Budget decorations for a party.
Decoration spend divides into per-table costs and single feature costs, and the two behave very differently as an event grows. Centrepieces and linen are per table, so a room with twelve tables costs twice a room with six — this is the line that scales. A balloon arch, backdrop or lighting rig is a single feature whose cost does not change with guest count, which makes features remarkably good value at larger events and expensive at small ones. The practical implication: for a large party, put the money into one strong focal point and keep table decoration simple; for a small gathering, the reverse is usually true.
Party Decoration Budget
Table decoration = tables x (centrepiece + linen); total = table decoration + arch or backdrop + lighting; per guest = total / guests
Commonly 10-15%. Much above 20% and the room looks dressed at the expense of the food and drink, which guests notice more.
One strong focal point — a backdrop, arch or lighting scheme — plus simple, consistent table dressing. Spreading the same budget thinly across every surface reads as cluttered rather than styled.