I came across an article from the Special Events Magazine and had to share some of their advice.  These are great concepts.  Take a look.


SPOTLIGHT THE STUNNER“When a supermodel walks into the room, no one notices her friends,” Jack Kelly says. Keep this in mind with your decor, advises the entertainment technology designer with Charlotte, N.C.-based Eye Dialogue, and you can create drama without dollars.

Take the “centerpiece” concept and apply to the room, Kelly suggests. Instead of using 20 floral arrangements at $50 per table, sink all the money into one dramatic floral arrangement in the center of the room. “No one will think that the handful of candles on their table looks poor,” he says. “Instead, they will comment to all their friends how magnificent the floral display was in the center.”

He adds:

• A custom steel gobo — the honoree's initials or a slogan — creates a unique brand that makes the event special and valuable — all for about $70.
  
  
• If you can put what would have been a two-room event into just one room, you essentially double your decor budget.
  
  
• If you can't afford to wash all the walls in one color, then throw the color onto one element in the center of the room. Kelly did this at one pink-themed Sweet 16: “The brightest thing was in the middle, so everyone looked inward. Psychologically, the room was pink, because no one stares at the wall behind them.” And, “Instead of 30 to 40 lights, we only needed four.”
  
  
• Spend big on one thing and let the rest go. “To get the ‘wow’ from a meager budget, some risk must be taken,” Kelly says. “Anything can be left out. Style is all that matters.”