Planning a celebration and getting everything organized can sometimes be a huge task. Merika Massay and her aptly named business Dream Catcher aims to not only remove that burden, but to fulfil dreams by making the occasion special.

Dream Catcher specialises in weddings, but Merika says it can cater for any occasion.

In a recent interview with The Scene, the young businesswoman with blossoming ideas said she decorates for functions as well as makes dream cakes and a miscellany of finger foods. Putting that aside, Merika stocks a variety of other things that you may have to pick up at the last minute or you may just want to be apart of that occasion. Even if you have not seen it, ask for it.

A glance around the little business located in Charlotte Street, reveals that Dream Catcher has just about anything you can think of and to bring it all together there is always an event planner waiting patiently to give you the best advice.

Merika, 32, said she has been doing this kind of work since she was a teenager with her mother Barbara Massay who owns Kreative Décor. Because of her mom, Merika was encouraged to open her own place which began to welcome customers last March. Up until now, Merika who is sometimes referred to as 'the woman with a golden touch' has never placed an advertisement and says that she is not sure how she gets her customers. But clearly her business is the type of place that people would love to share with their friends. Merika, however has now decided to launch an advertising campaign and The Scene was lucky to have a sneak preview of it.

Today, the young entrepreneur decorates for big businesses all across the country including some of the banks and other large organizations and with the Christmas season just around the corner, Merika has hardly any time for herself.

"I love doing things like this" she said. "I try to look absolutely unique and I love fresh flowers."

The woman uses all types of fabrics, balloons and other specialties to get the look that she wants but she said she opts to use local products most of the time.

"If I see something that I think that I can bring life to, I take it and work on it."

Merika is currently making an investment that she expects will lift the whole field of decorating and in her words she wants to "bring new life to decorating in Guyana".

She predicts that in the next six months there will be a change in the face of decorating and a bright spark in Guyana's decorating arena.

The talented young lady is investing in heavy-duty equipment to create special effects rather than just relying on the use of different coloured fabric to complete a design. "I will be enhancing the face of décor through the use of machinery and other supplies.

"My business is my baby and I have just started a gift selection in the store, I don't have many of anything, but I have exquisite pieces."

Merika is also about to launch her bridal registry and she has started to design her own ceramic pieces. Almost every item in Merika's store has been made with her own hands. She has even made her own dustbin, table, pen holder and other little accessories to bring life to Dream Catcher.

She said she also works along with customers to suit their budget so that they can have their dream wedding or party and she takes her customers through everything step by step.

"It's difficult sometimes because people do not understand what an event person is," Merika said, adding that they first try to organise and event on their own and then contact her halfway through when they become overwhelmed by everything that must be done. "I am the first person that you are supposed to call. People waste money without even realizing it."

Merika even has an imitation cake that can work well for the person who can't afford the real thing. This is a mould that is decorated to suit the décor of the event. She explained that one part of the cake can actually be real while the next part can be fake.

She said that because of the general lack of exposure in Guyana and about these things, it is difficult to give people a little more than what they perceive to be décor.

When Merika is out of ideas or is bombarded by too many ideas, she makes an emergency call to her mom to help her fix things. He mother is the influence in her life.

Merika feels that she possesses the energy, passion and spirit when it comes to doing her work.

Her dream is to one day cater for functions for the President and dignitaries in Guyana and she Merika has no problem taking her business as far as Barbados or Jamaica.

Her greatest difficulty while setting up the business was finding a location.

Merika who has studied in Guyana and abroad said she had once wanted to become a journalist.

Her advice to other young persons desirous of beginning a business like that is "It's not as easy as it looks and never under estimate the amount of time to accomplish your task".