Wedding Rentals: Where to Splurge and Where to Save
Rentals are a necessity when planning a large event. Know what’s worth it and what’s not.
SPLURGE ON THE…
Tables
If you have the option to rent rustic wooden farm tables through your rental company, we say go for it! They may seem expensive but you can eliminate linens since they look fantastic bare. Plus, they jazz up almost any venue space and most of them look good with a folding natural wood or walnut garden chair, which means you can forgo the expensive chiavaris.
Linens
Without question, you always splurge on the full-drop linen. Oftentimes, they are upward of $20 more per linens, but if you walk into an event that is styled just right with beautiful and expensive wedding flowers but the linens don’t touch the ground, all you will see is folding metal table legs. Full-drop linens are an absolute must.
Lighting
All the time and money you put into your wedding design could be for nothing if you don’t light the venue correctly; the photographer won’t be able to capture anything and your guests won’t be able to read those gorgeous menus you designed. Most rental companies now offer bistro or café lighting, which offers that little something extra over the basic perimeter lighting.
Chairs
A plastic, folding chair can ruin even the most basic design. In more cases, you can rent a folding wooden garden chair for $1 to $1.50 more. This isn’t a funeral or a high-school graduation; splurge on the wooden chairs, and you’ll thank us in the end.
SAVE ON THE…
Tent
Depending on your venue, you may need to book a tent. Chat with your rental company beforehand about hosting an alfresco event if the weather is nice. Many rental companies will allow you to reserve the tent for 50 percent of the total cost, and if they don’t have to put it up, you aren’t charged any additional fees.
Chairs
We know, you’re confused because you saw chairs up above under “Splurge” and now you’re seeing them here under “Save.” We have a point. We think you should splurge when it comes to folding plastic chairs versus folding wooden chairs, but we also think you can save by going to a simple garden chair versus a fancy ballroom chair. Sure, chiavaris are gorgeous, and if you’re getting married in a ballroom, we’ll probably recommend them, but for most other venues, a folding wooden garden chair will look just fine.
Glassware
Especially in the case of a full bar, glassware can be a real nightmare. All the different types, like rocks glass versus martinis glass, and it’s inevitable that many will end up broken, costing you more in the end. Depending on the style of your wedding, providing guests with one glass (mason jars work swimmingly) for the night is a fantastic alternative. Sure, some people don’t love the idea of drinking wine out of a mason jar – until they do it. It’s your wedding and your guests are going to be flexible. Just provide them with an oil-based pen for marking their jar and signage explaining that they should hang on to it all night. In most cases, people tend to embrace the adventure of doing something different.
Miscellaneous Tables
It’s always an option to bring real furniture into the mix for escort card, gift, and cake tables. Take a look around your house or even your parent’s house – a cool dresser or funky table can be transformed into the perfect surface at your wedding reception.