Decoration

When you’re worried about the cost of your wedding dress or the size of your catering bill, you might be tempted to consider church and reception area decorations as a miscellaneous expense. Unfortunately, this way of thinking may cause you to put purchasing these items off until the last minute, when you aren’t able to take advantage of special deals and discounts. In many cases, you’ll find that prefabricated items are more expensive than you had expected them to be. As a result, it’s best to begin looking for these items as soon as possible.

Ribbon Bows

Large satin ribbon bows are a traditional decoration choice for pews and other parts of the church. Unfortunately, pre-fabricated bows can be very expensive, but you can make your own bows for a fraction of the cost. All you’ll need to do is purchase a bow maker and sufficient ribbon from a craft store near you. You’ll also be able to find instructions for making many different kinds of beautiful bows online.

Room Partitions

If you’ve rented a large hall for the reception, you may want to divide your reception area into smaller spaces. You may want to set up a special area for the wedding cake or one for your gift table that’s away from dance floors and the dining area. If you plan to purchase room partitions, look for decorative ones that you can use again in your home. For example, you may be able to find discount items made from bamboo, decorative fabric or other unique materials that match your home decor.

Table Cloths

Depending on the number of people attending the reception, you may need dozens of different table cloths for the dinner tables, buffet tables and any other tables you’ve set up. Depending on the size of your tables, you may want to see what’s available from thrift stores and dollar stores in your area. However, if you go this route, you may also want to look for special table cloths for certain areas like the wedding cake area and the head table where the bride and groom will be dining.

Reception Area Decorations

If you rent a reception hall that’s frequently used for weddings, you may find that the rooms already have some decorations, although you may want to add your own touch with streamers, paintings or other items. Hanging a special painting on the wall behind the bride and groom can be a great way to add a personal touch to your reception without spending tons of money. You may be able to find something suitable in a flea market or in an online store. To save even more, see if you can purchase a good quality paper print and then place it in a poster frame.

You can purchase streamers and other festive items in the party needs section of local department stores or dollar stores. Just be sure to check the quantity you’re buying. In some cases, you may find that a dollar store package of streamers has fewer yards of material than a more expensive department store package. Be sure you take into account the monetary cost of each product, as well as the size or quantity of the product.

It’s easy to forget about church and reception area decorations when planning your wedding budget. That said, if you start buying these items early enough, you should be able to take advantage of seasonal sales and discounts. Pay special attention to bridal shops and websites after the busy summer wedding season is over – you should be able to snag the best deals then!

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Every bride wants her wedding hall to look glorious and some will search high and low to find the perfect wedding decorator who will make her dreams a reality. If you have the time, skill and patience to do some or all of the decoration on your own, then go for it, otherwise you better mean business if you are going to find the “perfect” florist. You want to get good quality service for the money that you spend.

How to Hire the Perfect Decorator

OK, I know that no one is perfect and no decorator is 100% perfect all the time, but you at least need one that cares a great deal about her work and the brides she services. Let’s look at the steps you should take before making the final decision

1. Check with the Better Business Bureau before making an appointment with any wedding vendor. Now, just because they receive a complaint does not mean that they give shoddy service, it may have been a misunderstanding or an honest to goodness mistake. We all make them. On the other hand, if you see repeated complaints you may want to look elsewhere. (A note about the Better Business Bureau: The BBB is not a good gauge for determining whether a company treats their customers with respect. The BBB doesn’t always report when one of its members has a questionable reputation. What you can tell is if the company’s rep is horrible. If they are a member of the BBB and they have a bad rep, then it is a very good chance that company does not deliver.)
2. Check them out on http://www.ripoffreport.com. This is website that allows customers to post full detailed complaints into a searchable database. The companies are allowed to post a response or explanation to the alleged problems. Again, one or two complaints is not means for dismissal. It is the repeat offenders that you are looking out for.
3. Ask, “Do I pay for the first consultation?” Don’t just assume that it is free.
4. How much is the deposit. “Can we go over details before I give you a deposit?”
5. Ask for references. With any wedding vendor, this is of vital importance. The question is how do you know that these reference are not fake? You can get a feel of which references are real or fake by asking the former brides a few good questions like..
   1. Tell me something you feel could have been done better by Dazzling Flowers and Balloons.
   2. Did they ask you if you were satisfied with the decor the day before the wedding?
   3. May I see your pictures? (Make sure they show you a little more than 1 or 2.)
6. Ask to see an actual sample of their work. Nothing is better than seeing the real thing. The next best thing is to see pictures of their actual work, not something out of a magazine.
7. If you are using silk flowers, ask to see some of them. What condition are they in? Do they look dry, dusty or torn?
8. Take a look at the contract….
   1. The contract should state what items are being used in the decor and their individual prices. It should state whether the flowers are silk, dried or real, what rental items are being used such as arches, candle stands and columns. If you can, ask her to put down what the condition of the equipment and any resolutions if the item’s condition is not up to par.
   2. How far in advance will you set- up the wedding decor
   3. The refund/cancellation policy
   4. Set-up and take-down fees (if any)
   5. Actual time of set-up. Try to get them to do it the day before
9. Make sure that they take a look at the wedding and reception site before giving you price quotes
10. Ask the florist if you can attend one of the wedding sites during set-up. Be sure to kinda stay out of the way though.

Vicky

For weddings cheap, inexpensive, yet elegant

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A simple yet beautiful bouquet, don’t you think. You can put this together yourself. Make sure you don’t cut off too much at first. You can always go back and cut off more, but you can’t put back more stem on a short flower. Wrap the ribbon around the stems several times, tie it, and you’ve got a gorgeous bouquet. The flowers are just beautiful enough to not take away from the radiance of the bride in this picture.

Tip:Calla lilies are dormant during the winter months so look for the silk flowers if you must have calla lilies during these months. And be careful that you don’t get saltwater on them (if they are real), if you are having a wedding by the beach.
Vicky

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