A plain (or even downright ugly!) venue space does not mean you have to reject the venue. Draping can completely transform the look and feel of a room.

“Draping is the process of using cloth for decorative purposes,” says Maryke Minnaar, owner of Silver Star Event and Décor Hire. “It is a great way to enhance any function or setting.

“You can use it to cover unsightly areas such as wallpaper or cracks, to accentuate a theme, to change the colour scheme so it doesn’t clash with your wedding palette. It adds elegance and an upmarket feeling to any event setup. Most of all I would say it creates that feeling of a finished off function.”

There are various types of draping you can use, from draping the whole room, the ceiling or just a wall or pillar, to doing a backdrop or just dressing the main table or chairs. You can also consider doing arches or adding fairy lights to create something different.

“There is a variety of factors influencing the type of draping you can do,” says Maryke. “And there are many types of draping you can incorporate into a space or to create a specific feeling.”

“Every venue offers some elements you can use or sometimes want to hide. You will, for instance, do different draping in a marquee than from an inside venue or an outside event. You will do different draping at a 21^st birthday celebration than from a year-end function or a Boho-chic wedding.”

She adds that when you traditionally think of draping, you see panels from the middle of the ceiling to the rest of the room. But you can twist the drapes, drape it at varying heights or hang it in an interesting or unique way to create a completely different feeling.

“Even in a marquee you can transform the normal look by simply using wall drapes or hanging the panels lower and creating a low ceiling,” she says. “Or you can use fewer drapes and just accentuate some other function elements.”

“The type of lighting also plays a role in the final result. A chandelier hanging below ceiling drapes creates an elegant feeling. Lights shining from the sides into drapes make the venue lighter. If you add fairy lights effectively your guests might imagine they are outside under the stars.”

Draping takes an ordinary function to the next level.

Contact Silver Star Events and Décor on 012 524 3390 to speak to Maryke about ideas and services. Or send an email to info@silverstarhiring.com