When planning an event, an often overlooked aspect in the decorating process is the chair ... until now. Longview residents Staci Murray and Crystal Bowles have solidified a perfect niche within the decorating world by offering a business creating custom seat covers, decorations and sashes to give the seats at your event that extra boost of style and sass.
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Crystal Bowles and Staci Murray have turned their flair for decorating into a career with Please Be Seated.
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Crystal Bowles decorates a chair with beautiful sashes and fun feathers at their business on Gilmer Road.
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The women opened the doors to their business, Please Be Seated, in April 2008, and already they have a few events under their belts. The parties they have worked on, including a high school prom decorated in a "Moulin Rouge" theme, showcased their creative styles and flair for originality. They know they can bring a lot to any table.
"While some party rental businesses may just adorn your chair in a chair cover and sash, we like to add embellishments to the backs of the chairs and get creative," Staci said. "Not only is chair cover designing a great outlet for us, but the addition of embellishments to the chair back really adds a pop to the overall decor."
Take a seat
Before Please Be Seated, Staci and Crystal were both submersed in the world of decor. Crystal, a stay-at-home mom, was always called on by friends to party-plan and decorate important events. Staci worked in business and design. They attended the same church for years before the two finally put their heads together and found out they had the same dream: to have a business of their own, decorating chairs and sprucing up parties.
Now their idea has become more than a hobby. Their office on Gilmer Road is stocked full of chair covers and sashes, and they have what seems like an endless supply of fun embellishments and beautiful greenery. They offer custom sash work for any clients looking to make their event unlike any others.
"It works like this: Say you have a party tonight and you need 100 chair covers at the drop of a hat. While most local party rental places have to actually order their chair covers for you to rent, we have them on-site," Crystal said. "Not only do you get your chair covers in no time flat, you also don't have to pay extra for shipping costs. Our whole idea is to keep it inexpensive and affordable for everyone."
All-important piece
Chair cover rentals are a necessity these days. Just like tablecloths, chair covers are becoming more and more necessary as people realize that simple rental chairs don't fit in with the style of their design and theme. Chairs can often appear worn or have an overused look to them, so covers offer a little color and magic to the party.
"Chair covers are essential, and here's why: At a wedding, for example, people spend so much time planning, wanting to make sure everything is absolutely perfect," Staci said. "They plan to the smallest detail what their centerpieces will look like, how their dresses will fit, what types of flowers will be in the church, etcetera. They don't stop and think about what they'll be sitting on. So, they pull together this big, beautiful event, and they end up with 100 to 200 ugly chairs."
Let the ladies at Please Be Seated step in and remedy that. The business serves all of East Texas and is ready to "Change your event from Ordinary to Extraordinary." Visit their Web site at www.elegantseats.com for more information.
