A labor of love: Decorating my local church for children's anniversary.
Over the weekend, we celebrated our annual children anniversary in my local church and I was graced to be a part of it.
On Saturday,the church was filled with excitement building up for the upcoming celebration. The air was electric with anticipation, and I couldn't wait to contribute my part to making this day special for the young ones. My task was to help decorate the church, and I was eager to get started.
I began by meeting with the decoration team, comprised of dedicated volunteers, mainly youths like myself too from our church community. We brainstormed ideas, discussing themes, colors, and price of decoration materials. It was very clear that materials are now very expensive and our goal was to create a vibrant atmosphere that would make the children feel celebrated regardless of how much we had. We spent nothing less than N20,000 and still managed to do something meaningful.
After a lot of deliberation , we got to work. We started by draping colorful ribbons and bows across the congregation seats and along the aisles. The church was slowly transformed into a festive wonderland, and I couldn't wait to see the outcome.
Next, we set up a beautiful stage wallpaper for the altar, adorned with lovely designs. This would be the focal point of the celebration, where the children would perform, share their talents, and receive awards.
This was the result of our first work.
We had to delay the balloon decorations till midnight because the balloons would deflate and that would result to wasted efforts.
I was tasked with creating a stunning balloon arrangement for the altar. I chose a mix of blue and pink colors, as that was the color theme for the anniversary . As I worked, I was hoping that this arrangement would impress people because I wasn't really sure if I could do it. But it came out nice and I was so happy!
My eyes were very heavy at this point because of lack of sleep. I didn't know decoration was this stressful. Event decorators dey try abeg😂
On Sunday morning, the other team members set up tables, hanged banners, and arranged a special photo booth area. The church was buzzing with activity, and everyone was working together in harmony.
As the decorations neared completion, we stepped back to admire our handiwork. The church was unrecognizable – transformed into a vibrant, celebratory space that radiated love and joy.
I was really glad to have helped in the decorations because it has helped me to gain one or two things about event planning and I know that if I'm ever needed anywhere else in decorating events, I'll have somethings to contribute too.
The children's anniversary celebration was a resounding success, with beaming smiles, happy laughter, and heartfelt performances. As I looked around at the sea of young faces, I knew that our decorations had played a small part in making this day truly special.
In the end, decorating our local church was more than just a task – it was a labor of love. It reminded me that even the smallest contributions can make a significant difference in the lives of others. As I left the church that day, I felt grateful for the opportunity to serve and already looked forward to the next chance to contribute.