Oh No, I’m in Charge of Decor for the School Gala!

This past spring season I was asked to be one of the decor chairs for our school gala. The task at hand was large, but I was up for the challenge and learned a-lot along the way. 

So, what do you need to know when decorating a school gala? Let me give you the skinny. 

First, you must have a great decor team. There were 3 decor chairs for this event. Each of us brought our own unique talent, but we all shared the love for aesthetic beauty. 

Next, you must nail down the theme!  Once you have your theme, everything stems from there. Our theme was the Moulin Rouge. Picture a seductive, cabaret ambiance with reds, blacks, feathers, and low lighting. 

Once we knew our theme, we were ready to create our inspiration board. We used Google Slides to put together a mood board of images from centerpieces, linens, lounge furniture, and decor suggestions. 

To make our event a show stopper, we needed 3 key decor pieces. These items were must-haves in order to obtain the awe effect we were looking for.  They included a 14-foot Eiffel Tower, an 8-foot windmill, and large Marquee letters spelling out, “Moulin Rouge.” We were so lucky to find one vendor who had it all. Rick Herns Production. We highly recommend working with Rick Herns. He has thrown hundreds of large events and knows exactly how to make each party unique and memorable.  

We spent a great deal of time selecting our centerpieces. During cocktail hour, we wanted a few red roses in a small, bud vase for the cocktail tables. We went to Michaels and purchased the vases for $5 each. One of the decor chairs is amazing at arranging flowers. The day before the event, she went to the San Francisco Flower Market and purchased red roses. She selected the roses that were not fully open yet. She made all 15 flower arrangements the day before and they stayed in perfect condition for the next evening. You can store your flowers in your refrigerator or someplace cool like a dark garage. Our decor chair shared a fun fact with me. She said that some people add a bit of vodka to the flower water to kill any bacteria. 

Lounge furniture really creates the mood of the party.  I really wanted velvet, tufted couches with large, dark side chairs and mirrored glass coffee tables.  However, sadly our small budget didn’t allow us to rent any furniture and we used the free furniture that came with the venue.  

Lastly, to tie the whole Moulin Rouge look together we selected a black linen with shooting gold lines in it. The gold was subtle, yet really added beautiful texture and a pop of color.

Decor is central to any event. It really tells a story and sets the tone to the evening. I was so proud of the final product and seeing it all come together was exciting. We received a lot of kind messages about our decor and the 3 of us became closer friends through the process. We are now selling the centerpieces on AME to give you a chance to create the look at your event.  I hope these tips provide some insight on how to throw your next school event. In the words of Zidler, “The show must go on, Satire!”

Pictures provided by Kevin Kitsuda Photography.