Congratulations on your engagement! This is a really exciting time in your life. It’s also probably going to be a bit stressful.
During this next year, I want to walk through this process with you. I’ll give you a 12 Month Guide to planning your wedding and explain things along the way. You can start from the beginning here (click). Come back to this blog each week for the next installment.
Week 14 – Rental Companies
Hope you’re search for a florist and floral choices has gone well! This week we’ll look at rental companies!
This can seem overwhelming at first, but now that several other vendors are in place it’ll be easier to put everything together.
First, you need to look at the overall scheme/plan for the wedding.
What is the feel of the wedding, formal or casual? What do you have to have with the design of the wedding? Maybe you need to create an alter in a field, or perhaps you just need a few flower arrangements in the small church ceremony. Think about the items you have to have. You can also make a list of items you’d like to have, but make sure you delineate between the two so there is a priority that will guard your pocketbook.
Second, look at what is already covered by the vendors you’ve selected.
You should have a venue selected, so look at what they provide. Do they have tables, chairs, table clothes and more? Are they a part of the fee or will they charge extra for those items? Does your baker provide a stand for the wedding cake? Does the florist have an arch for the magnificent alter arrangement you created together? Those are things to look at and compare with your needs list.
Table linens, china and flatware from Action Rental in Waco, TX
Third, take your list of needed items to local rental companies and compare the prices.
Talk with rental companies about the items on your list, if they have any suggestions, and what some of their policies are with set-up, tear-down, etc. Once you get home, you may also want to look at how much it would cost to purchase those items. Two sites I used a lot were Amazon and Ruffled (where brides can sell and purchase used wedding items).
Lastly, make a decision.
For some items you may need to take a few moments to think about whether it’s more important to save on your budget or save on stress by letting a company deal with the various pieces and set-up. Look at which vendors only offer rentals and which ones offer to bring the items and pick them up after the wedding. You might even want to split some of your options. I ordered chairs from a company for an outdoor ceremony, but then I purchased the table clothes and vases for centerpieces. (Side note: ask about the folding creases in table clothes. Some companies don’t steam them beforehand, and it really takes forever to get the creases out with the wrong equipment.)
Hope this has been helpful. So, this week you need to decide what you’ll need to rent and see who has those items available. What are some of the items you really want to rent for your wedding?
Next week we’ll talk about booking guest blocks in hotels and other items concerning guest accommodations!
Katelyn is a certified wedding planner. She is available for consultations.
She will even meet with you on Skype to help you work through part of your wedding planning.
Click here for more information.