How to book
If you are interested in making a booking for your wedding venue dressing, please get in touch using one of the methods on our contact page. Please note that all bookings are subject to the following terms and conditions.
Sophisticated Shindigs
Booking terms (last updated 26/03/20)
Payments:
Cancellations:
Refunds:
Any refunds due will be sent via bank transfer and it is up to the client to provide accurate bank details. Cash refunds will not be given.
What you can expect from us:
Liaising with the venue:
Your venue will be contacted in the run-up to your wedding to check access times for setup. This will be done by email so that everything will be available in writing and the venue will be given a breakdown of what will be provided on the day. This is to keep the venue informed of our duties and our requirements. If there is no response from your venue after we have contacted them using the details provided, then it will be down to the client to follow things up with them. While this is rare, we have in the past come up against uncontactable or uncooperative venues and cannot dedicate our time to chasing them.
Inability to perform our work:
Sometimes circumstances on the day impede our ability to perform our work to our fullest potential, and within the timeframe we have been allowed. We take pains to prepare for different eventualities but some things are beyond our control. In circumstances where the fault is not our own then no refund will be due. Examples of this include the following:
Responsibilities of the client:
Damages:
It is the responsibility of the client to ensure that hire items are taken care of for the duration of the hire period. A degree of wear and tear is expected on our hire items and everyday food and drink stains on linens are expected. Certain forms of damage are however viewed as ‘excessive damage’. Examples of excessive damage include, but are not limited to:
In the case of loss or excessive damage being done to our property then we reserve the right to charge replacement value for the items in question. Proof of cost can be provided in the case that compensation is required, and we are happy to provide an estimate of replacement values as you move ahead with your booking. We also reserve the right to charge for loss of earnings if loss or damage to an item impacts our ability to cater for another client's event.
Travel & delivery:
Delivery will be charged at a rate of 45p per mile as standard. Delivery costs may be adjusted on larger bookings, at the discretion of the company, or included in the hire of certain items. In order to offset fuel costs, free or discounted delivery may be readjusted and increased in the event of a booking being scaled down.
Consultations:
When enquiring about our services, clients have the option of coming for a face-to-face consultation. This consultation will serve as both an opportunity for you to view a demo in person, and as a booking-in appointment should you wish to proceed with a booking.
As your big day approaches we recommend liaising so that we can discuss finer details. This will usually occur 1 month to 1 week in advance of your wedding, depending on availability. While we will endeavour to offer a face-to-face consultation this is not always feasible due to our availability, particularly during high season. If a meeting is not possible then these details can be sorted via email, direct messaging, or during a telephone consultation, according to our availability.
Hire period:
Our standard practice is to set up on the day of your wedding. Collection of our items will generally be either the following day, or if a quick turnaround is required, at the end of the night in line with the venue's curfew. If alternative setup or collection times are desired then this must be discussed prior to making a booking. We reserve the right to issue a surcharge for items kept beyond the standard hire period, and to charge extra days of hire at the standard item rate.
Turnarounds:
Should your wedding/event venue require a turnaround between ceremony and reception we must be made aware of this requirement upon booking as it impacts on our ability to take on bookings from other clients. We reserve the right to charge a fee to cover time spent waiting at the venue to perform the second part of our work, and to cover fuel for extra trips.
Privacy & consent:
When enquiring and booking you will be asked to provide basic details for the purposes of quotation, contact and invoicing. The information you give will be used only regarding your event dressing. We do not send out any newsletters and you will not be subscribed to any mailing lists. We do liaise with venues and, where appropriate, with other local wedding suppliers as part of our service. This will always be in the interest of making your event as fabulous as possible. An example would be sending wedding & guest details to a printer in order to provide your table plan. By proceeding with a booking you consent to us using your details in this way. Your information will never be sold or shared for marketing purposes.
(Update 03/12/18: edit regarding online/telephone consultations, according to availability.)
Booking terms (last updated 26/03/20)
Payments:
- A 20% deposit is required to secure your date. This is payable upon booking and is non-refundable.
(Occasionally a special offer or special order may come with a different deposit amount - you will be made aware of this prior to booking and the same terms will apply.) - The remaining balance is due 1 month prior to your wedding.
This date will be printed on your invoice. Payment will usually be scheduled on the exact same date as your event, for the sake of clarity (i.e. 13th May for 13th June). Where this is not possible due to the number of days in the month, your payment date will be set as the first day of the month of your wedding.
Cancellations:
- If booking online or over the phone, you shall be entitled to a 14 day cooling-off period, during which you can cancel your booking without being penalised. These 14 days are counted from the day after the date on which the deposit is received. All requests for cancellation during this period must be made in writing. Email/text/Facebook message are all acceptable for this purpose. Any monies paid will then be refunded in a timely manner. Cancellations beyond this period shall incur a loss of deposit. There will be no refund for cancellations made after the balance has been paid.
- Acts of God
In the case of your wedding being cancelled due to what might be deemed an ‘act of god’ - e.g. fire, flood, or other unforeseeable natural calamity - we will endeavour to accommodate the re-booking of your wedding for another date. - Accident or bereavement
Should you be unfortunate enough to suffer a major bereavement or accident at the time of your wedding which would lead to its cancellation, we would again endeavour to accommodate the transfer of your wedding to another date. - Changes of date
Wherever possible we will transfer your booking over should you choose a different date for your wedding. Any transfer will be subject to availability, and clients are limited to one transfer. Choosing a new date on which we are not available, or cancelling after a transfer has already been made, will result in a loss of deposit. We reserve the right to add a reasonable surcharge to cover inflation and rising fuel costs if a wedding is pushed back to a later date. We also reserve the right to charge for an expedited service for dates brought forward and needing a quick turnaround on supplies.
Update to terms, 26/03/20: If postponing to a later date, 50% of your balance will be due on your original balance due date, 1 month before the original event date. The further 50% of your balance will then be due 1 month before the new event date.
Refunds:
Any refunds due will be sent via bank transfer and it is up to the client to provide accurate bank details. Cash refunds will not be given.
What you can expect from us:
- To dress your venue using the agreed items, and in the agreed style. *
- To dress your venue with care and to a high standard.
Liaising with the venue:
Your venue will be contacted in the run-up to your wedding to check access times for setup. This will be done by email so that everything will be available in writing and the venue will be given a breakdown of what will be provided on the day. This is to keep the venue informed of our duties and our requirements. If there is no response from your venue after we have contacted them using the details provided, then it will be down to the client to follow things up with them. While this is rare, we have in the past come up against uncontactable or uncooperative venues and cannot dedicate our time to chasing them.
Inability to perform our work:
Sometimes circumstances on the day impede our ability to perform our work to our fullest potential, and within the timeframe we have been allowed. We take pains to prepare for different eventualities but some things are beyond our control. In circumstances where the fault is not our own then no refund will be due. Examples of this include the following:
- inability to place table runners due to tables already being fully set
- inability to set up starlight item due to lack of power points
- inability to fit table skirt due to dimensions of table
Responsibilities of the client:
- To provide accurate details on date, time and location of event.
- To provide accurate and adequate contact details for venue event organisers.
- To ensure adequate access time is granted by the venue for our service to be performed.
- To notify us of desired changes to agreed work in a timely manner.
Damages:
It is the responsibility of the client to ensure that hire items are taken care of for the duration of the hire period. A degree of wear and tear is expected on our hire items and everyday food and drink stains on linens are expected. Certain forms of damage are however viewed as ‘excessive damage’. Examples of excessive damage include, but are not limited to:
- Cigarette burns
- Indelible ink stains
- Tears and puncture marks in linens i.e. from stiletto heels or studded footwear
In the case of loss or excessive damage being done to our property then we reserve the right to charge replacement value for the items in question. Proof of cost can be provided in the case that compensation is required, and we are happy to provide an estimate of replacement values as you move ahead with your booking. We also reserve the right to charge for loss of earnings if loss or damage to an item impacts our ability to cater for another client's event.
Travel & delivery:
Delivery will be charged at a rate of 45p per mile as standard. Delivery costs may be adjusted on larger bookings, at the discretion of the company, or included in the hire of certain items. In order to offset fuel costs, free or discounted delivery may be readjusted and increased in the event of a booking being scaled down.
Consultations:
When enquiring about our services, clients have the option of coming for a face-to-face consultation. This consultation will serve as both an opportunity for you to view a demo in person, and as a booking-in appointment should you wish to proceed with a booking.
As your big day approaches we recommend liaising so that we can discuss finer details. This will usually occur 1 month to 1 week in advance of your wedding, depending on availability. While we will endeavour to offer a face-to-face consultation this is not always feasible due to our availability, particularly during high season. If a meeting is not possible then these details can be sorted via email, direct messaging, or during a telephone consultation, according to our availability.
Hire period:
Our standard practice is to set up on the day of your wedding. Collection of our items will generally be either the following day, or if a quick turnaround is required, at the end of the night in line with the venue's curfew. If alternative setup or collection times are desired then this must be discussed prior to making a booking. We reserve the right to issue a surcharge for items kept beyond the standard hire period, and to charge extra days of hire at the standard item rate.
Turnarounds:
Should your wedding/event venue require a turnaround between ceremony and reception we must be made aware of this requirement upon booking as it impacts on our ability to take on bookings from other clients. We reserve the right to charge a fee to cover time spent waiting at the venue to perform the second part of our work, and to cover fuel for extra trips.
Privacy & consent:
When enquiring and booking you will be asked to provide basic details for the purposes of quotation, contact and invoicing. The information you give will be used only regarding your event dressing. We do not send out any newsletters and you will not be subscribed to any mailing lists. We do liaise with venues and, where appropriate, with other local wedding suppliers as part of our service. This will always be in the interest of making your event as fabulous as possible. An example would be sending wedding & guest details to a printer in order to provide your table plan. By proceeding with a booking you consent to us using your details in this way. Your information will never be sold or shared for marketing purposes.
(Update 03/12/18: edit regarding online/telephone consultations, according to availability.)
