‘We love creating magical memories’

Whether your kid loves Harry Potter or sleepovers, there’s a party idea for everyone. By Audrey Kane

Victoria, Paul, and their daughter Sofia pictured in one of their sleepover set-ups

Victoria, Paul, and their daughter Sofia pictured in one of their sleepover set-ups

One of their christening tents

Victoria, Paul, and their daughter Sofia pictured in one of their sleepover set-ups

February 27 2022 02:30 AM

Planning a party for your smallies can be an exciting, yet stressful project. While you want to mark the milestone and make it as special and memorable as possible, you usually end up missing out because you’re running around trying to organise everything. But what if you could take the hassle out of any event — big or small — and let someone else transform your home or garden into an enchanting party space? Well, now you can thanks to husband and wife team Paul and Victoria Carey, creators of The Dream Teepee Party and Events. Victoria (44) is originally from Sicily in Italy and moved to Ireland in 2000. She explains how the idea for the family-run business took off from their home in Wexford after her eight-year-old’s birthday party in 2019. “When our daughter, Sofia, was turning eight, she loved all things Harry Potter, so for her birthday she asked for Hogwarts as her party theme,” she says. “But it wasn’t as simple as we thought it would be. We searched long and hard and couldn’t find anywhere that could provide a bespoke party for her, so we did the next best thing and decided to make Sofia’s dream come true ourselves. “My husband Paul is a talented self-taught carpenter, so he built the teepee frame and I prepared the fabrics to sew onto them. Then we sourced all the accessories — from the mattresses, bedding and themed scatter cushions to the fairy lights and lanterns. “We managed to bring to life the magic of the wizarding world for Sofia and it was a such a great day — all her little friends absolutely loved it and had such a fun time. “After the success of Sofia’s party, we started to get requests from parents who wanted to hire the teepees for their own children’s parties and their feedback encouraged us to post them on social media and the business grew organically from there. “Our signature indoor sleepovers are now one of our most popular events for boys and girls from age six onwards. But we cater for just about anything from hen parties, and communions, to a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party — you name it, we can do it.” Now as ‘The Dream’ grows, more creations have followed suit with Victoria and Paul (45) constantly updating their bespoke service, adding unique and stylish pieces. And it’s easy to see the attention to detail in the breathtaking creations — from the Luxe Dining Dome to the Signature Indoor Sleepover set-ups — providing something every little and (big girl) dreams of. “I have a passion for interior design and event planning and it makes me so happy being able to combine the two with Paul’s talent in building everything,” says Victoria. “I know we very lucky to do it as our job and it still holds the same joy that it did right at the start when we were just doing it for family and friends. “Now our goal for the future is to continue to bring unique and luxury party themes to children and adults, creating magical experiences that they will talk about for years to come.”