One of the major aspects that we still have to determine is a decorator for our wedding reception. At a minimum, we need a backdrop, head table decoration, and chair covers. So, before I left Ottawa for the Christmas holidays, I emailed a bunch of decorators with a preliminary inquiry. About half of them replied and I scheduled appointments with them during my stay here in Toronto.
For our first appointment, Colin and I went to the decorator's Mississauga "showroom". I put the word, showroom, in quotes because the place was more like a small workshop that was quite unorganized, untidy and dusty. The person we spoke to was nice. She showed us a photo album, which displayed a portfolio of the company's work. She also explained the extent of her experience with our reception venue. She provided us with a detailed quote that seemed reasonable.
Our second appointment was with a company based in Woodbridge. Although the guy we met was nice, we didn't have a very good vibe. The guy gave us a bunch of albums containing samples of the company's previous jobs. Rather than telling us more about the company, he left us alone for the most part while he did his banking on-line. And after discussing what our decorating needs were, he did his own calculations and gave us a number. This number was much higher than the previous quote. However, what bothered us the most was that when we left the meeting, we did not really have a good idea what kind of job this guy would do for us.
Our third appointment was with a Polish woman in Mississauga. As with the other places, she showed us albums of her previous work. Immediately, I could tell that she was a creative person and passionate about the work she did. What I liked about her was that she provided us with a detailed quote immediately and told us that she would reserve our date for two weeks. I thought that was nice of her.
With our last appointment, the decorator insisted on having the meeting at our reception site. She wanted to do a preliminary assessment of the ballrooom to see if she could meet our decorating needs. After looking at the ballroom, we found a quiet space where she presented us her portfolio and explained the depth of her experience. She demonstrated the most professionalism out of all the other decorators we talked to. As well, she provided me with the most thorough and detailed quote.
Colin and I are still mulling over our choices. The one good thing about meeting these decorators was we now have a better idea about what we want in terms of wedding decorations.
