Exploring Life & Business with Steffanie Harrison & Jennifer Dillingham of Slumber Haven Tent Parties

Today we’d like to introduce you to Steffanie Harrison & Jennifer Dillingham. They and their team shared their story with us below:

These two mamas, Steffanie Harrison and Jennifer Dillingham of Mt. Juliet. TN decided one Christmas to go for it. That was 2 Christmas ago. Slumber haven tent parties (part of Glamp Haven, LLC) celebrated an entire year of operation! Steffanie and Jen have known each other and crafted together with and through the births of their children for over a decade.

Jen + Steff are over-the-top crafters, but it’s a lot of work. Around the time of their boys’ birthdays they had decided in the ‘chaos’, what if there was a system? What if this process that brings so much joy could be acquired easily? Covid hit in a way for Jen + Steff that they decided togetherness and community needed to be encouraged.

And these big top parties were just the way to fix it. Jennifer is a skilled photographer with an incredible eye for detail and an ability to plan and organize. She has a place and label for everything. She has a natural way of making sure all our supplies are the best. For example, she has a system for sanitizing the bedding and tents and considers those who have allergens.

Steffanie’s mom owned a large event-planning company in Atlanta. She grew up around parties and being an extravert she was no stranger to throwing them herself! She wanted to grow her embroidery/screen printing business in a way that benefited multiple children at one time. Creating Slumber Haven with Jen allowed her to continue making adorable custom items. Her goal was to one day inspire little entrepreneurs through events and workshops. Slumber Haven, LLC is so excited to see this happen this spring for the first opportunity we have had to experience a platinum package party per person as an event!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Entrepreneurship with a partner is like a marriage. Jennifer and Steffanie are both happily married with children.

This creates its own problems. If it isn’t broken why fix it? Convincing their husbands to take over weekend responsibilities solo wasn’t an easy task. Looking back it was a silver lining in Jennifer and Steffanie building their partnership. They had to make it work to convince their husbands this was all worth it. Despite their differences, Jenn & Steff witnessed the glow parents and kiddos get from Slumber Haven’s parties and knew the obstacles were worth it.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Slumber Haven Tent Parties?
Slumber Haven is about making core memories. The joy spread across the faces of our customers assures us this is good for our community. Togetherness in a stress-free environment is essential for creating memories easily. As parents of children with learning disabilities, we know the importance of well-planned events and activities.

We take the hard part off the plates of our customers, we plan, set up, tear down and store until next time! We love over-the-top setups and making everyone feel like it is their special day too, by personalizing cups, bags, and tee shirts with guest names.

Our workshops and events promote reading and togetherness. Slumber Haven is partnering with local stores and placing reading nook teepees to accommodate shopping parents. A Royal PJ party is our first reading workshop/event!

What were you like growing up?
Growing up Jennifer and Steffanie were both from smaller towns. Jennifer grew up in Mt Juliet and Steffanie transplanted from Gainesville, Ga. Jennifer with a creative eye took to photography and graphic design, completing her degree locally at Nashville state.

Steffanie obtained higher education here in Nashville at Lipscomb University which inspired her relocation. She taught Spanish in metro Nashville and in Williamson Co. before retiring to have children. Jennifer and Steffanie met through friends and later Steffanie ended up marrying Jennifer’s and her husband’s best friend! So, like family, they navigate life together and even celebrate holidays.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.slumberhavententparties.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slumberhavententparties/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slumberhavententparties/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/slumberhavententparties 

Image Credits
@Zachharrisonphotography