Relocating an Event Decor Business: Props, Fabrics and Fragile Pieces

The store room is full of gold chargers, arch frames, rolls of satin, a hundred artificial roses in plastic bags and a backdrop that took three nights to build. The lease ends on the 30th, and you have a wedding on the 28th. An event decor business does not move like a shop. Nothing in it is heavy as such, but almost everything is bulky, delicate or easy to lose.

The move works when you sort by fragility, bag and label by event set, and load the delicate pieces last so they come off first.

Choose the week, not just the day

Do not move in the middle of a busy event week. Pick a gap between jobs, ideally with two clear days. The first day is for sorting and loading. The second is for offloading and placing things in the new store so you can find a set quickly when the next client calls.

If you have a job that cannot be missed, keep that job's items out of the move. Leave them wrapped by the door and carry them separately.

Sort into three piles

1. Hard and fragile: glass vases, mirrors, candle holders, ceramic centrepieces, lamps.
2. Soft and bulky: drapes, tablecloths, ribbons, chair covers, artificial flowers, cushions.
3. Frames and structures: arches, stands, trellises, backdrop frames, light poles.

Each pile loads differently, so each gets its own treatment. Throw out anything broken or faded now. Moving a damaged prop costs you the same space as a good one.

Pack by event set

Labelling by item type is easy and unhelpful. Label by set. "Gold and white traditional wedding, 6 boxes" is better than "plates, 2 boxes", because when a client asks you for that look, you pull the set in one go.

• Wrap glass in cloth or foam, never newspaper alone, and stand vases in crates with fabric between them.
• Fold drapes and tablecloths loosely into clean bags, and tie the neck of each bag.
• Keep artificial flowers in their stems-up bunches inside a tall box so petals do not crush.
• Strip fairy lights onto a board or cardboard roll so they do not knot, and test them after.
• Put tiny items (clips, hooks, cable ties, pins) in one marked tin so they are not scattered across the truck.

Take photos of any set that has a precise arrangement. You will thank yourself when you rebuild it.

Frames and structures

Arches and stands are light but awkward. Unscrew what comes apart and keep the bolts in a bag taped to the frame it belongs to. Wrap any painted or gilded surface. Strap frames flat along the truck wall rather than leaning them, because a leaning frame will slide on the first bump.

For the same careful stacking logic on wood and glass, see moving glass, mirrors and table tops safely.

Loading order on the truck

Heavy crates of glass and ceramic go on the floor in the front. Frames go flat along the side. Soft bags fill the gaps and top the load. The most delicate boxes sit in the middle, wedged by soft bags, not at the tailgate where every stop shakes them.

Tell the driver about stacking limits. "Do not put anything on the boxes marked top" should be in your request and said again at pickup.

Count at both ends

Event stock goes missing in moves because everyone assumes someone else counted. Count your boxes and bags at loading, write the number, and count again at offloading. For longer-term control, moving a shop overnight in Lagos shows how to keep a stock list through the move.

How to do this on Sphere

Open Sphere and choose a pickup van if your whole store is under 2,400kg and stacks into a small space, or a truck if you have many frames, drapes and cases. Add the pickup and drop-off, then describe the load plainly: "40 boxes of decor, 6 arch frames, 3 rolls of backdrop, 4 crates of glass, no heavy machines". Say that fragile items are on board and which ones must not be stacked on. Propose a price, and nearby verified drivers will accept or send counter-offers. Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept an offer.

You can also read about truck hire in Lagos and event logistics in Lagos.