Event Planners Calgary, Wedding Planners Calgary – Five Star Events Blog

No matter what your vision is for your dream wedding reception, you will probably have to rent some decorations. Candles, flowers, table settings and extras can make all the difference in transforming an ordinary hall or banquet space into a romantic reception. Renting decorations such as vases, centerpieces, votives and chair covers will save you money and time.

In general, we are accustomed to renting things that we need only for a limited period of time or for a limited purpose.  We buy things that we know we’ll use over and over and over again.

For example:

1. We rent a car to drive around while we’re on vacation instead of going to the effort to buy a car for the week.
2. We rent a hotel room or condo on vacation instead of going to the hassle to rent an apartment when we get there.
3. We rent a movie from Blockbuster or your local video store if you think you’ll only watch it once.
4. We rent a carpet cleaner to steam clean the carpets as needed.
5. Guys rent Tuxedos for the once or twice in their life that they think they will need one, rather than investing into owning one.

Also:

1. We buy a house knowing that we’ll need a place to live for a very long time.
2. We buy a vehicle to drive around – again, knowing that we’ll need it for a long time.
3. We buy movies if we know we’ll watch it more than once …  Disney movies are always a hit with kids and they like to watch them over and over and over again.
4. We invest in a carpet steam cleaner if we know we have a messy house – or for the rest of us, we have dogs!

So, it just stands to reason that you would rent your wedding linens and decor from a reputable supplier instead of buying them.  Brides know that you’ll only be using them once so why invest extra money into something that you’ll either try to get rid of (and that’s a hassle) or have to give away.  Sometimes brides will spend extra money on centerpieces (fresh flower ones, to be exact) in order for their guests to take them home.  That is quite common in some areas of the country and with certain groups of people.

Don’t believe the hype that you’ll be able to sell your decor items.  Seriously, who would want to buy the used stuff that you had at your wedding?  Also, if you own the linens and decor, now you have to launder it, press it and present it in such a way as to be appealing to a potential buyer.  What if you can’t sell it?

The free classifieds are cluttered with brides who are wanting to  sell their wedding decor items.  They “hope” to recoup the cost, but of course that doesn’t happen.  Here are some examples, just from the Calgary area:

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-services-wedding-Wedding-W0QQAdIdZ207147478

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-services-wedding-Country-Rustic-Wedding-Decorations-Up-for-Grabs-W0QQAdIdZ182031793  (this poor bride has had 1332 views, to date, on her free ad and is still trying to sell it – goo d luck)

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-services-wedding-Table-Runners-and-Center-Pieces-W0QQAdIdZ207064677   (this bride says to “save money on your wedding day by avoiding costly linen rentals “- well, she didn’t save any money at all, did she?  She paid full price for stuff she no longer wants and now has to go through the hassle of trying to sell it)

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-services-wedding-30-rolls-of-NEW-RIBBON-for-sale-perfect-for-a-wedding-W0QQAdIdZ206637275

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-services-wedding-6-New-Beautiful-Wedding-Bouquets-For-Sale-175-00-OBO-W0QQAdIdZ205767547

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-services-wedding-IKEA-tea-light-holders-W0QQAdIdZ146247932

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-services-wedding-Wedding-Card-Box-For-Sale-W0QQAdIdZ206098034

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-services-wedding-Chair-and-Table-Covers-W0QQAdIdZ206002950

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-services-wedding-White-Pew-Bows-12-W0QQAdIdZ192728747

…  and the list goes on.  These are the listings that I just found “today”.  There are more and more every day with brides investing heavily into their wedding decor and then trying to get rid of it because they no longer have a use for it.

Take a look at the online classifieds to see how many brides are trying to sell their wedding dress!

Remember – YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!  Quality linens are expensive to buy, but affordable to rent.  Quality chair covers are too.  Enlist the help of a decorator and event designer – they will save you money on the front end by providing you with good quality linens at fair rental prices, and on the back end as well knowing that you have a beautifully designed event that has been put together especially for you!

Call us today for a complimentary consultation and we can show you the difference that quality makes!

This beautiful wedding reception at the Cochrane Ranchehouse is what!  This past weekend Sara and Carter had such a lovely wedding day.  Perfect weather, gorgeous scenery and what a great party!

I was hired to provide decorations for their reception spaces.  They had a dining hall for 200 guests with white chair covers, black satin sashes and beautiful fresh red rose centerpieces (which they prepared themselves).

I provided black sparkle overlays which looked so fantastic in this room!  There are a lot of windows so the natural sunlight shone beautifully off the sparkle overlays – creating almost a prism effect.  It was stunning.  I accented the tables with red rose flower balls to complete the look.

Here’s what this space looks like “before”:

Have you ever wondered what chair covers look like without the sash?  Take a look:

Sometimes brides ask me if they really need a sash on the chairs.  The answer is  – it’s up to you.  Its a question of style and preference.  Which do you prefer?

We added the black sashes to all the chairs and the black overlays on the head table and cake table.

Look at this beautiful head table and cake table!  Can you see the shimmer on the overlays?

After the reception, the guests were invited into a different room for dancing.  They had a live band and the guests danced the night away!

The client had decided only a few days before the wedding to put chair covers on the chairs of the dancing room.  Initially she asked for white chair covers with no sash.  I “suggested” that they go for black covers with a white sash, so its a mirror image of their reception room.  I’m glad she agreed!  What a difference!

This goes to show what an impact chair covers and decor make on your wedding reception.  I heard a funny comment from one of the guests as they entered the reception room.  They said: “Oh look, the chairs are wearing tuxedos!”  I got a kick out of that!

Brides, you can never go wrong with white and black.  It will always be in style, its contemporary and very elegant, yet simple.

You can accessorize with any one color you like.  Here, we used red.  Eggplant Purple is this year’s “hot” color, next year’s hot color is turquoise.  I have done black and white with pink accents, with burgundy accents, with silver accents – you name it, it will look great!

Remember – the easiest way to transform your reception area from a corporate banquet into a special event space is to add chair covers!  Very simple, relatively easy and certainly affordable!

If you are a superbride, it is most likely that you would want to do everything by yourself. However, because you are smart enough, you know that an entire wedding preparation is a feat impossible to be conquered by one person. For special occasions like weddings, there is no better else to help you than the people you love most—your family and friends.

The idea definitely sounds terrific. But before you rush to call your brother to join you in shopping for a wedding gown, you also have to know that involving family and friends in wedding preparation can be quite of a challenge. There are several things you have to know about this process so you do not end up offending someone or burning bridges with a certain person. Here are some tips regarding this matter that you would find very useful for your upcoming wedding.

1. Give everyone a role he or she will love. Make a checklist of all the tasks you need help with and list all the people whom you think will be suitable for the job. Make sure you consider the person’s personality, taste, style, skills, experience, and hobbies.

For example, for your gardener sister, you would want her to assist you in choosing flowers. Your brother who is fond of sports cars would probably love choosing the right wedding car with you. It would be best to appoint your fashionista best friend the task of shopping for (or designing) the bridesmaid’s dresses.

2. Involve both families in the wedding preparation. Always remember that this wedding is not just about you but it about you and your spouse-to-be. Therefore, you should never forget that the groom’s family should also be involved with the preparation.

If just in case you feel that some family members are being overly engrossed with planning (or in other words, nosy!), you can put him or her in charge of something that you do not care much about. For example, if you do not give much importance to the guestbook, you can ask this family member to take care of it. See, you can make solutions to such problems without offending anybody.

3. Delegate the tasks efficiently. Aside from considering the personality, skills, and taste of a certain family member or friend, you should also take into account the working attitude of that person. Never give difficult or very important tasks to people who lack responsibility. If your cousin is known for being a latecomer, do not risk ruining the event by letting her keep the CDs for the processionalnusic.

4. Make the preparation fun. Keep in mind that these are your family and friends, they are not your slaves. See to it that you make the whole thing a fun experience for them so that they will not feel like it is a chore to help you. Schedule meetings in restaurants or coffee shops, keep it light and funny, and do not sweat the small stuff. In short, do not be a bridezilla!

5. Give them a thank you gift afterwards. This is very important. Your family and friends put much effort into making the event special and memorable. Do not forget to give them some token of appreciation at the end of the affair. By all means, say thanks to them in your thank you speech (if ever you are giving one) and make special mention to people who played major roles in the preparation and organization of your wedding.

Wedding is one of the most significant milestones in any person’s life. And because your family and friends are some of the most important people to you, you would want them to be a part of this once in a lifetime celebration. Make sure you get them involved but without giving them too much trouble.

Source: Wendy L. Bishop is an expert writer on the topics of weddings

Experience Level – Has this person photographed other weddings? Does he/she do this for a living or for fun?

Photographic Style – Are the images that you are shown, what you would like to see? There are “buzz” words flying about everywhere about photojournalism, formal, classic candid, and so on. Do you want a mixture of black and white or only colour photos?

Truth in Advertising – Is this the photographer that will be photographing your wedding or will they send in whomever is available. Don’t be shocked, this happens more often than you can imagine. Be certain that you know which photographer is going to be there and that you see HIS/HER work and meet with that individually face to face.

Personality – Is the photographer that you meet someone that you can get along with? Is the “chemistry” there?

Appearance – Ask the photographer how he/she intends to dress. Is this person well groomed?

Price Range – Although, the last thing you want to do is shop by price, is this person within your budget? If not, is he or she worth the price difference? Make sure you understand what everything costs, including reprints and albums.

Delivery – How long does it take to get your proofs back, thank you cards, your finished album, your bridal portrait, etc.?

Offering – Whether it’s a la carte or a package, do you understand what you are getting? Is there any room for changes and will it cost to do so? Sometimes the packages are fixed, sometimes they can be customized, in any case, ask. How much time will he/she spend? What if you need more time? Make sure that you know what’s coming.

Contract – Do you understand the contract. Is it fair? Is everything spelled out? When it comes down going to court, only what is WRITTEN really counts, not what was promised. Make sure that you have no doubts before signing. Read it ALL.

What about deposits and payments? What does it say about cancellations and the photographer not being there? If the photographer protests, ask him why? This is one area NOT to take lightly. You could be disappointed for a long time.

References – A personal reference is always the best and people love to talk. Get a list of references from the photographer and check them out personally. A photographer who doesn’t have references or is afraid to give them to you may not be the person that you need to hire.

Other Questions: (some questions may be repeated from the list above)

• Have you shot a wedding at my location before?
• Do you have an assistant?
• Do you have backup equipment and is it the same quality as the primary equipment?
• What time will you begin and how long will you stay until?
• When will the proofs be ready?
• Do we get to keep the proofs?
• Do you mark your proofs?
• Where and how are your proofs marked?
• How much extra for unmarked proofs?
• Do we get to keep our negatives?
• How long do you keep the negatives and will you sell them to us?
• Do you use high speed film to expose natural light?
• Do you have tele-photo and wide-angle lenses?
• Do you work well with the other vendors? i.e.: coordinators, caterers, videographers.
• Can you work from a photo checklist that we create?
• How will you be dressed?
• Do you process and develop your own film and prints?

What goes on the all important contract?

• The name of your photographer
• The time that he/she arrives and leaves
• The number of proofs you will view in order to pick your enlargements and/or keep
• The description of the package you ordered
• A list of guaranteed prices for enlargements. If they have a brochure with prices then get the photographer to write down that the prices on the brochure they gave you are the prices that you will be charged.
• The cutoff date for these brochure prices.
• All additional charges, services, taxes, travel, etc… Get the exact cost on the contract.
• An explanation of what happens if your photographer doesn’t show up.
• The date and deposit amount and how much is still owing.
• Your name, address and phone number. The names and addresses of the ceremony and reception locations.

This article appeared on www.frugalbride.com

“Reality” is a word so over used these days that it’s sometimes difficult to decipher what is real, and what is not. We are in the information age. Unlike any time before, we have a plethora of information at our fingertips. And, with the onslaught of “reality” television, (unscripted shows), and so much “wedding” related programming, brides are often faced with the difficult task of sifting through the materials and attempting to make a realistic expectation for their wedding day.

There is an unlimited amount of resources for brides to turn to these days; so many books on the subject, magazines, e-mail newsletters and e-zines, and of course, “reality” television. How do you know what is the good stuff, and what is best left alone?

The rule of thumb on this topic is to “consider the source”.

Most wedding venues these days offer minimal, if any, decorations for your wedding. The venue representative is in charge of maximizing their food and beverage revenue, and won’t encourage you to bring in your decorations elements on your own because they have no financial gain in the matter.

However, the quickest way to transform your wedding venue from a space that looks like a corporate luncheon into an elegant, formal wedding space is by adding chair covers and linens.

Often times brides (and their families) hire Five Star Events to provide decoration rentals and services for their wedding. We have the ability to transform a boring community hall (or banquet space) into a beautiful wedding venue that your guests will remember for years to come.

Check out some of these photos. This venue is at the DeWinton Community Hall (just south of Calgary)

www.fivestarevents.ca