Hire In Style

Finding your Wedding A-Team

Finding the best vendors for your wedding is a big (and hugely important) task and will ultimately determine the planning for and experience of your wedding day.  Of course, your day will be incredible no-matter what, since you are marrying your love and partying with your closest family and friends, but focus on these five  tips before locking in your suppliers to make sure you have the best possible team behind you.

1. Research

Scour websites and social media accounts of potential suppliers to get an idea of their scope, style and quality of work.  Look for publication credentials – those with features in magazines or media are a good indicator of quality and legitimacy. Also get yourself along to a few bridal fairs, see some real-life displays and chat face-to-face with the people behind the portfolio.

2. Testimonials

Social media and internet searches are great for reading what others are saying about a business. Reviews on Facebook business pages and google will give you an idea of quality – although be aware that any negative reviews can be removed.

Styling: Aravella Event Design  Flowers: Zinnia Floral Design Photo Credit: Katie Grant Photography

Photographer: Katie Grant Photography

3. Ask around

Wedding-focussed social media groups, friends, family and colleagues have all had experiences at a wedding or event, pick their brains to find out who they thought were the stand outs and who to avoid. Talk to other suppliers and see who they recommend.

4. Customer focus

Good customer service means different things to different people, but consistent, prompt response times (24 hours) is a good indication that they will be on-hand and available throughout the planning stage.

That said, wedding work is weekend work so response times may lengthen! Thursday through Sunday is the time when suppliers can be out of the office gearing up for the weekend’s weddings (on site, bumping in, bumping out, etc.) so please take this into account.

Photo Credit: Nic Duncan and  Lee Griffith Photography Flowers: Lush Floral Design

5. Meet them

Probably the most important factor in establishing a kick-ass team is your connection to your vendors. Meet them in person before booking/purchasing from them to scope out the dynamic, ensuring there are no personality clashes that may make your planning more anxiety ridden. You probably don’t want to go for a super laid back vendor if you are more the ultra-vigilant, detail-focused type.

Do they get your vision? Are they excited by your ideas? Do you bounce off each other? Does their style echo your own? All great signs that the connection is real and they can deliver.

Photo Credit: Christine Lim Photography  Beautiful Bridal Gown Supplier : Vicki- Through the White Door

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Breaking down your hire fees

Every wedding professional knows what goes on behind-the-scenes in order to deliver their final product or service. There is so much more that went on to get your venue next-level transformed or to have that floral installation hanging spectacularly (and securely) above your bridal table (installing florals in a clear-top marquee on a 30 degree day, anyone?)

The hire business is no different – there are so many factors that come into play that ultimately determine a quote, so we have decided to unpack the things that contribute towards our hire fees.

1. Client management

This is the time it takes to do all the administration, from answering calls, emails, meetings, writing quotes, invoicing, scheduling, social media and maintaining a website.

Photo credit: Katie Grant Photography

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2. Cleaning and maintenance

After every order is returned to our warehouses, each item is individually unpacked cleaned and re-painted or fixed if necessary and packaged up for the next event. During the quieter months all our products are revamped so they look brand new.

3. Item replacement

Sometimes things return to us beyond repair, and that equals time and money to source a replacement. This isn’t always straightforward – sometimes items are ordered from overseas and we have to meet minimum orders, or even container loads!

Sometimes items are totally unique and irreplaceable an example of this in our hire range is our Persian rugs with each one being a one off.

Photo credit: Teneil Kable photographer

4. Delivery and installation

Some items need professional installation by our team, some examples of these are our hairpin tables, lighting or White gum arbour, which mean an array of tools and hardware are required. Staff costs are also associated with unloading and loading your order at the warehouse and then at the event venue.

5. Other business costs

Running our vehicles including maintenance costs, rent to store all our beautiful pieces in, utilities, wages and insurance are all things we need to cover.

So, the hire charge for those tables or that lighting is not just for the physical product, but enables us to give our clients the best service and products we possibly can to make their event amazing.

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A quick guide to a low waste wedding

After every spectacular wedding comes the pack down. And it ain’t pretty.

A peek into the skip bin in the reception car park and you will find it filled with any and all rubbish – from once-stunning floral installations to bottles, kitchen waste and the menus you spent hours assembling.

Low waste is a lifestyle many are working towards, and it can be hard. But your efforts towards low waste don’t have to go out the window when planning your day –  just thoughtful, considered decisions and the desire to find alternatives that are kinder on the earth. Here are just a few tips to consider when embracing a low-waste wedding.

Hire

No doubt one of the easiest ways to save money and to reduce waste is to hire anything you don’t already own or can borrow. Think it’s cheaper to buy some things? Maybe, but there are no guarantees that you can on-sell them easily or even for what you bought them for when every couple has the same idea. And there is no comparison when those items end up in landfill when second-hand shops can’t sell them.

Photo credit: Ben Yew Photography, Black Bird Tale, In the Wilds

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Think Seasonal

Share your low waste ethos with your florist and choose local, in-season florals. Your florist will have contacts with local growers and they are more likely to be spray-free, without packaging. Bonus: native blooms and foliage dry out beautifully so you can love on your wedding fleurs for years to come. Spray-free means you can happily pop them in your compost when they are ready to return to the earth.

Photo credit: Jessica Liebregts Photography and Samantha Simone Photography
Photographer: Samantha Simone Photography

Buy pre-loved

Op shops and the internet are bursting with second-hand or pre-loved dresses and gowns worn once or not at all. You will save not only your dollars but also the water, energy and labor it takes to grow or manufacture the fabric from scratch. Make it a challenge for bridesmaids to find their dresses with one rule – they can’t buy it new!

There are more and more jewellers who specialise in ethical jewellery and most jewellers are happy to take your old jewellery and turn it into a one-off design truly unique to you.

Responsible service

Discuss with your venue and caterer ways you can work together to minimise waste from your food and drink service. Many will be totally on your wavelength and will be more than happy to make this happen. Reusable or home compostable serving ware, glassware and cloth napkins are easy ways to cut down on waste. Kegs cut down on cans and bottles. Set up a separate bin system for compost, recyclables, soft plastics and garbage and dispose of them responsibly afterwards.

Planning a marquee wedding? 5 things you should know

So, you’ve found the perfect location for your marquee wedding. It’s remote, has a killer view, the ground is (kinda) flat, and you already have your eye on a stunning structure in which to celebrate one of the biggest moments in your lives as a couple.

We’re not going to lie. We both had our own marquee weddings and they are W-O-R-K. Pretty much everything has to be hired in – from the furniture and glassware, to the generator and toilets. And unless you are hiring a wedding planner, you are going to have to be at the top of your planning game. So here are a few tips to help you on your way.

1. Know your site
Speak to the owners of the property about the site. What are the best locations for a marquee in their opinion? Then configure your marquee accordingly. That southerly wind that comes through in the evening? Plan to have that side of the marquee down for the reception. Take into account the surroundings and come up with the best options to take full advantage of the property’s assets.

2. Size and style matters
Your ideal weather situation will be a beautifully clear, mild day with a light breeze and a warm, balmy evening. But let’s face it, your dream of a wall-free marquee may not be possible if torrential rain and wind is forecast. So consider all the scenarios and choose a marquee you will be happy with if it needs to be fully enclosed. Consider what the setup will be if it does rain, and make sure the size of your marquee is big enough to fit in that dance floor, band, bar, lounge, plus all of your guests if you need to go with Plan B.

Photo credit: Keeper Creative, Lee Griffith Photography and We are all Stardust

Photographer: Keeper Creative Photography

3. Guest comfort is important

Have enough toilets. Close by. This may seem obvious, but your guests will hate you if they have to cross the desert to get to a toilet or if there is nowhere for them to change nappies (where kids are on the guest list). So have enough toilet paper, bins, soap and handtowels at the ready. Hire plenty of heaters for colder weather, and many a guest have been grateful for blankets provided at the reception.

Photo credit: We are all stardust and Lee Griffith photography

4. Hire a wedding coordinator or stylist

Seriously, you NEED someone on site from the time the marquee arrives, to ideally, the reception kick-off. A coordinator will meet and direct suppliers and oversee the set up and styling, and basically be the ‘go to’ contact for any hiccups on the day. There are many decisions that need to be made on the run during setup, and trust us; you don’t want to be the one to have to think of solutions.  Many offer a ‘Day Of’ package which includes a site visit a few weeks out to go over the setup and floor plan and to make sure all your bases are covered. You will surprised at the amount of things (logistically or otherwise) that may be brought to your attention that you never consider

Photo credit: Paris Hawken photography

Photographer: Anti Weddings

5. Communication and flexibility is key

Understand all of your vendors’ needs – from power requirements to space needed and time frames. Look at the event holistically and then make sure those needs are fulfilled as much as possible to avoid misunderstandings or issues on the day. Know what everyone is and isn’t taking care of so you can identify any double-ups or gaps that need to be resolved

Photo credit: Ben and Ebony

Photographer: Ben & Ebony

5 styling ideas for your festive table this year

Kristina Sfreddo, stylist and planner at Gather & Hunt shares ideas for a memorable festive table this holiday season.

I love this time of year. Not the fact that I have Mariah’s rendition of All I Want for Christmas Is You on permanent loop in my head until the Christmas tree gets put away, but more the fact that I get to spend time with family and friends and take a (short) break from the many responsibilities on my plate. It’s a time for long, lazy days, conversation and connection, special people, food – glorious food, and of course, possibly most importantly, Love Actually on TV (am I right!?).

Yep, Christmas is a time of celebration, and lots of us love decorating our houses and tables each year – it adds to the atmosphere and excitement to come. But let’s face it, decades-old tinsel, the old-faithful plastic tablecloths and the garish red-and-green combo can get a little bit boring/OTT/ok, a stylist’s Christmas nightmare, so here are 5 ideas to help you come up with a timeless festive table which still nods to the fact that it’s the most wonderful tiiiime of the yeeeear… (sorry).

Make food the focus

Everyone puts so much love and effort into the festive feast, so make it a statement. Whether it’s a buffet-style grazing situation or a shared-plate banquet, create different heights with props like wooden slabs and a mix of boards, and get creative with food presentation.

Make food focus 3

Explore new colour palettes

Deviate from the traditional and incorporate a fresh colour scheme into your setting. You are not restricted to red, green, gold/silver! Here we used textural Belgian linens (a current favourite of mine) in charcoal, natural and mustard yellow to create an earthy look that connects with the food on display.

Think outside the decorative box

Go for accent colours and textures in functional pieces instead of lots of decorative ‘bits’ that can clog up a table. We used different varieties of pine along the table in small amounts, gold minimalist candlestick holders with black taper candles for a soft glow, gold matte cutlery, and a mix of marble and wood for serving platters.

e we used textural Belgian linens (a current favourite of mine) in charcoal, natural and mustard yellow to create an earthy look that connects with the food on display.

Think outside the box

Use appropriate furniture

This is usually a time when we can have 20-plus people around the table, so look into hiring some furniture to fit everyone in with enough elbow room as well as to create a beautiful and consistent table. Here we used dark woods to tie in with the natural colour scheme.

Appropriate furniture

Forage

Forage for native greenery/foliage/nuts and pods/interesting sticks and branches to decorate the table, make modern wreaths, or to hang above the table as a feature. Add a little sprig to napkins for extra detail.

Forage
Forage 2

Hire the Look

Dark wood bentwood chairs
Trestle Table
Belgian Linen tablecloth in Natural
Belgian Linen napkins in Charcoal
Gold matte flatware and serving utensils
Wooden boards
Jarrah look table raiser
Gold minimalist candlestick holders
White lipped entrée and mains plates

Behind the lining: Meet the dynamic duo behind Hire in Style

Meet Hannah…

Photo Credit: Nic Duncan
Photo Credit: Nic Duncan

Co-owner/client and vendor liaison.

It’s my role to work closely with our clients, stylists and venues and it’s a great privilege to help them realise their vision and bring their style concepts to life! I love commissioning customised pieces for clients; it gives us the opportunity to flex our creative muscle and ingenuity!

On Hire in Style’s beginnings:

Planning my wedding from Kojonup (a small farming town in the Great Southern region of WA) in 2014, I really struggled to find quality, boutique hire options in the region. The cost of transporting items from Perth would have blown our budget, so we decided to take the plunge and purchased everything we needed for the wedding.

I couldn’t bare to part with the marquees, furniture and decorative items so Jacinta and I – after many hours of dreaming and planning – decided to go into the hire business together.

Hiring the items bought for my own wedding to others facing the same planning and logistical hurdles has been hugely satisfying and rewarding.

Likes:

All animals – I think I was an animal in my past life, probably an elephant! Most sports, but particularly polocrosse.  Travelling and trying new things.

Useless facts

  • I grew up in the North of England in a small farming community, not dissimilar to the Great Southern.  I went travelling between school and uni and met my husband Chris.
  • We live on a farm in Kojonup with our gorgeous son Oliver,  Dalmatian Molly and our  horses.  I love the wide open spaces, big skies, peace, tranquillity and the friendliness of the people.
  • If I have any spare time I indulge my passion for riding and Polocrosse and have played for both England and WA.

I’m terrified of both heights and flying, but I’ve always had an urge to jump out of an aeroplane!  Go figure!

Meet Jacinta…

Photo Credit: We Are All Stardust
Photo Credit: We Are All Stardust

Co-owner/good with numbers.

I run Hire In Style alongside Hannah, and do a lot of behind the scenes work such as the finances and keeping Hannah’s spending habits in check!! Hannah is very creative and has the artistic capability – but I have the practically and common sense to keep her enthusiasm in line! I am definitely the handyman and the queen in DIY.

On Hire in Style’s beginnings:

Hannah and I met through family connections in 2008 and became close friends. We were introduced through my cousin to whom she is now married.

I love Hannah’s drive, and when she approached me with the idea for what would become Hire in Style, I knew we were onto something!

From the outset our motivation has been to provide our customers especially those in the Great Southern and rural regions accessibility to unique, on-trend, custom furniture and decorative pieces with an affordable price tag.

Likes:

Travelling and exploring the world, wining, dining and cooking.

Useless facts

  • I was born and raised in Kojonup on our family farm.
  • I now live on a farm in Gnowangerup with my husband Digby, daughter Imogen, latest addition baby boy Jonty, our massive cat Oscar and our dog Indi. I love the farming life for the space, the flexible life style and the beautiful views.
  • I’m an accredited practising dietician, but now concentrate all my energy on Hire In Style.
  • I’m a mad keen hockey player with a bit of white line fever!
Photo Credit: Three Little Kings
Photo Credit: Three Little Kings

Looking forward to 2017/2018:

2015/16 was our first full trading year which has been full of excitement, challenge, surprise, reward and achievement.

It’s great to be part of a small, but thriving professional industry in WA, where we work together and support one another. We have formed firm and special friendships with customers, clients and suppliers alike, which is proving to be a real, but unexpected bonus both personally and to our business.

We are excited to see the Great Southern continuing to develop as a destination for weddings and events, attracting creative people who are making the region their base. As a result the Great Southern is thriving with additional investment and the further development of new and existing venues. The upside is more people are choosing to get married and hold events in The Great Southern. This is exciting going forwards as people are recognising the beauty of our pristine landscapes and coastline, together with the fantastic venues and value that the Great Southern has to offer.

Hire in Style are proud to be a part of this development.