Decor is one of the most exciting parts of planning your event at The Embassy. It’s where your personal style really comes through, whether you’re designing a fall wedding tablescape, a milestone birthday celebration, or a corporate event that needs to reflect your brand. But before you start ordering centerpieces or picking up decorations, it helps to know exactly what’s allowed inside our event spaces so you can plan with confidence and avoid any last-minute surprises.
Here’s a complete breakdown of our decor guidelines, along with a few tips to help your setup go as smoothly as possible.
What You Can Bring
Flowers and Greenery
Real flowers are always welcome at The Embassy. Whether you’re working with a florist on a full-scale floral design or bringing in simpler arrangements yourself, fresh flowers and greenery are one of the easiest ways to personalize your space. If your florist needs access to set up prior to your event, our team can work with you on timing.
Candles
Candles add warmth and ambiance to any event, and we allow them with one important guideline: tapered candles must have a covering. This is a safety requirement, and our staff will handle lighting all candles prior to the start of your event, so you don’t need to worry about coordinating that piece yourself. If you’re planning a candlelit reception, let our team know in advance so we can make sure everything is set up and ready before your guests arrive.
What’s Not Permitted
To help protect our space and keep cleanup manageable for every event we host, a few items are not allowed:
- Glitter – Glitter is nearly impossible to fully clean up and can affect the next event scheduled in the space, so it’s not permitted in any form.
- Confetti – Similar to glitter, confetti tends to spread beyond its intended area and creates cleanup challenges.
- Tape – Tape can damage walls, linens, and surfaces, so we ask that it not be used to hang decorations.
- Command Strips – Even though they’re designed to be damage-free, command strips can still leave residue or cause damage when removed, so they’re not permitted on Embassy property.
If you’re unsure whether a specific decoration idea fits within these guidelines, it’s always best to check with our team before you purchase or bring it in. We’re happy to help you find an alternative that achieves the same look without running into setup issues.
Beyond Decor: Other Things to Plan For
Once you’ve settled on your flowers, candles, and overall look, there are a few more logistical details worth knowing as you finalize your setup.
Desserts and Dessert Displays
If you’re planning to bring in cookies, cakes, or other desserts from an outside vendor or family member, you’re welcome to do so. Our team will tray and display your desserts, maintain the tables throughout your event, and repackage everything at the end of the evening so it’s ready for you to take home. All glassware and display trays are provided by The Embassy, and our staff handles the full setup so your guests don’t need to worry about arranging anything themselves.
Centerpieces and Table Setup
If you’d like to see our available centerpiece options in advance, we’re happy to set up an appointment for you to view them before your event. This is a great option if you want to coordinate your centerpieces with your overall color palette or theme without having to source everything yourself.
We also offer a variety of table shapes to fit different layouts and guest counts, including rounds, rectangles, half-moons, serpentines, and heart-shaped tables. Choosing the right table shapes can make a big difference in how your decor comes together, especially for larger events where flow and sightlines matter.
Drop-Off and Setup Timing
Most events allow for decor drop-off the day before, typically between 10am and 4pm. Depending on availability, you may also be permitted to come in during that same window the day before your event to begin setup yourself, though this isn’t guaranteed and is at the discretion of The Embassy based on our event schedule. If early access is important to your planning timeline, we recommend discussing it with our team as early as possible so we can let you know what’s realistic for your date.
Cleanup
At the end of your event, you’re responsible for removing all personal belongings, centerpieces, and any other items you brought in. From there, our staff takes care of cleaning the space, so you can focus on wrapping up your celebration rather than tearing down decorations late at night.
A Few Extras Worth Knowing
A couple of additional details can help you plan a more personalized setup:
- Personalized dance floors are allowed, but need to be approved and scheduled in advance with our General Manager.
- Staging and risers are available at no additional cost if your event includes speeches, performances, or presentations.
- DJ equipment is welcome, though DJs will need to bring their own sound and electrical equipment. We provide an eight-foot, skirted table if needed.
Planning Your Decor with Confidence
Understanding what’s allowed before you start shopping or booking vendors can save you time, money, and stress as your event gets closer. Our team has helped countless clients bring their vision to life within these guidelines, and we’re always happy to offer suggestions if you’re not sure how to achieve a certain look.
If you have questions about your specific decor plans, don’t hesitate to reach out. And if you’d like to see more of what’s possible inside our event spaces, we’d love to schedule a tour so you can start picturing your event in the room itself.