

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dania McKinson.
Hi Dania, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Some of my fondest memories are from my childhood in Jamaica. Coming from a family that is incredibly resourceful, I saw most of my aunts and cousins do everything from sewing and crocheting to baking. My mom, in particular, had an affinity for styling and started pairing her sewing skills with interior design. Eventually, she and an aunt of mine joined forces and a business was born! It quickly began thriving and I remember happily tagging along with her on installation days.
Fast forward to moving to South Florida – although the business didn’t pan out here, it sowed a creative seed in me that came to light many years and several detours later. I’d finished college, started my “dream career” in health administration, and started climbing the corporate ladder… or so I thought.
It was the desire to help my coworkers celebrate their special life moments that led me to start dabbling in event design. We’d have office birthdays, baby showers and bridal showers with balloons and flowers in the mix. Each celebration exposed me more and more to this newfound interest and I was having a blast! In 2019, I made things official and started doing weddings and events – my first clients came from that very same company. Bookings (mainly for florals) started becoming pretty consistent, to my surprise. But 2020 changed everything, as we’re all too familiar with.
Once events started happening again towards the latter part of that year, 99% of my inquiries were for balloons. My clients’ needs were definitely shifting, so in March of 2021 I followed suit and made the decision to solely focus on balloons. I guess you could say the rest was history!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Some of them make me chuckle now, but there have been countless struggles! Self-doubt was probably the most overarching challenge for me. I could see the incredible events more established balloon stylists were creating and would constantly compare my work to theirs. Each time I finished an install, I’d almost shred it to pieces with my critiques… I genuinely thought about quitting a few times.
But I’d pray about it and God would provide an encouraging nudge to keep going. So I kept practicing and slowly started seeing progress in my work. Once I finally got into a design flow, the level of inquiries and correspondence eventually became too hard to juggle with my full-time role. In October of 2021, after six years with my company, I resigned and decided to focus on Amber and Vine full time!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At Amber and Vine, we create breathtaking balloon installations to make your celebrations that much sweeter! Each design is crafted with intention and adds the perfect POP to intimate gatherings and large-scale events alike. We’re not done until we’re 1000% sure our clients are happy with the final product.
And if there’s one thing I’ve learned about business, it’s that the impression you leave with anyone who interacts with your company is priceless. To us, bookings aren’t simply transactional. The level of service we provide and the relationships we form with our clients is something we take great pride in. Some have become friends!
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I truly have to thank my previous company for providing me with opportunities to explore my creative interests, as I don’t know if Amber and Vine would be here without that. I’ve also had family and friends pour into me since day 1, cheering me on and encouraging me (especially on the hard days).
But the MVP of this entire operation is my mom. From helping with the prep work, brainstorming ideas with me, being another creative eye, crafting extra details, styling onsite and way more – she is my absolute lifesaver! We’re always in awe that her design pursuits may not have come to fruition but that she’s been able to derive joy from being a part of mine.
In addition, I have the best clients and fellow vendors! They literally share my business with any and everyone, so a pretty hefty chunk of our bookings actually come directly from referrals. We’re so humbled and grateful for that and are so excited to see what the rest of 2022 has in store.
Pricing:
- On-site installations start at $475
Contact Info:
- Email: amberandvineevents@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amberandvine
Image Credits
Halle Alessia Photography Dreamer Photography Melanie Zehner Photography Ru and Co. Dea Moser