11-07-2024 HGG - Flipbook - Page 8
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Thursday, November 7, 2024
PLANNING TO DECORATE
Holiday decorations run the gamut from
classic and clean looks with greenery and
tasteful lighting, to unabashed celebrations
that may look like as if a warehouse of
holiday decorations was dumped onto your
yard.
Nick Leinbach, owner and president of
Christmas Décor by Watermark, says his
team of decorating specialists can meet the
holiday decorating demands of any customer. Describing his company as “a complete
turnkey service,” Leinbach says they help
people come up with design plans for the
interior and exterior of their home.
“It’s fun. We basically create an a la
carte menu for decorating ideas,” Leinbach
says. “We’re easy to work with. Similar to
any type of lawn service, we come in, we
perform, and we exit. And you don’t have to
worry about things like going on the roof or
untangling lights.”
Christmas Décor by Watermark is headquartered in Beltsville, but the company
works across the United States.
When planning for decorations, the
Christmas Décor by Watermark team meets
with homeowners to plan designs. If working on exterior illumination and decoration,
Leinbach says they try to highlight the architectural features of the home or landscaping
features of the home. The same is true for
the inside of a home as well, he adds.
“It’s still the same formula for decorating,” Leinbach says. “Everything is variable
Decorating and
Entertaining
for the Holidays
Let the professionals do the work
By Alex Keown, Contributing Writer
W
hen it comes to preparing for the holidays, that time when friends and family
come together to share in the magic of the season, we want everything to be
picture perfect. And sometimes, that requires professional help.
Fortunately, throughout the greater Baltimore area, there is plenty of assistance
to be found, whether it’s with food preparation and services, or with decorating the
yard and house for the winter holidays. Before tapping these experts who, like Santa’s
elves who have extensive experience and dedication to making the season bright, it’s
important for potential clients to have a concept of what they want and a budget to
make that happen.
in terms of design and thus the pricing is
variable.”
Leinbach says the price for decorating
varies per project based on what a client
wants. The cost is typically established by
the degree of difficulty and the number of
lights a customer wants inside and out. On
average, projects come in at around $2,100,
Leinbach says.
The company uses LED lights to help
save on energy costs and ensures that elec-
trical wiring blends into the environment so
as not to detract from the decorations. The
latest developments in LED lighting allow for
a customized look.
“Most folks still enjoy the classic, traditional Christmas look, but we have lights
where you can change color when you want.
You can program your lights to do anything
you want to do. We can make it so you can
see it (the lights) from the space shuttle if you
want,” he says.
PREPARING YOUR CUISINE
Holiday décor provides a merry and
cheerful setting, but sumptuous foods can
take us along the corridors of memory to
a happy time and place in our past. The
post-pandemic decline of large gatherings
has declined, and parties are making a big
comeback, says Bobby Pressman, an event
coordinator and account manager at The
Classic Catering People in Owings Mills.
(All photos featured courtesy of The Classic
Catering People.)
Anyone who has planned for an in-home
party, or a larger event at an office or some
other venue knows there are many challenges to preparing a holiday menu. Will
you make the right kind of food? Will there
be enough food? Do any guest have food
allergies or restrictions? These kinds of
questions can elevate an already stressful
situation. And, that’s where professionals
can make the difference. There are numerous catering companies across the region
that can meet the needs of home and office
parties.
Pressman and Lynn Piette have been
directing holiday events and special occasions at The Classic Catering People for
years.
“People need to come into a conversation (about party planning) with a concept,”
Pressman says. “You want to come in with
some sort of vision or expectation of what
you see for your guests, whether that’s food,
beverages, specialty drinks, it’s your choice,
Decorating continued on page 18
