What's included when you hire an event stylist

Many hosts tell me the styling is the part of their planning they feel least sure about. You know how you'd like the room to feel, but finding the balloons, the backdrop, someone to set it all up and someone to take it down again can quickly turn into four separate conversations with four different people.

That's the gap I fill. I style children's parties, milestone celebrations and brand events across Surrey and into London, and I look after each one myself from start to finish. Here's what's actually included when you book me, what it costs and how it all comes together.

One person, from the first idea to the clear-up

I personally design, deliver, install and clear every event. The person you share your ideas with is the same person who builds the setup on the morning and comes back to take it down, so nothing gets lost between a designer, a hire company and an install team. You have one point of contact for every decision, every timing question and every message from your venue.

It also means I keep my diary deliberately small. I take on a limited number of events each month so that each one has my full attention, and I'd always rather do fewer events beautifully than squeeze more in. If your date falls on a weekend, it's worth getting in touch early.

I style in homes, gardens, hired halls, hotels and brand spaces. A first birthday in a living room deserves just as much care as a dinner in a ballroom, and some of my favourite setups have been around a front door or in a family kitchen. You can see the range on my children's parties and milestone celebrations pages.

Seeing your setup before the day

Every design starts with a conversation about the occasion, your guests and the room itself. From there I put together a moodboard and a colour palette, and for larger setups a render, which is a drawing of the design in your space, so you can see the scale and the colours before anything is ordered.

This is where we make the important decisions together: how big the balloon installation should be for your ceiling height, where the backdrop sits so it catches the light, and how the colours work with your walls and furniture. It's much easier to adjust a drawing than a room on the morning of a party.

On the day, everything is delivered and installed before your guests arrive, so you can focus on hosting rather than inflating balloons in the hallway. When the last guest has gone, I come back and take it all down, so there's nothing left for you to dismantle, store or clear away.

What's included, and what it costs

Depending on your event, your styling can include:

• Balloon installations, from garlands and arches to columns and number stacks
• Backdrops and photo areas, including painted panels and sequin and shimmer walls
• Signage, light-up numbers and letters, and personalised welcome signs
• A moodboard, a palette and, for larger designs, a render of your setup
• Delivery, set-up before guests arrive, and taking it all down afterwards

Celebrations start from £300, and fuller designs that transform a whole room usually range from £600 to £1,500+. Every quote is shaped around your brief, the size of the space and what's involved on the day, so I'll always send you a clear proposal before anything is confirmed.

If you're after the simplest possible decoration at the lowest price, a styling service like mine may not be the right fit, and that's completely fine. I'm the right person when you'd like ideas, care over the details and a finished room designed around your space.

Brand events and business celebrations

The same approach works for businesses. I create statement installations, branded backdrops, entrance displays and photo moments for launches, anniversaries and team celebrations, and I've been trusted by brands including P&G, The Range and Foxhills. Matching your brand colours and working around a venue's access times are all part of the brief. There's more on my corporate and brand styling page.

Surrey is home, and I travel across the county, into London and further afield for the right event. I have pages for many of the towns I cover, such as Reigate, and wherever your venue is, just mention it when you enquire and I'll let you know.

Why I love this part

What I love most about working this way is that I see each celebration all the way through. I'm there when it's still an idea in someone's head, and I'm there on the morning when the room changes and it suddenly feels like a party.

Being the one person involved also means I get to know the families and teams I work with, and it's always a privilege when they ask me back for the next birthday, the next christening or next year's Christmas party.

If you have a celebration coming up, I'd love to hear about it. Send me your date, your venue and a few words about what you have in mind, and I'll come back to you with ideas.

Laura x