2010-03-02 07:00:00 by SMARTBRIDE
Bride-To-Be: Finding the Perfect Decorator
Last week I wrote about finding a venue and how the venue I selected didn’t quite measure up to the glamorous space I had pictured for my wedding day. However, I knew that we could make the hall we chose look perfect with the help of a decorator.
A professional decorator would help us to enhance the space and create the atmosphere I had envisioned. The decorator we met with had recently started her company. Initially, I was hesitant to work with someone who did not have a lot of experience and who was new to the industry, but her rates were very competitive compared to the larger local companies we could have worked with.
Plus, she came highly recommended by a friend. Word-of-mouth referrals have proven to be an excellent resource for me in all areas of my wedding planning!
The Consultation
For our consultation visit, we went to the decorator's house where she showed us a head-table design she was working on for an upcoming wedding. The fuchsia gerbera daisy theme was not our cup of tea, but the lovely display ensured us that our decorator paid attention to details and used quality materials.
She also showed us a portfolio with photos from previous weddings she had worked on. Her portfolio included photos of her work at weddings held in the venue that we had chosen and we could see that she skilfully used decor to set the mood for the space. Based on these examples and the personal referral, we happily hired her and didn't even meet with another decorator!
During our subsequent meetings, we discussed my ideas for the wedding decorations and my plans to turn this not-so-spectacular hall into a space that I could be proud of. While the wedding is supposed to be my big day, it's also important to me that everyone can appreciate the work we put into planning our event. After all, many of us are guilty of attending a wedding and criticizing the venue or décor.
Decorator's Quote
Our decorator quoted us at roughly $1200. This was double the cost of the decoration package the hall provided, but I knew it was worth the "splurge" and would make me feel much better about the wedding, especially given my earlier concerns about the venue.
One thing that I really appreciated, and would recommend all brides-to-be ask to see in their vendor quotes, is a breakdown of costs for things like chair covers and table linens. This made it easy to decide what we could take out or include and helped us manage our costs. Did we really need green chair covers AND sashes? Would green runners be the most cost effective way to accent the tables?
Perhaps most importantly, our decorator made us feel at ease because she shared the same sentiments about weddings as we did. We wanted our wedding to look great and for our guests to have fun, but we wanted to do all this without spending a fortune. I cringe at the thought of people over spending on a wedding when their money could been better spent on the down payment for a house or new furniture.
*SmartBride Planning Tip:* Trust your gut! Make sure you feel comfortable with the vendors you are booking. Also, ask for an itemized quote. This will help you determine where you can save, where you might want to splurge, and makes comparisons with other rental companies easier.
Check back every Tuesday for more of my wedding planning stories and wedding planning tips for smart brides,
Alicia
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About our Guest Blogger: Alicia Mason
On December 23, 2008 I got engaged to my best friend and soul mate. We set the date for September 25, 2010 and for the past year I have been sleeping and breathing everything wedding including; the venue, food, flowers, decorator, invitations, and finding the perfect dress…all on a budget!
While I didn't go crazy meeting with 10 florists and 10 decorators, I put a lot of thought into each decision and was able to find great deals along the way. I am thrilled that the SmartBride Boutique ladies have asked me to be a guest blogger in order to give you details about my wedding planning. While the planning isn't easy, it is exciting and I hope as you plan your wedding, you'll find my experiences helpful.
More posts from Bride-to-Be Alicia:
