• Event Planning Managers will help you understand all specifications of your banquet facility regarding decorating. Most of them do not allow pins or tape on walls, and a number of other items that have to be followed. A professional decorating service is very familiar with the limitation that they have when decorating other facilities, but make sure they are on the same page early on, since that may change the types of options they can provide.

• Pick the focal areas of the room that you would like to accentuate. For the most dramatic areas of the room, pick your head tables, your cake and gift tables, registration tables, guest speaker areas, anything to dress the ceiling and walls, as well as some possible center of the room or dance floor sectioning decorative options. On the other hand the tabletop display is what your guest will see the most of throughout the night, so you may want to focus on upgrading you china pattern, your linens, and the table centerpiece. Take into account what areas that people will take pictures of, since to some degree this will be a remembrance of the event for yourself and your guests.

• Lighting can provide one of the most dramatic decorative options out there. Especially if you have a solid color scheme, or if you have areas of the room you would particularly like to emphasize. To provide washes of colors along the walls, ceilings, and focal areas of the room will catch anyone’s eye.

• Pick the formality of the event before deciding any decorating options. Are you thinking balloons and crepe paper, or are you thinking specialty damask floor length table linens, chair covers, and custom floral centerpieces? This will influence the service provider that you will want to select and the pricing you will want to budget for.

• Consider doing the installation yourself, especially if decorating or rental companies offer package deals, offer to pick-up all of the components necessary to give you the proposed look and get to work creating your dream event at a significantly lower price.

• Review and outline the timelines of set-up and teardown with your banquet or convention center. Here is where a professional can come in handy. Consider just renting their service staff to help with the installation, since they are probably very accustomed to time restraints.

• Consider purchasing your own materials to compliment any professionally suggested decorative options. Purchase the most dramatic options from the service provider and work to fill the rest with less expensive alternatives.

• Search the Internet for websites, articles, and photos that can give you great ideas for your next event. Also check magazine publications involving catering, event design, special events, and the like. They will give you endless ideas and suggestions to make your event a complete success. Review the servicing options of many decorators to obtain ideas for decorating elements as well.

• Decide on a color scheme. Do not be afraid to incorporate a healthy mix of several similar colors instead of sticking with only a couple, that will give you more room to work with when locating your china, linens, skirting, and other décor options.

• Rarely do you regret spending a little additional on your decorating scheme. When your guests arrive with wide eyes, filled with awe, you will recognize that it was worth the extra money. Remember you are creating an event for yourself and your guest to remember for a lifetime.

• Consider using several large central props, columns, or large stationary items in central areas to give the most dramatic impact. Place them in the center of the room, or areas that people will most frequently notice and save by only limitedly focusing on the tying the other areas of interest into your theme.

• Consider your time when doing your own decorations. What is your time worth? Decorating can take more time than you maybe originally anticipated, and with how many other things you will have to be doing to coordinate your event, it may be worth it to have the professionals do the job for you.

• Colored napkins, paper or cloth tucked into your water glasses can spread an amazing amount of color throughout your room. Party favors can add necessary color to your tabletops with out making them look cluttered.

• Consider the height factor when deciding on centerpieces. You want the centerpiece to be effective within your selected theme or vision, but you do not want them to obstruct the view of guests seating across from one another. Consider also placing your centerpieces on heightened stands at varying heights for a dramatic appeal.

• Candles can make one of the most dramatic appearances in the room, especially if you have a great number of tables that fill your event site. By adding several tea candles around the room, you can add a wonderful sparkle to the tabletop, which carries to the glassware and flatware used to set your tables.

• Mirrors are almost essential if you are using a number of candles on your tabletop, it will effectively reflect the light to all areas of the table and give you more for your money when working with a limited supply of candles.