Shops / Shop of the Week
Shop of the Week: Enchanted Balloons, Brislington
Enchanted Balloons is far from your average party shop.
Step inside and you’re instantly immersed in a world of colour, sparkle and creativity.
From bespoke balloon arrangements to fresh flowers, decorations and cards, the shop has items needed to turn life’s moments into memorable celebrations.
The shop’s commitment to catering for all shines through the shop’s versatile range with options to suit many tastes and budgets.
From single birthday balloons or to commissioning a custom arch for a baby shower, the Enchanted team aims to bring customers’ visions to life with care and creativity.
Carollyn Magic is the owner of Enchanted Balloons in Brislington
Behind the ribbon and glitter is owner Carollyn Magic, who has been in the balloon industry for over 20 years.
Originally an accountant, she discovered her creative calling after being made redundant and decorating for her children’s birthday parties.
What began as a home-based passion project has since evolved into a thriving enterprise.
Reflecting on how her previous career prepared her for running the shop, she said: “Having the accounting background you then manage to cost properly, do your homework before just jumping into it.”
“I haven’t looked back since”, she added.
Today Carollyn runs a bustling shop while also teaching others as a certified instructor for the South West for the National Association of Balloon Artists & Suppliers.
Carollyn teaches and demonstrates her balloon artistry skills to others
The small business owner credits her success to constant learning and motivation: “You’ve got to think outside the box, keep learning and stay on top of trends.”
“It’s important to not compare to other people, just focus on yourself it’s why I still go on training courses and work with international balloon artists because you can always learn something new”.
Her design process is meticulous, beginning with a blank sheet of paper and a mood board before building her ideas into reality, comparing balloons to Lego blocks.
During lockdown, Carollyn adapted quickly expanding her shop to offer click and collect and delivery services to ensure spirit of celebrations never put on pause.
She explained:“I didn’t sit down and cry. I thought: ‘we need to do something’.
“So we built our online shop and kept going. You’ve got to stay positive and keep moving”.
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Carollyn leads a passionate team of seven who help manage everything from stock control to social media.
Among them is Lucy, 32, who first walked through the door over a decade ago as a customer.
She explained: “I came in pregnant with my first baby for my baby shower and said: ‘I’d love to work here’.
“Now I’ve been here for nearly four years”.
Carollyn knows most of her customers by name and her warmth has built a loyal community around her shop.
For her, the job is much more about people as it is about parties.
“When you read some of the reviews, it makes it worth it,” she said.
“With some reviews, you just sit there with a tear in your eye and you feel really good.”
Enchanted Balloons can be found on Sandy Park Road
All photos: Amelia Shaw
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