and you, you have got. You are like the entrepreneurial spirit, without a doubt. Thank you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I say ADHD has probably got me into more trouble than I would like to admit.
Speaker 2:Oh man, we're right there with you. That's true, Megan. I live in that world. You have a little downtime.
Speaker 1:Then Dawn comes up with an idea and you're like, okay, I could do that, do that but then you got to keep up with it year after year.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I know, yeah it is, but I do feel like, um, if you are creative, then you have to do stuff to, like, feed you, right, but it's okay to do it and try it and then not do it forever. True, I feel like I'm good at giving myself grace when it comes to trying new things. I at least want to try it, just to see.
Speaker 1:So you're going to try shirts. So if our listeners are like you know what, that's a good idea. I would like to get shirts for my bachelorette party. Is that something? They would contact hip hip or about yeah, I mean, yes, there are.
Speaker 3:I have ideas and I have research. Like, um, let me start that over. What was I trying to say? I have ideas and connections, so I feel like if somebody had an idea that we don't already do, I could make it work. Okay, so, yeah, interesting, we truly are trying to be like a one-stop place for all things. Party in Joplin.
Speaker 1:Do you even still do plates and napkins and that kind of?
Speaker 3:thing I have some. Yes, the orders on Etsy do come in Um, but I'm not rebuying any inventory for that, Okay.
Speaker 1:We're letting that go yeah.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, that's hilarious Okay.
Speaker 1:All right. So we've talked about fun and happy. What about confetti? Is that just how to make things fun and happy? As far as yeah, I mean we love confetti?
Speaker 3:we do, don't? Yes?
Speaker 1:I love yeah we have confetti.
Speaker 3:Yeah, me too. Um, the confetti cannons are fun too, but um, it is quite a bit quite a mess to pick up once everything's said and done. You know lots of sleeping.
Speaker 1:No kidding.
Speaker 3:Do you have a?
Speaker 1:confetti cannon.
Speaker 3:We have like the little ones you know, like for baby showers and stuff like that, yeah, online.
Speaker 2:She has everything I know.
Speaker 3:I mean literally. Do you have?
Speaker 2:anything else she's like no, it's like the party. She's like everything party. She's got it, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:When we first were starting. When we first started, we would have people order the party supplies from us, and so when we went to deliver the balloons we would take the plates and the napkins and all that too. So it was truly convenient. But then our business quickly changed to balloons and party rentals, so there was a little bit of a crossover, but not so much anymore.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you found your niche yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that works Well. We love it that you found your niche, because you are such an asset to the wedding community.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:Every time you set up some stuff, it's always adorable quality.
Speaker 3:And you do it with the hugest smile on your face. We try yeah, we don't try to cry in public, but we'll do that behind the closed door.
Speaker 2:It's a late night cry. Oh my gosh, yes.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, All right. Have I missed any items? I know I have. I. Oh my gosh All right. Have I missed any items? I know I have. I know there's more.
Speaker 3:No, I think we've really talked about a lot of things, and the newest thing is the party space.
Speaker 1:That is exciting. Yeah, when you launch that, send me info. We got to share it with the world.
Speaker 3:Okay, yeah, I will. I'll put that on my list right now.
Speaker 1:Thank, okay. Yeah, I will. I'll put that on my list right now. Thank you, all right, if somebody is ready to ask a question about one of these 95 things we just talked about, how do they get a hold of you?
Speaker 3:um, I would say, if you're trying to book a party with us, you're just going to go to shop hiphiparraycom and in the menu you'll click hire us and I'll take you to our inquiry form. Um, you can message us on instagram, facebook or we're on tiktok too. Um, yeah, I would say inquiry form or instagram would be the best and I would just like to clarify it's hip, hip array yes, array yes a r r. A lot of people say hooray, but that's okay.
Speaker 1:It can be confusing well, I mean, yeah, it's like kind of in your in our heads to be hip, hip, hooray. I think array is adorable. I just don't want to go to the wrong website. No like where's the t-shirts?
Speaker 3:I don't see them here they will see them if they get there yet. But but yeah, shop hip, hip array because we have an array of party items.
Speaker 1:Love it Love it. Yep, awesome. Well, thanks for catching up with us today and teaching us about how to be a happy, fun, confetti loving business.
Speaker 3:Yes, well, thanks for having me. I'm really excited.
Speaker 2:Thank you, we'll talk to you soon, bye, bye.
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