Events

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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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