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vendor reviews: decorators
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Elegance, design and innovation are the secrets to a bride's heart at M&R Weddings Reviewing Maria Robertson, Owner of M&R Weddings
When we met Maria Robertson at her large, fantastic bridal show display two years ago, staff at The Ring could see right away that her decorating company, M&R Weddings, has what many brides want - plenty of style, a personality that's easy to love, and an inventory of props and options ranging from subtle and romantic, to rich and elegant.
Maria means it when she says that elegance, design and innovation is her guarantee. She operates on the basis that all wedding decorating packages should be flexible and customized for the couples who come to see her, ensuring that M&R's brides know exactly what they're going to get on their wedding day - whether she's doing the decorating or your renting the décor and doing it yourself.
We sat down with Maria in her home studio to find out more about what she had to offer brides in The Ring. Let us tell you...
Personally speaking... Maria Robertson is originally from the Dominican Republic. Nine years ago, she quickly went from a job in home décor to an apprentice position within a Barrie, Ontario wedding decorating company. Going from sewing and interior design to wedding décor was a natural progression for Maria. "I love it," she admits. "I love working with couples and seeing their excitement and plans for their wedding day. It's one of the most important days of their lives and I'm proud to be a part of it."
Laura and Jason Jakobs were married May 26 2007 and told staff at The Ring about how personable Maria was, telling us, "When we first met Maria and saw her showroom, we noticed very quickly that she worked hard to understand what we had envisioned for our wedding. She was very accommodating and went the extra mile to make sure that we are happy with the plans. Maria went above and beyond and she even worked to create a backdrop that my mom had designed."
Living and working out of her K-W area home, Maria opened the doors of M&R Weddings in 2005. In her first year, she decorated fifty weddings, and she's shown no sign of slowing down since.
Maria regularly visits the Dominican Republic to see family and take care of the décor for five popular Dominican resorts & hotels for the Christmas season.
Everything you need It's easy to imagine how Maria's genuine, sweet personality could put even the most stressed bride at ease in her creative hands.
M&R Weddings seems to have everything a bride looks for in a decorator, such as ceiling treatments, backdrops, chair covers, tablecloths, runners, centrepieces, candles, flowers, and just about anything else you would need.
"Your wedding decorations should be in your style, created from your ideas, for your big moment," says Maria. To make sure she can meet her brides' expectations, she tries to offer items in as many colours as possible. Maria has a variety of fabric swatches, so you can work out a design together that coordinates with all aspects of your wedding theme, colour and style. "You really can have anything you want," she says.
Centrepieces are available for rent or purchase. Rentals range in price form $10 to $20 or higher depending on your choice. Maria can do some simple flower arrangements or can recommend a great florist for more elaborate work.
DIY rentals Maria understands that some brides like getting involved and taking a hands-on approach with their wedding decorating, so she offers what she refers to as a 'Do-it-yourself' line of décor rentals to suit your style and budget. These items are available to be rented piece by piece since you may not need everything in a package, chosen as part of a pre-designed decorating package so you can add more great items, or included in a package that couples design from scratch. It doesn't get much better than this - you can pick and choose exactly what décor you want at prices that best fit your budget! Plus, you get to be involved with the decorating process and have the first say in where everything goes so that your dream wedding can turn out exactly how you've pictured it in your head.
Laura rented some of M&R's décor to set up herself at her wedding. "There is the option to rent some of Maria's decorations... if you want to do the set-up and take-down yourselves... which I personally liked because I wanted to do some of the decorating myself." And don't worry if you're inexperienced in the decorating world, Maria explains, "Our products are simple to install, making it easy for you to turn your wedding or any special event into a fairy tale."
Taking the décor outdoors Decorating outdoor weddings seems to be another M&R Weddings specialty. If you look through their website's online gallery, the ceremony section shows off a number of the ways that Maria can make any outdoor space wedding-worthy for the bride and groom. Using fabrics, chair covers, pillars, aisle runners and flowers (among other things), M&R Weddings makes it easy to love the idea of an outdoor wedding ceremony.
Walking you through it... The one thing we noticed right away is that Maria's beautiful home studio says a lot about her style and personality. With the hardwood floors, fireplace, recessed lighting, and different décor setups, you really get a sense of what Maria can do for you and how you might want your wedding to look.
At the first consultation, you will discuss your ideas, budget, theme and style. You and Maria will work out a plan and then she'll give you a custom quote. You can book on the spot or take the information home to think about it. As Maria says, "There's no pressure. When you're ready to book, I'll work with you to pull together all the elements of your wedding look and design." She's available by phone or e-mail if you have any questions or want to make adjustments.
She is very hands-on and makes sure that every detail is perfect. Your wedding is always her most important wedding.
"When I walked into our reception and saw everything together for the first time, I was speechless. All I could do was look around in awe. It was so much more than I ever imagined. It was breath-taking! Our reception was in the church gym, but you never would have known," Laura told The Ring.
Fabric trends When it comes to colours, the most popular selection begins with a neutral base of brown, ivory, white, black, or other earth tones and is then complemented with splashes of colour. It's what Maria likes to call 'beautiful elegance,' a look she specializes in.
Prices&packages You should plan to book Maria six to eight months (or more) in advance. That being said, she's happy to help at the last minute if she's available. "With short notice though, just try to be flexible with your colour, style and other choices," she explains, adding that she usually recommends booking her as your decorator when you book your venue.
A deposit of 25% of your total cost is due at booking with the balance due two weeks before your wedding. However, one of the great things about M&R is that they understand that you'll be spending money on other parts of your wedding as well.
To help you plan and budget, you can spread your payments out over the months leading up to your wedding if that's an easier route for you and your groom. Maria accepts cash, cheques, Visa or MasterCard.
Prices range from $700 to $5000 with the average bride spending $1300. An average wedding would use something like 150 chair covers, a backdrop and décor for the head, cake, signing and receiving tables
Maria says it's her goal to do everything she can to make your wedding as beautiful as you can imagine. She'll work within any budget, so if you have a set amount to spend, she'll explain your options and show you ways to economize.
detailsdetailsdetails • Maria recommends booking about 6 to 8 months ahead. • 25% of your custom quote is required for a deposit at booking. • The balance is due 2 weeks prior to the wedding day, with the option to pay monthly leading up to then. • They accept cash, cheques, Visa and MasterCard.
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For rentals, they require a 20% refundable damage deposit, which will be
refunded to you the week after your wedding. • Ask Maria about delivery and pick up of DIY rental items.
Inotherwords... "The decorations were so beautiful, just like I have imagined. Your service was absolutely awesome; you were very patient and flexible with our ideas all the way through. There was always a great attitude that I loved a lot about you." - Samah & Jawad
"We were very impressed with your work. You did an outstanding job decorating our hall going above and beyond what was expected. Our guests were very impressed. You also did a phenomenal job on Madison 's dress, she looked adorable in it." - Dita & Andrew
Maria works from her home studio, located at 107 Autumn Ridge Trail in Kitchener. She sees brides by appointment only, so to arrange a meeting to discuss ideas and options, phone Maria at 519-574-9837 or email her at maria@mrweddings.ca. Check out the M&R Weddings gallery on the web at www.mrweddings.ca.
- The Staff at TheWeddingRing.ca * Prices are all approximate and are subject to change and verification by authorized staff and management of M&R Weddings. |
