Event Guide: 5 Ghoulish Decoration Ideas for Your Halloween Event

It all started on All Hallow’s Eve night. The rain was heavy and thunder crashed from above. Witches flew on their broomsticks, and zombies crawled through the fields. In the distance, werewolves could be heard howling as if they were calling out to their former soul. Cauldrons bubbled and potions brewed.

Phew! OK, although I feel like we’re forgetting one scary group, I’m pretty sure we covered our bases on every potential spooky story told this week. We just wanted to prepare you for what’s to come when Halloween arrives on Saturday. Speaking of Halloween, how are you designing your next event? It doesn’t matter if it’s a wedding or a neighborhood party, decorations are key to making your event the spookiest. And the best part, you don’t even have to spend a fortune to create the perfect scene. We have five ghoulish decoration ideas for the scariest Halloween party! Don’t be too frightened—we promise to keep the vampire teeth from biting.

Candy Corn Flowers

Forget the sand, water, or rocks—it’s candy corn time! Candy corn is the one treat everyone associates with Halloween. Our idea for this candy though is not to eat or use it in place of bubbles at the end of a wedding reception. We’re thinking more of using it in flower arrangements.

Candy corn arrangements are easy to create. Fill glass vases with the candy and then add your flowers. For the perfect flower combinations, your options are wide open. We suggest adding twigs and branches to give base to your arrangement. And so far, gerber daisies are our favorite flowers for these centerpieces.

Mummy in the Bathroom

One of the most neglected places in an event space are the bathrooms. Here’s an area almost every guest visits, but it’s one we all forget to decorate. So we’re here to fix that! Even if you just add flower arrangements to the area, it can really bring your event full circle. But for your Halloween event, why not add a mummy to the bathroom? Toilet paper decorations and designs are cheap, making it perfect for decorating multiple spaces.

Vampire Teeth Napkin Rings

Instead of the traditional paper napkin ring, why not try something with a bit more bite? Vampire teeth are the perfect fit to a hold a napkin and utensils. These little gift bag souvenirs are available at almost every party store, and are reasonably priced too. All you have to do is slip the wrapped napkin through the teeth, and there you go, vampire teeth napkin rings.

Chemistry Beverage Set

Be the coolest mad scientist by having all of your drink mixes line your shelf in beakers and graduated cylinders. If you have a bar area set up in your event space, add colored lights behind your chemistry set to let the glasses light up and the spookiness take effect. We suggest adding labels to the back of your mixing containers; it can eliminate the confusion when everything looks the same.

Pumpkin Drink Holders

Everyone knows pumpkins are great for carving and creating Jack-O-Lanterns. But did you know they also make excellent drink holders? The idea for a pumpkin drink holder came to me when my brother-in-law sent me pictures of my niece in a pumpkin.  Loving the picture, I thought “What else can you put in a pumpkin?” And the idea for a drink holder came to life. Making this little craft is pretty simple: get a pumpkin, cut it in half, add ice and drinks, and you’re done! And since you can find this oversized gourd anywhere, this decorating tip won’t break the budget. 

Well I think that’s about it from us on this event guide. We hope you’re not too spooked to give these ideas a try at your next ghoulish event. Do you have a favorite Halloween decoration? Share your pictures or tips with us in the comment section below. Oh—that’s who we forgot: the vampires! And no, we don’t mean the ones that sparkle.

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Gobo or Go Home: 6 Tips for Saving Money on Event Lighting

You thought about it, but your clients didn’t, and now there’s barely any money left in the budget. That’s right, we’re talking about event lighting!

In most venues, adequate lighting is usually provided. However, in more adventurous or eclectic spots, extra lights are a must. Well lighten up and don’t worry! We’re here with six illuminating, money-saving tips on how to light up event spaces at little to no cost. Ready to become enlightened on inexpensive lighting designs in this week’s event guide? We have a bright idea; let’s get started!

(Alright, the puns stop there—maybe.)

1. Uplighting

Uplighting is the best way to give your event the most light at the smallest cost. To create a successful uplighting look, place the lights on the ground close to a wall, with the light pointing up. You can even position these lights at certain objects or an area you want featured. We suggest adding colored lights to create more of a visual dynamic.

2. Cut the Cord

Wireless lighting is the new trend! You can save the extra cost and hassle of fretting over extension cords and wires to power your lights. Wireless lights, like tea lights, can be placed on tables or in arrangements. We suggest placing your wireless lights in areas you can’t hide a cord or where extension cords are needed. And there are even submersible tea lights, giving you endless possibilities to light up your event.

3. Candles

Our ancestors were doing something right when they used candles (ignore that it was their only option). Candles, in and of themselves, add the perfect amount of light and ambiance. We suggest placing candles on your event tables and around your event space nearest to people. Save your brighter lighting for the perimeter.

4. Gobos

Gobos are the brightest thing to hit the lighting market in a long time! Think of a gobo as a silhouette creator. They are either metal, glass, or dichroic, and are placed over a light source (usually a spotlight) to create different light patterns, monograms, logos, and/or special effects on walls, ceilings, and floors (think of a disco ball). Gobos are the perfect way to decorate an event space and add visual appeal to plain walls or floors. We suggest finding star-shaped gobos to create a starry night scene on your venue ceiling.

5. Projections

Similar to Gobos, shining a projection on a wall or ceiling can dramatically brighten up your event space. With a variety of colors and range of brightness to choose from, projections can cut down on your lighting needs. However, we suggest limiting the amount of decor when using projections; you don’t want to overcrowd/over-decorate your event space.

6. String Lights

Have you ever seen or been to an event that used large string bistro bulbs? These Hollywood lights (as I call them) are inexpensive, but create dramatic effects on your event space. You can drape your string lights to create a more intimate space, especially in large, outdoor areas. We suggest searching for Edison bulbs to create a more vintage look. Edison bulbs are clear and allow you to see the glowing filament inside.

It’s time to stop looking so gloomy, and brighten up! Do know of another way to bring light into your event space without spending a fortune? If so, share it with us! And remember, the Inspherio Crew is here to help you stay on budget with all of our great business management features. Check us out and see for yourself; we’ll even give you a free 30-day trial on us!

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Event Guide: Staying on Budget

Budgets are tough! No matter if it’s an event budget, a personal budget, or a business budget, restricting your spending always seems to limit the fun factor. As an event professional, keeping to a budget and calculating all the expenses is an absolute must. Your clients trust you to take their budget, provide services, and ultimately create the event of their dreams. Going over the allotted amount only leads to hurt feelings and unhappy customers.

We’ll give you an example:

Without naming names, there is a reality TV show that redesigns a person’s home to make them fall in love with it again. However, the show also takes the homeowner to view other home options if they decide to list their current house on the market. Per usual, the couple provides the designers with their budget. But it never fails, the budget is repeatedly adjusted to accommodate for extra expenses. The homeowners become discouraged, there’s usually a disagreement, and the only way to get what they want is to increase their spending.

Want to know why this happens? Although the clients have big dreams and a certain vision of what they want their house to look like, the designers never fully prepare the homeowners for the hidden fees and realistic costs of their wants.

Your clients hired you to help them stay within their event budget. Don’t give them a vision of their event you know will not work, or force them to spend more than originally planned. But that’s what we’re here for—to prevent hurt feelings and crushed dreams before they happen. Without further ado, we’re proud to present this week’s event guide—staying on budget.

Quick Percentage Rundown

Based on percentages provided by our friends at theknot, here’s a quick rundown on how much of the budget is typically dedicated to each part of the event.

We find this approach to be super helpful and a great tool! However, there’s more you can do to make budgeting easier. Borrowing from our previous blog, we suggest dividing the budget up into different sections and categories. For a wedding, you have three events to plan for: the rehearsal dinner, the ceremony, and the reception. Allot a certain budget for each of these events, before delving into figuring out the flower budget, food budget, etc.

An Example:

	Rehearsal Dinner	Ceremony	Reception
Flowers	$500	$4,500	$4,000
Food	$1,500	N/A	$5,000
Music	N/A	$500	$1,000
Total	$2,000	$5,000	$10,000

Grand Budget Total: $17,000

*budget isn’t based on actual wedding.

Now that you’ve helped your clients get a budget in mind, here’s a few tips on how to get them to stick to it. 

Record, Record, Record

Recording every payment and IOU is a great way to keep on track of the budget. Luckily, if you’re an Inspherio user, you have an accounting feature built into your membership to help you monitor all payments and spending activity.

Learn all the Hidden Costs and Fees

Forgetting to factor in tips or overtime for vendors is the surest way to stumble upon bills at the end of the event. Remember there is usually someone who cleans up after the event, service charges for venues, florist’s demo costs, license fees, etc. Also, be sure to include enough money in the budget to provide gratuity for the extra help. 

Pad the Budget

The best way to avoid overages is to build in a budget safety net. We suggest earmarking at least 5% of your budget for the unknown. You might need to purchase umbrellas if it’s raining, more flowers, or cleaning supplies. You never know what could happen, so it’s best to be prepared!

3 Ways to Save the Budget

Sometimes you are given a budget that doesn’t match your client’s dream event plans. Well, we have some tips on how to work with that, too. 

What’s Important

What are the top priorities at the event? If you are helping your clients plan a wedding, their top priorities might be the venue, the catering, and a DJ. The items they can probably use less of the budget on is flowers, invitations, and the cake. Deciding on what’s most important early on can be a big money saver.

The Guestlist

The more people they invite, the more money spent. It might be tough for your clients to draw a red line through guests’ names, but it’s the fastest way to save money. We suggest having your clients sit down with the guest list over a span of several days to really think about who they want to invite. 

Simplifying

Instead of going for filet mignon, why not choose the sirloin? If it’s winter, choose a flower like a rose or a Star of Bethlehem instead of a sunflower. By simplifying the menu or choosing decor that’s in season, your clients will save more money.

Never let a budget scare you away from planning your client’s dream event. Give us some tips in the comment section below on how you stay under budget!

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The Event Guide: 7 Flower Mistakes to Weed Out of Your Event

People love flowers.

From daffadillies to red roses to calla lilies, a simple floral arrangement can transform clothes into elegant outfits and event spaces into warm, inviting rooms. But flowers can also cause allergic reactions, attract insects, overcrowd the space, and much more. Which is why as an event professional or florist, your expertise on all things flowers is sought after. So to prevent bee stings and sneezing guests, help your clients avoid these seven common mistakes when they’re selecting flowers for their event.

Ready to sort the flowers from the weeds in this week’s event guide? Alright—let’s do it!

Mistake 1: Not Trusting the Florist

You are the professional—the flower guru. You know which flowers are appropriate, are in season, and would work best for the event space. Convince your clients that you are going to provide absolutely breathtaking arrangements by hosting a meeting with them to discuss their theme, their likes and dislikes, and their budget. Let them know the pros and cons of each flower they choose, as well as another alternative (if there is one). This method is a great way to build trust between you and your clients.

Mistake 2: Picking Only One Color

Colors are meant to be harmonious, much like music and poetry. If something is too bland or chaotic, our brains have a difficult time organizing and constructing a logical structure. Flowers, with their multitude of color, can either create a sense of interest and order, or create disorder and chaos. This is why we suggest steering your clients away from the same color sequence when it comes to the flowers and other decorations. A color wheel would be useful to help your clients see the variety of flower colors that can complement their event theme.

For example: Sunflowers would make a bold statement with deep purple bridesmaid dresses because purple and yellow are direct opposites on the color wheel.

Mistake 3: Strongly Scented Flowers

No one wants a sneeze to replace their “I do,” or puffy eyes to be mistaken as tears during someone’s happy moment. Which is why we suggest keeping your clients and their guests away from strongly scented flowers. And yes, we know that Stargazers, Gardenias, and Hyacinth are gorgeous in bouquets, but they produce a very strong (almost overwhelming) fragrance. Instead, suggest to your clients that you can add these flowers to arrangements to the gift table, arches, aisles, window sills, etc.—somewhere where people will not congregate or eat.

Mistake 4: Not Caring for Cut Flowers

Once it’s cut, a flower only has a few hours or days until it's completely wilted. And unfortunately, some cut flowers have a shorter lifespan than others: an example would be hydrangeas. Although hydrangeas are a show stopper in a bouquet, they need to be kept in water throughout the day—their lifespan is only three hours without water. Speak with your clients about how to care for flowers during their event to make sure they last the entire time.  

Mistake 5: Ordering Too Late

Flowers come from all over the world, which means ordering at the last minute is out of the question. When a client contacts you, one of the first questions you should ask is the date of the event. Most people wait until the last few months until their event to discuss flowers. So explain to them that the quicker they decide on flowers, the more likely it will be that they get their first choice in flowers. And it allows you time to make alternative bouquets if needed.

Mistake 6:  Forgetting to Budget

The cost of floral arrangements for an event can quickly add up—usually coming as a surprise to most people. To prevent this sticker-tag shock, find out your client’s budget before you share samples and ideas. You’ll also be better prepared to help sort out how many flowers they can afford for each space and event.

Mistake 7: Big, Bigger, Biggest

You have a client that’s always dreamed of a bouquet of two-dozen red roses to walk down the aisle with, tall vases filled full with an assortment of flowers for the reception tables, and wreaths on every door. Although you might love that they are dreaming big, it’s important to remind them of the overall event picture. And besides, the bigger the bouquet, the heavier it will be to hold. Try selling your clients on the comfort and size of the flowers, rather than the “bigger is better” motto.

Flowers are the perfect finishing touch to every event; help your clients find theirs today! And remember, the Inspherio Crew is always here to give you the best event tips for your business. Check us out and try Inspherio for free for 15 days!

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