Busy Event Weekend

Expressive Events just had an absolutely crazy weekend!  We had four events in two different cities so suffice to say we were pretty tired on Sunday.  The key to doing multiple events at the same time is organization, cross-checking each other's work, and having a great team that you can rely on. All four came together beautifully, as you can see by the photos below.

Edmonton's River Cree Casino hosted our Great Gatsby themed corporate event and included two backdrops, two styles of centerpieces, runners and a photo station.  Feathers and crystals were prominent decor features at this event which complimented the black and gold seen throughout the room.

The other events were less grand, featuring centerpieces, backdrops and some runners, but still had the same professional quality you'd expect from EED. Scroll down to see photos from the various locations and to get inspired for your next event.  If you have a unique event vision you would like brought to life, give us a call to discuss your needs; we're always happy to collaborate and create something stunning, 403-295-3030!

Photo station for the Great Gatsby party

Two centrepiece styles for the Great Gatsby party

Grand entrance for the Great Gatsby party

 

Completed Great Gatsby decor

 Main stage backdrop for the Great Gatsby party, side view

Main stage backdrop for the Great Gatsby party, front view

Main stage backdrop for the Great Gatsby party, close up

Main stage backdrop at Civic on Third

Main stage backdrop for a retirement party at Commonwealth Event Hall, front view

Main stage backdrop for a retirement party at Commonwealth Event Hall, side view

 

Fresh spring flower arrangement for a retirement party at Commonwealth Event Hall

Outdoor Ceremonies

Now that the weather is slowly starting to get nicer, we're going to see outdoor wedding ceremonies emerge again.  Because of the beautiful natural landscape outdoor ceremonies offer, they are a great option for an organic setting.  Being surrounded by natural beauty also means you can potentially reduce the ceremony decor budget somewhat if you use the existing prettiness to it's full potential.  The other benefit to outdoor ceremonies is the option for fresh petals along the aisle way, where-as most indoor venues don't permit fresh petals because they stain carpet.  You can do some really neat things with petals as far as designs go, such as a personalized monogram or abstract design.  Be sure to get an aisle tie-off though so your guests don't ruin it before you even get to see it!

Aisle petals at the Calgary Zoo

HOWEVER; being in Calgary, we all know that the weather doesn't always cooperate.  Make sure that you a) have a back up plan, and b) you'll be satisfied with that back-up plan should the weather turn against you.  At the same time, if you are dead-set on having an outdoor ceremony and the weather IS bad, just throw on a smile, have some fun props ready (like umbrellas in your theme colors), and carry on.  EED has had clients in the past get married in the pouring rain, and they were so excited that they still got to have their outdoor ceremony, despite the horrendous weather.  At the end of the day, no matter where your ceremony is, the important thing is that you're married.  All the rest is just details.  Need to talk further about your ceremony options?  Book an appointment with Expressive Events today to learn more, and then come read our blog next week about 2017 inspiration colors!

Outdoor ceremony at Baker's Park in the pouring rain

Decor Rentals

In addition to offering fresh flowers, decor installation, and professional service, Expressive Events also has a vast inventory of decor available for rent!  Rentals are a great option if you're more a do-it-yourself type person, your event is out of town, or you're simply on a really tight budget.  Unlike full service decor installation, when you choose rentals, you are responsible for all the set-up and tear-down.  You'll pick up your rental products 1-3 days before your event and will be given a quick tutorial on how everything works as well as instructions for returning all items. Once your event is over, you'll repackage everything according to the instructions given, and return them to our warehouse within 2 business days of the event; however, we are always flexible with pick-up and drop-off times if you need a little extra.  Just let us know and we can work something out.

If you have a more complicated rental order, we offer a more in-depth demonstration prior to your event so that you'll know exactly what to do come the day-of.  We also encourage you to bring your "set-up crew" to this demo and film it, so that you won't have to rely on memory alone to carry you through.  We also share with you the tips and tricks that we follow when we are setting up professionally so that you have the confidence to execute a beautiful event.

Furthermore, we pride ourselves on treating all our clients like VIPs, regardless of their order.  We don't segregate our 'rental inventory' from our 'installation' inventory.  It's all the same product so you can rest assured you will be getting the same great quality EED has always provided.  All rentals will be clean, pressed, folded, and packaged securely for your ease and convenience.

You can pretty much rent your entire wedding or event decor from us too, so it makes it really easy. That means you can get backdrops, linens, chair covers and sashes, glassware for centrepieces, props, furniture, chandeliers and lighting.  For our full list of rental inventory, click on the link below to view our catalogue.  We're constantly adding new inventory though so check back often.  We will also bring in a specific items for clients if we think they will be popular and will go out again, so if you're looking for something special give us a call.  EED can also design beautiful flower arrangements to pair with your rental order so that you can still have fabulous fresh florals at your event.  Contact us today to find out more or to book your next rental order, 403-295-3030! Stay tuned for next's week's blog about outdoor ceremonies.

http://www.expressiveeventsanddecor.com/rentals.html

NEW INVENTORY:

Gold candelabra shown without arms (left) and with arms (right).  

Glass votive cups can be added to the arms as well so that live flame candles can be used inside (venue permitting)

Champagne sequin 90 x 156" tablecloth

Black framed pentagon and square geometric vases 

Mermaid scale silver sequin 85 x 85" table overlay

 

Hanging diamond glass balls with crystals and pink LED lights

Rose Gold Mercury Bell Vase
Pictured with vine lights inside and a white flower arrangement on top

Eggplant sequin chair bands

Budgeting for a Wedding

Here at Expressive Events we pride ourselves on delivering customized service, uniquely catered to each individual client.  That’s why, during your consultation, we always ask what your budget is.  We don’t do this to put you on the spot or make you feel pressured or uncomfortable; we ask so that we know not to offer items outside your budget.  We don’t want you to fall in love with something, only for us to later tell you that it’s far beyond your price range.  For most couples, if it is your first time getting married you have no idea how to answer the budget question.  You don’t know how much flowers cost, or backdrops, or centerpieces. 

As a rough guideline, we recommend spending $14-20 per guest (including the guests in your wedding party) on décor.  This amount would cover all of your focal points, which means your head table, guest book table, cake table, linens, and centerpieces for an average wedding.  Also, because we offer all fresh flowers (bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, ceremony flowers, etc.) in house, you can add your fresh flower budget to your decor budget.  By budgeting this way, you get a rough estimate of how much it should cost and you can easily recalculate if your numbers go up or down.  This is the simplest way to determine a ballpark figure of how much you should be spending on your wedding décor.   

However, this is not a fixed number, or final amount.  If you are wanting very elaborate decor such as ceiling decor, high end centerpieces, or fancy linens, then obviously you will need to budget higher than the person who only wants a single vase with a candle, and very basic linens!  This is also why we encourage all our clients to come in to see us before committing to anything.  It's much easier to explain costs and show examples in person and in real-time rather than through email.  If you have any other questions regarding budget, décor or booking your next event, we would be happy to sit down with you to discuss your needs.  Call to book your complimentary appointment today, 403-295-3030!

Basic centerpiece for tighter budgets

Average centerpiece for mid-range budgets

Fancy centerpiece for above-average Budgets

High-end centerpiece for generous/no budget

Simple backdrop for tighter budgets

Fancy backdrop for generous budgets

Elaborate backdrop for generous budgets

Simple table skirt for tighter budgets

Custom table skirting for higher budgets

Event Lighting

LIGHTING

Let's talk lighting, and how important incorporating it is when planning an event.  Lighting completely transforms a space and enhances your decor. Although it is often seen as an extra cost the impact it makes greatly outweighs the expense.  It takes your event from nice to "WOW!" and captivates your guests leaving a lasting impression.  Lighting can also be used to detract from the less desirable aspects of a room, like banquet carpet or wallpaper.  There are four major categories for lighting: up lighting, gobos and projection, pin spots and tower/truss lighting, and a light show.

UP LIGHTING

Up lighting is the most common form of event lighting.  It creates the much sought after ambiance by lighting the entire outer edge of your room with color.  The lighting can create mood such as an icy blue feel or a warm romantic champagne or lavender.  We recommend placing a light every four to eight feet along the walls of the room and one on either side of any functional doorways.  If your budget doesn’t allow for full room up lighting, you can just focus on focal points. strategically placing lighting at a backdrop/stage, entrance way, room corners or natural architecture points like pillars in a space will still create great focal points.

Before and After Lighting

Before Lighting

After Lighting

Before Lighting

After Lighting (up lighting and Truss/tower lighting used)

GOBOS AND PROJECTION LIGHTING
Gobos are quite versatile and can create a nice effect at corporate parties, social events and weddings. You can have a monogrammed gobo made with the bride and grooms names or a company’s logo. They can be projected onto any flat surface so you could have your monogram or company logo on the dance floor or wall. The only limit is space in your venue as a Gobo needs sufficient distance to allow the design to be large enough to be of value.  Gobos are a great way to add theme with snowflakes, leaves, music notes, birch trees, etc, ultimately the options are limitless.  Projection lighting seen on the birch tree backdrop below is a great effect and can be used to bring any theme to life.  Projection lighting can be quite expensive and needs to be discussed with your lighting tech for options.

Large gobo with up lighting and tower lighting

PIN SPOTS and TOWER/TRUSS LIGHTING

Up lighting and gobos are EED’s two most commonly used lighting options.  Pin spots are less common as they add considerable cost.  If your budget allows for pin spotting they are a great way to highlight focal points around the room. They are set up on a ceiling truss or a tower and will illuminate and enhance centerpieces, podiums, wedding cakes, entrances, bands, etc.  

LIGHT SHOW

The last thing we’re going to talk about today is a light show.  Light shows are used with a lighting technician on site throughout your entire event and generally combine up lighting, gobos, lasers and sometimes projection.  The tech can change the color of the lights and create movement of the gobos and spot lights at key moments throughout the event.  This means that you can put emphasis on specific aspects of your event using the ambiance of the room instead of announcing it at the podium.  Light shows create excitement, specific focal points at set times and heightens the ambiance of your event. Some DJ's will provide some sort of lighting equipment, but always be sure to check with them in order to achieve your desired look and feel at your event. Generally lighting is a separate vendor you need to hire through your decorator or planner.

In conclusion, lighting is an important element to any event.  It creates an ambiance that will capture your guests in the moment. To learn more about lighting at your next event, contact us today! 

Be sure to check out next week’s blog all about budgeting for décor.