Wedding decorating: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What wedding decorating is

A wedding decorator creates the ceremony and reception looks with florals, drapery, lighting and signage, installing them at your venue and removing them afterward. Couples hire one when they want a particular style for the room and do not have time to source and set up every piece.

Signs you need it

  • You have a style in mind, such as romantic, modern or rustic, and need it built into the space
  • The venue is a blank room or a hall that needs drapery, lighting and floral installs
  • The ceremony and reception are in different areas that each need their own look
  • You want the decor installed before the guests arrive and removed after the reception
  • You are working with a florist and need someone to coordinate the placement

What the pro does

  • Meets you to talk through the style, the colors and the feel for each space
  • Designs the ceremony arch, aisle, head table, lounge and reception layout
  • Sources drapery, lighting, signage and rentals that fit the design
  • Works with the florist on placement so the flowers and decor fit together
  • Installs the decor during the agreed window and checks the room before guests arrive
  • Removes the decor and returns the rentals after the reception

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Number of spaces to decorate, such as ceremony, cocktail hour and reception
  • Amount of drapery, lighting and custom signage
  • The rental pieces the design depends on
  • Installation time and whether the decorator works the day before the wedding
  • The venue's rules on hanging, lighting and load in hours
  • Whether the decorator also takes down the decor and returns the rentals

What a written quote should spell out

  • Each decor element, with which items are rentals and which are purchases
  • Installation and teardown times and who is on site for each
  • Coordination with the florist, the venue and any other vendors
  • Who approves design changes and how revisions are handled
  • What happens to damaged or missing pieces

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Can you show photos of ceremony and reception setups at a venue like ours?
  • What does the venue allow for hanging drapery, lights or signs?
  • How do you work with our florist to keep the placement right?
  • When does installation start, and how long will it take?
  • Who removes the decor after the reception, and when?
  • Will you send a layout drawing before the wedding?

Red flags

  • Has no photos of ceremony and reception setups in a space like yours
  • Plans to hang drapery or lights from points the venue does not allow
  • Will not coordinate with your florist or the venue's staff
  • Leaves the removal of decor out of the quote
  • Promises a design that does not match the rentals they can actually deliver

What you can do yourself

A couple can decorate a small ceremony with a few candles, a simple floral arrangement and a sign that is safe for the venue. Hire a decorator when the wedding has a full reception, drapery or lighting that must be hung, or a ceremony and reception that both need their own design.

Licenses and permits

No license is usually required to decorate weddings. Ask for proof of liability insurance, and confirm the decorator follows the venue's rules for hanging items, using lights and any open flame.

Wedding decorating questions

Should we book the decorator before or after the florist?

Ideally, before. The decorator can plan the structure, and the florist can then fit the flowers into the same design.

Who takes the decor down after the reception?

Ask the decorator whether teardown is in the quote. Some decorators remove everything themselves, while others expect the venue or a helper to do it.

Can we keep the decor after the wedding?

Sometimes. Ask the decorator which items are rentals and which can be purchased or kept.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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