This week we will be focusing the spotlight on one of our own here at Chair Décor. We decided to interview our account manager, Alison. We are excited to share with you her experience in the industry, and little a bit about being a client of Chair Décor for her own wedding a year ago and how she became the newest member of our team here.

Did you work for Chair Decor before getting married? How long have you worked for Chair Decor?

Alison: No. [And its been] 4 Months

 

As a client, how did you like CD?

Alison: I loved it, I made an appointment with Liz to come in to see the linen that I had seen at a previous wedding. Being that is was a new product and I was excited to see it, Liz had everything ready to go for my appointment. The experience at my appointment provided me with complete peace of mind. I was able to bring my centrepiece and do a complete set-up to make sure I was happy with all my choices. With Liz’s help, I was able to see everything come together instead of just imagining it in my head! Since Chair Décor is a preferred vendor at Redcrest, Liz was familiar with the venue and was able to really help complete my order. She knew the sizing of all the tables and everything was delivered seamlessly before set-up. I truly think it was a beautiful wedding and to this day, I still like the linen I picked!

And do you think being a client before you worked here has helped with your experience when working with other clients?

A: Yes because I know the process of when a customer comes in with an inquiry, I know how the process goes from start to finish. I know the products that are available based on what I’ve seen coming through.

How did you go from being a client to working at Chair Décor?

A: Long story short, I had worked in that industry for 8 years, which a long time for an event coordinator to work at one venue, and I was looking to do something new! I definitely knew I wanted to stay in the industry, I am one of those crazy people, and it turned out Liz was looking to fill a mat leave position. Since Liz was connected with me through work, she reached out and offered me the position!

 

Are there significant differences between being a client and working for Chair Décor?

A: I think it’s safe to say, I didn’t know there was so much to know about linens! I definitely feel from a client perspective, I had a lack of knowledge but as I get more comfortable here, I am becoming the expert! It is cool to now be educating the client on all the options we have and really have an impact what they want their wedding to look like.

How long have you worked in the wedding industry?

A: A short 10 years in the industry

Did you start out in wedding coordinating, and what is wedding coordinating for those who don’t know?

A: Started off serving then got promoted, promoted, promoted!

Wedding coordinating (in not too many words) is dealing with the wedding couple one on one. You work at collecting all their wedding details from a venue perspective and following those details through for their wedding.

So are their specific kind of wants and needs for their wedding?

A: Yes so like menu, times, location, linens… and many, many more. Each client is different too! So as much as my questions might be the same, their answers, frequently, are different.

Did you know you always wanted work in the wedding industry or did you fall into it through being promoted?

A: Yeah, I always knew I wanted to be in the wedding industry, I went looking for a job that’s kept me in the industry. Now I have more knowledge in the industry because I’m coming from all these different perspectives.

You said you worked for another company before working here, how do they compare to CD, I’m assuming they are different spectrums in the same industry?

A: So they are a venue, therefore this is a venue perspective. So they multiple clients in a week vs. we deal with like 52 wedding between both properties. Here, I’ll deal with more weddings, with different venues  but way less involved with the client’s details.

What would you say is the best part about working for Chair décor?

A: The Linens! I love the linens! Meeting everyone, co-workers, all the female power here. I do feel like I am learning more, whereas at cardinal like at 8 years I left also because there was no more room for me to grow. Here I’m learning constantly all the time. Learning new things about different venues, different planners, different trends.

What are some challenges you’ve faced working for CD?

A: Knowing all the linens names and the quantities and those are the two main challenges. Trying to learn all 160 of them.

Once again for more ideas on weddings and more of Alison and her work at CD follow  @chairdecor on Instagram, and check out the weekly polls and vote for your favourite looks.

Have you ever thought about how the way you have a napkin folded on your table can really make a difference on the aesthetic of the table? Whether your napkin is folded with or without a napkin ring, and the fabric of the actual napkin are all factors when creating your perfect table piece. In this blog, we will explore a few napkin folds for your table.

Starting with a simple, elegant fold, the “Flapper” Fold. This consists of the napkin, in this case, a linen napkin folded around the plate, however before it’s folded there is a mini fold made at the edge of the of one the sides of the napkins. This fold will look like a mini a flap and will be on the front of your plate while the rest of the napkin is wrapped around to keep the fold tight. You can add a menu behind the napkin in the middle of the plate for your guests if you wish as we’ve done in the picture below.

Next, we have the “knot”. This is simple napkin fold as it doesn’t really require a fold. This entails just taking the napkin and tying it into a knot. As you can see in the image below, it’s a beautiful and simple way to add to your plate setting. It’s also a simple addition to any table set menu for your guest, diving your guest’s attention to both the menu and the napkin.

Then, we have the “Pocket”. This napkin is simply folded to leave a slot or pocket in the front of the napkin. It involves folding it vertically then underneath creating 4 different folds. Like the first napkin, there will be a flap, this flap, however, will be much larger, and can be used again for menu placement at the centre of your plate.

Next up, we have the “bow tie”. This a fairly simple napkin application, it involves taking the napkin and sliding it through a napkin ring. After that, you take the edges and wrap them around the plate the flapper fold causing the napkin to look like a bow tie.

For the next two, we have a basic fold and the cherry fold. The basic fold is just folding the napkin until it’s just a long straight looking napkin and can be placed wherever you see fit. The cherry fold involves folding the edges inwards and propping up the sides and the middle giving it this almost swan-like look. It can be placed in the middle of the plate or perhaps the side depending on what you prefer.

  

 

Finally, we have the gold old faithful stuffing the napkins into your wine glass. When done correctly can look aesthetically pleasing depending on your event. Making sure the correct amount of napkin is outside the glass and in the glass for each napkin is key to making sure that you get the look you desire.

However it is important to note, not all venues will take the time to do these napkin folds so it’s important to talk to your planners and decorators to see if they can help make your vision come to life.

Once again for more ideas on weddings and more napkin talk follow @chairdecor on Instagram, and check out the weekly polls and vote for your favourite looks.

Welcome to part two of this series on wedding décor. In the last blog, the main topics were tables and linens for your wedding. Now we’ll go into answering questions about chargers, chairs and other place settings.

First up, chargers. You may be wondering what is a charger? Well, a charger is a decorative plate that goes under your dinner plate. It helps elevate the decor as well as the aesthetics of the food you’ll be eating; definitely photo worthy for those instagram foodies! There are many designs and styles to choose from. You can have a simple charger that is clear or with beads on around the rim that are silver or gold; all available at Chair décor. Or you can have something grand and golden like the Valentino charger or La Dolce charger also available at Chair Décor. If you are also upgrading your cutlery, it’s nice to select a charger that compliments your other upgrades and accent colours.

Next, napkins; napkin colours we discussed in the last blog post, however, a napkin accessory that you may not have considered for your big day are napkin rings. Napkin rings help keep your napkins in place and add to the overall look of your table. You can choose from a swirl, net, or traditional napkin rings depending on the rest of the décor or the setting in which you wish to have your napkins set at your table. Chair Décor has a great assortment of different napkin rings to choose from.

Finally, the chairs! Naturally where your guests will sit is an important wedding detail. First, you can choose a wide variety of different chairs from more traditional looking Chiavari chairs or Phoenix chairs which can all be found on the Chair Décor website. You can even go the extra mile and add a chair cover. The chair cover will naturally drape around the entire chair and this a great option if you want the chairs to match the linens or just don’t think any regular chair will be the right fit for your wedding. Chair seats are also removable in most chairs and if you find a chair that works but are not a fan of the look of the seat cushion, there’s also an option to replace them with other chair seats so that your chairs are absolutely perfect for your big day.

Once again, for even more ideas on wedding pieces, wedding and event décor follow @chairdecor on Instagram, and check out the weekly polls and vote for your favourite looks.