Story by Angela Reeves
From the time she was a little girl, Melissa Greathouse (Missy) was mesmerized with entertaining. It was in her blood. Her family loved entertaining on their farm in Oakland when she was growing up and would hold big shindigs down by the river with live bands, kid activities, and food galore. Her and her husband Joel still live on the several hundred-acre family farm, as does her brother and his family, her parents, and her grandparents, all with homes spread out throughout the farm. They still love throwing parties by the river, but now have expanded into helping others with their events as well with A Family Affair Event Rental Company.
Missy has been a pharmacist for 20 years, working at the Sheldon’s Pharmacy on Campbell Lane, and admittedly loves staying busy and the pride and joy that comes from hard work, so deciding to start an event company around her main job just made sense. When her son got married a few years ago, she saw the need for rentals in the Bowling Green area and decided to purchase some things for the weddings that could be used or rented later. She started with the basics – tables, folding chairs and linens and housed the items in a storage area on the farm. With the help of her family, the company has now grown into so much more with additional items including tableware – china, glassware, silverware, barware and chargers, lighting, centerpieces, votives, candelabras, arbors, farm tables, custom bars, multiple styles of tables and chairs including Chiavari chairs and much more. She can keep her costs down significantly to the customer because her family helps custom build so many of the items and together with only a few employees, they transport and set up/tear down all their event bookings. “We offer things in Bowling Green that someone used to only be able to find in Nashville, and typically our pricing is more affordable,” said Missy.
In 2019, the company booked over 100 events, and each year continues to grow. Bookings range from small intimate gatherings to 500 person weddings, corporate and business events, festivals and seasonal outings. “It’s been very challenging, but we have so much fun doing it. It’s really hard work but a creative outlet for me that I never knew I needed,” said Missy. At first, making contacts and getting their name out was the most difficult challenge, just breaking into the event industry, but now after a few years in the business, they are rapidly growing and loving how welcoming everyone has been in the community. One day, their future vision would be to have a store front to showcase so many of their great creative products, to help people visualize how the right chairs or place settings could bring life to their event. For now, however, they will continue to add to their inventory, keep up with ever changing trends, and keep customers and bride and grooms happy, one event at a time!
When she’s not in the pharmacy and not working events, Missy stays busy and active by enjoying the farm and the outdoors, kayaking and watching her husband drag race. She has two children, son “Preston Green,” Beaver FM radio DJ as well as event DJ, and daughter Isabella, 15. You can find A Family Affair Event Rental online at www.afamilyaffaireventrentals.
com and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @afamilyaffairrentals.