Le monde
LIFE IS ONE BIG
CELEBRATION Let's Mingle! B y A B I G A I L R YA N Photography by MICKI GLENN
Opposite left: Balloon garlands made with different sizes and colors are a huge trend in event decor. This “welcome to our wedding” installation by Mingle is magical! Photo courtesy of Mingle Opposite right: Mingling balloons with flowers and greenery is always elegant and beautiful. Photo by Darris Hartman Photography 106 | SE P T E MBE R 2019
P
eople often wonder what can make an ordinary party into an extraordinary, successful event. It’s not just about refreshing beverages, mouthwatering hors d’oeuvres, and tunes that you can’t help but dance to alongside your squad—although all those things are certainly significant. The overall experience is one of the most pivotal things that people sometimes forget to consider when planning. With that experience comes the decor. You want guests to come to your event and photograph different details that leave them thinking, “I want that!” or “That’s so clever!” How does one achieve this? Say hello to Rebecca Cross of Mingle. If you’re a Northwest Florida local or a frequent visitor to the area, you might have seen her along the Emerald Coast building some of the most extravagant balloon
decorations you’ve ever laid your eyes on. Other than that, good luck finding her. “I am the girl who shows up at every party, even when I am never actually invited,” she says. “I come in and make everything look picture perfect, and then I disappear before the show begins.” Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Cross is a creative mastermind. In 2004, she launched an online shop where she sold craft supplies and memory-keeping products to paper-craft enthusiasts around the world. In just three months, the brand she “accidentally” built from her garage had grown to become one of the top ten sites in the world of craft hobbies. “Twitter wasn’t tweeting yet, and Pinterest wasn’t anything we could have even imagined yet,” she says. Two years later, Cross sold the business—but that wasn’t the end for her. In 2007, she launched a design
