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. 

Value of Service

Have you ever asked a friend to help you move?  More likely than not, you have.  Did you regret asking said friend at the end of it?  Were they the one that would only carry pillows and light items? Were they on their phone the entire time?  Asking a friend to help decorate your wedding or event is very similar to asking a friend to help you move.  Yes it was free help, but how helpful was it really?

That brings us to this week's topic: Value of Service and why we charge the prices we do.

As soon as  you approach a business requesting their services, it tells that business that you are either unable or unwilling to do a specific job yourself, and therefore want to pay a professional to do it for you. When you hire a business and pay them your hard earned money you expect a professional service with professional results.  When you get this it is considered good value for your money.  If you try to negotiate with a business into lowering the prices of their, you may be tampering with the professional service and results too. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!  We cannot stress this enough.

As soon as you contact us here at Expressive Events, your service begins.  After a brief conversation we have already begun to compile ideas of what to show you when you arrive for your COMPLIMENTARY consultation.  We will spend time with you exploring your design vision for your event and following your consultation we will preparing a custom quote for you to review.   All these tasks are performed free of charge before a client pays a deposit in hopes of earning their future business.

We do our best to stay competitive in the industry and understand that you have multiple options to choose from, however we will not compromise our service and professionalism to come in less expensive then our competitors.   All businesses have a bottom line, and when a client asks us to discount beyond it, it is like asking us to take a personal pay-cut in order to acquire a larger discount.  Not only is this insulting to our skills, abilities, and professionalism, but it is also bad practice for the industry as a whole.  If a company is willing to discount to the point of losing money on an event, it should concern you that they will do anything to get your business, including cutting corners to make up for lost profits.  This also causes a great deal of distrust in the close knit event industry.

We believe our prices are fair and that we offer excellent value for the price.  You can expect the same level of quality service regardless of your budget. We are perfectionists and that will be evident in your event!    All your linens and backdrop panels will be freshly laundered, ironed, and installed straight.  Your glassware will be set up with gloved hands to prevent unsightly fingerprints.  Your venue will be contacted and arrangements will be made on your behalf.  We will be on time and execute your event flawlessly.  You are equally important to us whether your budget is $2500 or $25,000!

Some clients don't understand the value of service they are getting for the price because they can't see it.   Maintaining our products so they look beautiful for your event day takes a great deal of work and integrity.  Clients need to know that the work for their event doesn't just start and stop on event day. There are countless hours of prep work that lead up to any event, regardless of size.  These tasks take place behind the scenes and we believe that they should be expected, but understand that some businesses don't have the same standards we do. Every stain on a chair cover or linen is pre-treated and scrubbed, and if it doesn't come out, the item goes in the GARBAGE.  We pre-treat, wash, dry, iron, hang up with protective plastic bags, count and load linens for each event... And that's just linens!  There is still the cleaning and packing of glassware, prepping and designing of flowers, building of custom props, contacting your vendors, etc., the list goes on.

In the end, understanding the value in service will give you the tools to ask the right questions and make the right decisions.  Cheaper is not always better and undervaluing your event is dangerous because you truly do get what you pay for.  When planning an event remember that there are no do overs, and what you see is what you get on the day of.  Partner with Expressive Events and Decor for your next event to experience outstanding value in service and a flawlessly executed events and then you can tell us if you think we were worth it.

Be sure to check out next week's blog topic all about lighting and how it can completely transform your next event!

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Alternative to Wedding Cakes

Wedding cakes are rapidly becoming a tradition of the past when it comes to wedding trends.  They are expensive, messy, and often go uneaten.  Many couples still opt for a ceremonial cutting cake which is a great way to reduce costs while still adhering to tradition, but if you're looking for something a bit different, look no further!  There are a couple new styles of dessert tables popping up that are just awesome.

Is there a specific type of dessert that always draws your eye when you go out?  Maybe you're a doughnut junkie, or a pie person; there's no reason these can't be what you use as a "cake".  After all, your wedding is supposed to represent YOU, so why shouldn't it reflect your tastes and preferences.  You can always combine multiple dessert items as well to create one big sweet table instead of only picking one favorite.  Be sure to add signage though so everyone knows what's what.  Just check out some of the delicious looking inspiration tables below, and if you need a recommendations for suppliers of any of these yummy options, let us know.

Be sure to check next week's blog about Value of Service!

Fun Facts

Do you ever wonder why a Bride carries a bouquet when she walks down the aisle?  This tradition began back in the 15th century when personal hygiene was not at the top of people's priority list.  Often people would go up to a year without bathing, resulting in what can only be imagined as the worst smell ever.  So, when someone was getting married, they would have their yearly bath in May, be married shortly there after and use the flowers to mask the odor.
  
Rumor has it that another reason the Bride carried a bouquet was to ward off evil spirits by incorporating pungent herbs and spices into the bouquet! Luckily, we don't live in the 15th century, and we now carry bouquets down the aisle just because they're pretty.  Of course, we could still incorporate some herbs and spices into the bouquet, just in case you need to appease that crazy superstitious relative! Contact us today to find out more.

   

We love vine lights!

Extending from our post last week, another great way to have beautiful centerpieces without having to spend a fortune on flowers is to use vine lights.  Vine lights are delicate battery operated lights that are on thin wires.  They can be wrapped around branches, submersed in water, weaved through flowers or used on their own to create a soft whimsical feel.  They also come in a variety of colors, making these a very versatile centerpiece option.

Currently, we're working on a couple weddings that will be incorporating vine lights into their centerpieces, and we're just so excited about them!  Not only do we get to being a couple's vision to life, but WE also get to play around with different styles and options to create something beautiful. Stay tuned for photos from those weddings down the road!

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Did you know?

Expressive Events and Décor has been creating memorable events for over 20 years, but did you know that all the flowers for those events are done in-house?  This means that all bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, centrepieces, ceremony flowers, and other floral accents are all designed and brought to life by our talented in-house floral designers.  This also means that instead of having multiple contracts with multiple vendors, you only need one contract for all your décor and flower needs! 

Including flowers at your event doesn’t always have to come with a high price tag either!  We pride ourselves on working within a client’s budget while still being able to create something beautiful.  Often we can do a combination of just a few flowers and some candlelight to alleviate the cost of multiple large floral arrangements.  We are always willing to work with you to create the event of your dreams, without costing you your life’s savings.  Just set up a complimentary consultation with us to see what we can do for you!

 

 

Wedding Trends 2017: Geometrics

As we gear up for wedding season, we are noticing an emerging trend that is rapidly gaining popularity: geometrics.  This is a trend that has us just so excited, because it means that we get to experiment and play with some cool new ideas.  It’s such a fun and modern twist to bring to a wedding, and it can be incorporated into a variety of themes ranging from urban to rustic.  Love metallic elements?  This is another way to incorporate metallics into your event without being overpowering.  This idea can also easily be transformed into a corporate event, where you can use less flowers and more candlelight so its also a very versatile trend that we just can’t get 
enough of! 

We’ve already started building our inventory of cool geometric items in anticipation of the trend, but we’re always on the hunt for more, and for couples that are as passionate as we are about this theme.  Seen something cool online and you want to make it a reality at your next event?  Drop us a line, and we will see what we can do about making your vision come to life.  It’s always easier to justify buying new inventory to the accountant when we actually have an event to shop for!  Whether this trend lasts or is just a fad, we’re happy that it’s here for now and that we get to share it with you.