What Your Decor Hire Company Wants You To Know About Your Venue
If you're hiring decor for your event, there are at least five questions you need to ask your venue to get an accurate quote from your decor hire company.
1. What are the venue dimensions?
The length x width x height of the venue will impact the quantity of your lighting and draping as well as the amount, positioning and the shape of your floristry, tables and chairs.
A venue with existing ceiling rigging makes it easier to have festoon lighting, for example.
A soaring height venue requires taller decor, special lighting, and striking wall decor such as a 3D photographic backdrop to help fill the space while a narrow venue may limit you to communal tables.
A venue with an in-built podium may be great for your VIP table, DJ or band. A fairy light curtain at the back of a podium makes a tremendous visual impact.
2. Do you get exclusivity of the venue for your event?
You will get far more time to decorate your venue if yours is the only event for the day and the associated stress and costs will be less as well.
If however, they have lunch and evening bookings, you will have a maximum of 90-120 minutes to decorate between the packing down of a luncheon event before you can begin decorating for an evening event, usually from about 4pm.
In this case you will need a stylist to help coordinate the decor hire team as you won't have the experience to know what needs to be done in such a short time. Plus, your stress levels will go through the roof.
3. When does the decor have to be collected?
If the venue has rolling bookings (ie you don't get exclusive use) then you will pay more in event decor hire fees because they will want it picked up as soon as possible.
Ask the venue if your decor hire has to be picked up the same day, the next day or can it be collected on the Monday?
Your decor hire company will charge more for a same-day Saturday night collection or the next day on the Sunday.
It costs you less if they can collect their decor on the Monday because staff overtime fees don't apply then.
4. Are there any restrictions?
Many historic venues prohibit you from attaching any decor to the ceilings, walls, doors or exteriors which will affect your choice of decor.
Many venues have a flameless candle policy which means you will have to reconsider the type and impact of event lanterns and lighting you use.
Some venues are adults-only which will prevent you from having casino tables and the like.
5. Do you have to use their decor?
Some venues will have a set decor package, but it may not appeal to you or suit your theme. Do they work with preferred suppliers?
Can you bring in unique decor items if you send the venue manager a hyperlink to the item you'd like to hire?
Liked this? Find out what your decor hire company wants you to know about your venue manager
