So, you’re new to the event decor and design and you’ve just booked your first wedding for decor, congrats! Your client has selected fuschia and teal as her colors..and then, the panic sets in. Should I purchase fuchsia and teal sheer fabric for her draping? Or maybe I should purchase all satin…or taffeta…or crushed taffeta…ahhh! Pretty soon you find yourself at a standstill. Your head swimming in an endless sea of fabric choices.

As an Account Manager at Event Decor Direct, one of the largest wholesalers of wedding and event decor in North America,  I often get asked from event planners and designers around the globe, “What fabric do I purchase to start out, and in what color?”

For this article, I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my favorite clients, Freslaine St. Louis. Freslaine is sharing her best tips on how to decide which fabrics to purchase when first starting out in event design.  Freslaine started her own company, Lin Edge, two years ago and is currently designing over 20 events a year! She has built lasting relationships with event venues throughout South Florida and is considered “someone to keep your eye on” in the industry!

Here are our best tips on purchasing fabric for event decor and design:

1) White Crushed Sheer Is Your Best Friend

One of the most important things Freslaine learned when first starting out in the event industry is the importance of starting out with white crushed sheer fabric in her inventory. Crushed sheer is SO much easier to manage, for the simple fact that it hides wrinkles MUCH better than flat sheer. Trying to steam out the wrinkles while on site is not only super time consuming and stressful, but may also require you to hire additional help, which cuts into your profits.

Although it’s very tempting to purchase specific fabric colors off the bat, Freslaine learned to think ahead and budget smart! If a bride’s colors are red and orange, it’s more cost-effective in the long run to purchase white fabric and uplight it with red and orange. Then, when you book your next event and the colors are blush and silver, you’re not stuck with a bunch of red and orange fabric.

An example of all white sheer, using Event Decor Direct 5 in 1 LED light to accent with purple.

2) When Given the Choice, Choose Fire Retardant Fabric

I get this question a lot: Should I purchase my fabric FR or Non-FR? For those who aren’t familiar with the term, FR stands for Fire Retardant, which means the fabric has been treated with a chemical that will not allow the fabric to go up in flames, in the event of a fire. Some venues actually require you to show a certificate stating your fabric is such, before you can drape your room.

Freslaine told us about a situation in which she booked a wedding at a venue she had previously worked with, but because the new fire marshall of the venue was requiring all fabric to be FR, she had to purchase all new fabric, which of course cut into her bottom line. She always recommends purchasing fabric as FR. You will have to spend more money to start, but it will save money in the long run.

3) Colors and Fabrics You Can’t Go Wrong With

We know crushed white sheer is definitely one of them, but Freslaine has a few suggestions for colors/fabrics that are timeless and always on hand for her and her staff to use. Black, gold, and ivory are all colors that she often uses as valences and accents. These colors would be a smart investment. Also something she learned in IWED, don’t be afraid to mix fabrics! Crushed taffeta and satin drape beautifully with sheer. Be confident in your designs and your work will reflect just that.

Whether you have a question about fabric or even how to uplight your backdrop, Event Decor Direct is here to support you and help turn your passion into a profitable revenue stream! I can honestly say, my favorite part about working at Event Decor Direct is the relationships I build with my customers and the opportunities I get to watch them grow not only personally, but professionally!

Feel free to leave me a comment below, I’d love to hear from you! I invite you to check out our website www.eventdecordirect.com and enter the promo code FABTIPS15 at checkout to receive a one time offer of 15% off your entire purchase! *Some exclusions apply*

* This is a sponsored post from Event Decor Direct. Thank you to account manager Danielle Tabino for sharing your expertise with us in this article. In the featured photo, we show an example of a backdrop using mixed fabrics..crushed taffeta and sheer work beautiful together. Backdrop design by Elizabeth Johnston, backdrop construction by Danielle Tabino.

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