Growing up in a family of 12 children, Darina Stepanchenko spent much of her time helping plan and decorate for family events. Three years ago, she turned this experience into Meraki Party Rentals. When managing inventory and bookings became challenging, she started using Booqable to streamline her rental operation.
From family celebrations to professional rentals
Darina’s early years were filled with planning birthday parties, baby showers, and bridal showers for her large family. This sparked her interest in event planning and decorating. As she accumulated event decor over the years, she saw an opportunity to start her own rental business.
Meraki Party Rentals offers backdrops, chairs, tables, table decor, balloon arches, and custom faux arrangements. She works with DIY enthusiasts and event planners, focusing on smaller events to maintain high-quality inventory. Her reasonable prices make it possible for anyone to create their dream event.
Many of Darina’s clients return for different life events - from bridal showers to weddings, then baby showers and children’s birthdays. She enjoys being part of these important moments and watching families grow.
Simple spreadsheets to online bookings
Before Booqable, Darina tracked inventory and created invoices using Excel spreadsheets. This made it difficult to track available inventory for specific dates and keep all information organized. She also lacked a way to showcase pictures of her items to potential customers.
She now uses Booqable to manage her inventory and accept online bookings. Customers can browse items with photos, check availability, and book directly through her website. This self-service approach has saved her significant time since she no longer needs to manually book every client.
The mobile app allows her to check bookings quickly while on the go. Her customers appreciate having all inventory and pricing information in one place, making it easier to plan their events.
Growing inventory
As a one-person operation with occasional help for event setups, Darina has created a successful rental business. She plans to expand her backdrop collection and take on more event setups in the coming years. She also wants to invest in unique items to enhance her offering while maintaining the personal service that has made Meraki Party Rentals successful.
