Party Rentals

RENTALS

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As you start wedding planning, you might be surprised to learn that tables and chairs, eclectic decor, and even the dance floor aren’t typically stored in your venue’s basement. Whether it’s a glamorous reception hall or a tent in your own backyard, it’s extremely common to rent both necessities and fashion-forward extras for your wedding. Here are some of the basics to help you navigate the world of wedding rentals and event design.4

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BOOK THE BASICS

Don’t wait to secure your rentals. Book the basics right away — you can always add more items later.

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Even if you’re working with a venue that already provides things like tables, chairs, linens, and place settings, rentals might still end up on your wedding checklist. Ask your site contact if you can see their items first hand, in case you want to switch up the look — for instance, springing for vintage tableware, textured linens, or shapely chairs.

Of course if you’re hosting a wedding where the venue isn’t outfitted with even the most basic furnishings, it’s up to you to procure every last champagne flute and salad fork. If you love a DIY challenge, you could track down these goods yourself. But why stress? With a trusted rental company by your side, you can borrow everything from your ceremony arch to your centerpieces. Our advice: Leave it to the pros!

CHOOSING A RENTAL COMPANY

The on-site coordinator at your venue should be able to recommend a preferred rental company who has dressed other weddings in their space. You can also ask around to your other vendors, trusted friends, or check local publications and websites like Premier Bride.

There are many different styles of rentals these days: traditional, rustic, vintage, modern, eclectic. Whichever companies you consider, visit their showroom so you can compare quality as well as price. While costs can be surprisingly similar, quality can vary greatly.

WHAT NOT TO RENT

While many wedding day items are one-timeuse or simply don’t make sense to own (what are you going to do with 200 vintage glasses?), other pieces are absolutely worth purchasing. For one, the bride and groom’s attire. Despite the surge in high-end fashion rentals, owning your

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dress and suit allows for custom tailoring and a bespoke ensemble you’ll treasure forever. The same goes for shoes and jewelry, which make for easy keepsakes.

WHAT TO RENT

No two couples will have the same rental needs. Your venue might include all the basics, leaving only fun stuff on your rental wish list. On the flip side, you may be looking to rent a 200-person tent and everything that goes inside it. Both ways are doable.

In general, these are the main furnishings you’ll need: tables, chairs, linens, plates, flatware, serving pieces, utensils, and glassware. Other large rentals might be a dance floor, band stage, portable toilets for an outdoor wedding, a free-standing bar, or lounge furniture. Also consider any heating or cooling needs, depending on your venue and time of year.

Now let’s dig a little deeper into your most basic rentals, as these are, for the most part, non-negotiable for all weddings.

TABLES, CHAIRS & LINENS

At most weddings, you’ll see round tables, long family-style tables, or a mix. You may also need buffet tables, a sweethearts table, taller cocktail tables, and tables for things like cake and the guest book.

Rustic wood or glass-top tables are on trend these days. But if you’re not planning to show off the tables themselves, tablecloths for dinner and cocktail hour are a must — cloth napkins, too. Hosting a breezy outdoor reception? Make sure you have table weights, hidden tablecloth clips, and napkin rings.

You’ll need seating not just for dinner, but possibly the ceremony and cocktail hour, too. Have high chairs or booster seats for any little ones. Chair covers add color and texture to the space, however, stylish Chiavari chairs and fresh, white folding chairs work wonderfully, no covers necessary. Decorative chairs are a fun way to add a dash of décor to a sweethearts table.

PLATES, GLASSWARE & UTENSILS

With all the delicious food at a wedding, it’s no wonder so many plates are required. You’ll need plates for cocktail hour, salad, dinner, and dessert. Today, tables are often set with chargers and a lively array of colorful, metallic, even patterned plates for an eclectic table. A mix of silverware is also in fashion. Always order about a dozen extra place settings in case a plate drops, shows up chipped, or you realize later that your vendors also need to eat.

For glassware, you might need champagne flutes, glasses for water, beer, wine, cocktails, and cups for non-alcoholic drinks like coffee or tea. The number of glasses depends on whether or not there will be a dishwasher at your wedding. Think about how many glasses you go through in an evening out; you need to keep the clean glassware coming. So either hire a dishwasher, or work around it. Calculate three or four glasses per person, or make it clear that guests should reuse their one glass the entire evening.

TIPS & TRICKS

See if you can coordinate with your venue and consolidate any rentals into one order. Odds are your venue is renting something. If you can rent from the same company, it usually means one flat delivery fee and one drop-off and pick-up time.

If you have to place your rental order before your final guest count is confirmed, it’s best to