Book Now To Wow at Christmas

Pumpkins and scarecrows just started appearing on front doors and lawns. Halloween is a few weeks away.

But if you want to wow neighbors this Christmas, time is running out. Professional Christmas decoration installers start booking appointments as early as June.

A trend started by business-savvy landscape firms, professional Christmas decoration installation increases in popularity every year. Once seen as a luxury for the rich, these days the main clients are time-crunched homeowners who want to deck the halls but just don’t have the hours to commit to it.

Major lighting installation companies franchise or license their systems out to local landscapers who would otherwise nearly shut down in the fall and winter. One major supplier is Omaha, Neb.-based Brite Idea. 

 in Lorton uses Brite Idea, which helps landscaping companies offer a turnkey service that includes design, installation, removal and storage of all Christmas decorations. Decorations can be as simple as roof-lined lighting or as elaborate as displays with 6-foot wreaths that frame windows or twinkling, towering toy soldiers. 

Professional installation can cost several thousand dollars depending on the size of the job.

“The biggest investment is the initial purchase of the lights,” said Krisjan Berzins, co-owner of Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape.

The lights are commercial grade, the same type used to decorate shopping centers. They are sold by the landscaper to ensure safety and function. This avoids having to deal with what Berzins calls the "bird nest" of lights many owners keep tucked away in the attic.

“You just don’t have any idea what condition those lights are in,” Berzins said.

The commercial lights are more durable and they can withstand windy, rainy and snowy conditions. 

Brite Idea CEO Travis Freeman, who started the company in 1989 when he owned three landscaping businesses, said his business also provide interior design services, such as decorating 14-foot trees.

“These days many homes have two-story foyers and a 7-foot tree looks out of proportion,” said Freeman. 

Mario Jimenez, owner of  in Upper Marlboro, Md., is supplied by Christmas Décor, a competitor to Brite Idea. Jimenez said M&C’s exclusive territories include Potomac and Bethesda, but the company has done work in Alexandria, including at Fort Belvoir. 

To fit in all the jobs, he said they begin installations as early as Oct. 15.

Transitioning from landscaping to Christmas decoration installation is easy.

“We work with outdoor lighting and irrigation, both which require electricity and power. The key is all about the power and avoiding hazards. Safety is a major concern,” said Jimenez.

To find a local landscaper who provides this service, visit www.briteidea.com or www.christmasdecor.net.