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. 

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.