University student Reagan May is a full time student by week day, but doubles as a princess on weekends.
May, an advertising junior, started her company, Rent A Princess over the summer, and business is booming.
May said the idea for the company blossomed after she posed for a photo shoot wearing a princess dress. From there, May posed for her niece’s party, and Rent A Princess was born.
The company features princesses such as the snow queen, winter princess, long hair tower princess, brave princess and beautiful sleeping princess. According to the company’s website, the glass slipper princess is soon to come.
“The goal of the company is to make the children feel wonderful, special and excited in that moment,” May said. “Telling them they are princesses is the most magical thing.”
Elementary education sophomore Corinna Cherrier doubles as a Miller Hall resident assistant and princess on the weekends. Cherrier joined the princess crew after filling in for a former employee an hour before a party.
“I walked through the back door to a party at little Addison’s house and she ran up to me and yelled, “You look super duper beautiful!” Cherrier said. “It made me melt being that I was the ice queen.”
Customers looking to rent the princess clan can do so by ordering packages. Packages offered are the perfect princess package, beautiful princess package and winter princess package, which range from $125 to $200.
Little girls receive more than a visit from a princess. For an extra fee, princesses perform tea parties, princess tutorials and royal coronations.
May said the most important rule for the princesses is to never break their characters. She said princesses should be well versed like they are in movies and be able to improvise and handle any question thrown at them.
“We even talk to other princesses in character when we aren’t at a party,” May said. “It keeps the magic alive.”
May said the costumes for the company can range from $500 to $2,000.The princess costumes are hand made by May and her grandmother, while her mother produces the wigs. May said the ones that are not hand made she purchases online.
“Costume management is the hardest part,” Cherrier said. “We can’t eat in the costumes and we are extremely careful with them.”
May said the costumes’ quality is the most important thing to her and she expects her employees to care for the costumes with respect.
“Moms will call me while I’m in class,” May said. “Every free moment I have I am returning customer calls, booking parties and texting employees.”
Rent A Princess brings fairy tale endings to those in need as well through volunteer work. Cherrier said the princesses paid a visit to Baton Rouge General Hospital and will participate in an upcoming 5K as the snow sisters.
Using her advertising major’s curriculum, May makes her company’s logo along with the logos of other princess businesses. The company received a franchise offer in Atlanta, Georgia, but May said the biggest expansion the company will have is to bring smiles to even more children.