An example of one of my original designs.

That’s a great question. Here are some pros and cons for each scenario.

Pros for creating your own design (including tablecloths, vases, chandeliers, chair covers, structures, furniture, etc…):

• It’s only yours, so the event always looks fresh and new.
• If you use the designs of different elements more than once, you can make back your original investment.
• You become a trend setter.

Cons:

• Creating an original design is always more expensive.
• I hope you have great storage facilities.
• If not handled properly, the objects you create could be damaged and lead to a financial loss.
• Other folks might copy you. (However, I think it’s a huge compliment when folks copy my designs.)

Pros for renting design/decor materials:

• You do not need to worry about storage.
• It’s more cost effective.
• There is a way of renting elements and making it your own design by combining elements in different ways.

Cons:

• Your work starts looking like others’.
• You can become a bit lazier as a designer.
• Lack of surprise.

Ultimately, what matters in both cases is that your work remains fresh and new–and that you make a profit. I personally prefer designing and building all new work from scratch. Maybe that is one reason most people think of my company as being so expensive. My goal is to always, for better or worse, design something new.

Do you find that other folks copy your designs? How do you feel about it? I’d also love to know: what do you prefer, renting or designing new prototypes? What works better for your company?

I also want to let you know that we’ve just launched a new tool on my site called: What’s Your Color Story? We created this to help brides, planners and event designers find just the right color palette for their next event.

Click here to find your color story.

Let me know what you think about it in the comments!

I’m talking about chair covers and table cloths, of course. What were you thinking? Here are some images that may help you make a decision…

Me setting up the chairs above at the table

Chair cover detail

Bride & groom chairs & table–covered to stand out from the rest

Another example of a bride & groom’s table

Tomorrow, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of going naked or being covered. But first, I have a question for you: What color do you prefer seeing on your tablecloths? Why?

Okay, I think it’s confession time. Around 1995, I did an amazing wedding in New York. My client was over-the-moon happy and, as in some cases, she invited me to be a guest for her event. (Though all of us in the event business can probably understand how exhausting installing an event can be. Most of the time after finishing the set-up I just want to go home and soak my hurting feet.)

I had designed these 6 foot tall arrangements for most of the tables. It was with great horror (seriously, it was like being in a bad movie) that I sat in this beautiful room and watched in slow motion as one of the arrangements fell and hit a gorgeous lady on her head! Needless to say, she was not a very good sport about it. This is what I’d call my ultimate floral nightmare moment, and one that I’ll never forget as long as I live. Not only was it humbling, but I swore never to repeat the mistake that caused this accident.

I do think that centerpieces can be a great deal of fun to create. I have always tried to create my own version of an art sculpture on each table (I have not always been successful but I do keep trying). I love when guests sit down and wonder, “How the hell did he do this?” or, “I hope this does not fall on my head” (just kidding).

So, these are my suggestions for creating a secure tall centerpiece:

1) Create a very secure base as an anchor. In order to do this, I usually plant this base in cement. (This gives it no chance to fall.) To cover the cement, you can do something as simple as covering it with moss or extra flowers. See the picture above

2) Most of the tables and tablecloths are rented. I usually screw metal bases into the table (yes, a bit time-consuming but very secure) .

3) There is a fool proof test I do in my office to make sure the centerpieces are secure. Try bumping your body into the table with force. If nothing crashes, it’s working.

4) As you arrange your flowers, make sure your centerpiece is not side heavy or top heavy. The weight of the flowers need to be evenly distributed all around.

If you have no other decor in your event, strategically placed centerpieces could create the magic you’re looking for. Just please, make sure there are no casualties.

I’m sure this might be a little difficult, but could you share with me any “nightmare moments” you had that you learned from?

I wanted to start a new series of blog posts called Common Mistakes. I’ve found that what being an “expert” means is making 30 years worth of mistakes and learning from them. Everyone will make a mistake now and then (of course, we’re only human) and the thing you have to do is try to minimize the damage, and fix it (in whatever way you can) right away. And of course, learn from it and try not to make it again.

Today, I wanted to share some common mistakes regarding centerpieces on tables:

• Choose the appropriate mixture of tall and short centerpieces based on your client’s requests.  I’ve had some clients tell me their guests MUST be able to see each other across the table, while some clients are more comfortable indulging in the visuals to establish the right mood for their event. Make sure you listen to your client and deliver the right combination of dramatic and functional.
• That being said, be careful that your tall centerpieces are not too wide at the base to block each guest’s view. As you can tell, I love making tall centerpieces because they are a great way to add drama to a room, but be careful that the base of the centerpiece is no wider than 5-8 inches. The worst thing that can happen is having a host or hostess ask you to remove the centerpiece from the table because they can’t see each other or their guests.

• In conjunction with above, when creating tall centerpieces that look like they defy gravity, please make sure you secure your centerpieces properly. I learned this lesson the hard way 15 years ago when one of those dramatic centerpieces dramatically fell right on a guest’s head. From then on, I made sure I tested all the centerpieces we installed to ensure they were secure.
• Do not choose flowers that are too heavily scented for a centerpiece. As we mentioned in this post there are some flowers that, if used at a table, will compete too much with the fragrance of the food. Some common flowers not to use are: Casablanca lilies, gardenias and tuber roses.

As I said, I love learning from my mistakes. Please tell me about some mistakes you’ve made and what you learned from them–the worst the mistake, the better!