Need some party supplies—tents, tables, place settings—for your wedding?
Then head to the rental store
Celebrating your marriage in your backyard? Or perhaps in a bare, empty hall?
Sites like these are blank palettes, on which you can design the wedding of your
dreams. Of course, a palette need not be blank for you to add your personal
touches. No matter how it looks at the start, party rentals allow you to
transform a space into virtually anything you like.
There are close to 17,000 party rental stores in the U.S. that offer
everything, from tents to teaspoons, to help you create your dream setting.
Tents For Rent
The tent offerings from party rental companies typically range from simple
canopies that provide a place out of the sun to heavy-duty structures that can
withstand a driving rainstorm. White is by far the most popular tent color for
weddings.
A tent company representative will first do a site inspection and make
recommendations regarding tent size, tent type, flooring needed, where entrances
and exits should be, and how your event should be set up under the tent. The
tent is commonly set up a day or two before the wedding, and installation and
retrieval are usually included in the price.
Before you choose a tent, you should figure out your guest list. For a
sit-down dinner, allow about 12 square feet for every round table of 10 guests.
But keep in mind that you also need space for a dance floor, entertainers, bars
and a slew of other tables—for the buffet (if applicable), cake, gifts and place
cards.
A tent with removable sides is generally recommended for weddings; the walls
can be put in place in case of heavy rain or chilly temperatures. For inside the
walls, you might choose parquet dance floors, stages for the entertainers,
heating units and air conditioning. A newly popular and luxurious extra is
custom-fabric tent liners.
Of course, extras cost extra money. Air conditioning, for instance, can run
you thousands of dollars; a less expensive cooling option is ceiling fans. You
may or may not need lighting. In case you do take your pick from pin, strobe,
laser and string lights, or perhaps chandeliers, tiki torches, candelabra or
standing street lamps.
Setting The Table
From rental company showrooms and/or catalogs, you can start to envision your
dream table. Ask the rental company if it could put together a complete place
setting, so you can see how your chosen china, cutlery, napkins and chair and
table coverings look
together before the wedding day. Once all these pieces to
the table puzzle arrive at your party site, some companies charge extra to set
it all up.
There is no shortage of table-setting scenarios, starting with the tables
themselves, which come in several shapes and sizes. Tablecloths, skirting and
cloth napkins are available in shades from periwinkle to pearl, as well as a
choice of fabrics and patterns. And then there are chairs, which run the gamut
from white contoured plastic (which are comfortable, but not great-looking) and
white wooden (which look nice, but aren't very comfy) to the luxurious chiavari
option, perhaps in gold or painted to match your wedding colors.
In addition to flatware and plates for the different courses of the meal,
available in all kinds of patterns and styles, commonly rented items include
sugar bowls, creamers, serving spoons and platters, gravy boats, bread and
butter dishes and salt and pepper shakers.
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