The Savvy Bride - Wedding Planning & Tips » Wedding Rentals

Stretch Your Wedding Budget by Renting

Jennifer — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:21:07 +0000

(ARA) – Engaged couples long for a wedding day that will be unique and memorable, but in these tough economic times many are becoming more cautious about how they plan and spend their budget.

According to The Wedding Report, a research company that tracks wedding spending in the United States, the average cost of a wedding in 2008 was $21,814. That is a 24 percent decline over the 2007 average of $28,704. This decline doesn’t mean you can’t have exactly what you want on your big day to create your dream wedding.

“You can rent almost anything you need to make your wedding match your vision,” says Christine Wehrman, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the American Rental Association (ARA), the global trade association for the rental industry. “By renting items for your wedding, you have access to products that may have otherwise been too expensive in large quantities. You can get exactly what you want at a price that meets your budget.”

Choose linens that match your wedding colors, or go for classic white to offset the color of your centerpieces. Linens can be rented in a variety of colors and textiles, and add a touch of elegance to every space. Create drama without adding cost by creating a monochromatic design for your table.

Centerpieces can be elegant or casual, depending on your style. Mix tall and short clear vases to add depth to your table and save money on large floral arrangements. Or choose a variety of candleholders to create a vintage-inspired look and a romantic, low-light atmosphere.

Planning an outdoor wedding? Tents can transform any setting into striking surroundings for your big day. ARA member rental businesses have a variety of tents to create the venue, as well as everything you need to make it beautiful and comfortable.

Large tents and elegant canopies come in a variety of colors and styles. Many come with cathedral ceilings, windows or even clear tops — allowing guests to catch a glimpse of a dramatic sunset or a sparkling night sky.

Many ARA member rental stores offer personalized service through their Certified Event Rental Professionals (CERPs) who are specially trained to help you choose the right rentals to make your dream wedding come to fruition. Most offer on-site support the day of your wedding, and that’s a day you’ll be looking for all the support you can get!

You can also rely on the expertise of your ARA member rental store professionals before you book your venue. They can help you assess the potential site for things like power accessibility, ground water issues or overhead power lines that may interfere with your vision of a tall tent, among other situations.

The wonderful experience and memories of your wedding day will be yours to own forever. And everything else? Well, that you can rent! To find your local ARA member rental store, visit www.RentalHQ.com, the world’s largest rental store locator. You can search by geographic location and by the specific type of equipment you are looking to rent.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Wedding Savings Tip: Rent the Best and Save

Jennifer — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:25:19 +0000

There are a million things to think about when you begin planning a wedding. There are the big things like booking the reception site, the church, the DJ, and, of course, finding the dress. But once those are out of the way, there are little details to think about, such as a theme, the flowers, the centerpieces, linens, invitations, champagne glasses and countless other things.

With all the elements that go into planning a dream wedding, it doesn’t take long to realize that details can add up — not only when it comes to spending, but also when it comes to storage space. After all, who wants to end up with 250 pink linen napkins once the big day has passed?

Renting materials for your wedding from an American Rental Association (ARA) member rental store is one way to solve this problem. Not only is renting often a more economical solution, it also eliminates the storage issue.

“Renting will not only cut down on storage, but you can lower the cost of your wedding too,” says Becky Baumgartner, owner of Aero Rental and Party Shoppe, in Iowa City, Ia. “People often come in to look for materials to buy for their wedding, and I’ll say to them ‘How important is this to you, because it’s more affordable to rent.’ ”

Renting materials for your wedding also gives you access to the latest styles in decor, table settings, linens, chair covers and other things. According to Baumgartner, people often don’t really realize the vast variety of items you can rent for weddings.

In her many years helping couples plan weddings, Baumgartner has learned plenty of lessons. Here are some of her most helpful tips to keep in mind when renting materials for your wedding:

* It’s much more affordable to rent the equipment than to buy it. Chances are you will never use half the things at your wedding again so why would you waste storage space and money?

* You can rent anything you need for your wedding, from a backdrop to hide the wall color at the hall to champagne fountains to holders for the unity candle. Check with your local rental store; they may even sell invitations.

* Rental store employees can help you think of things you might have forgotten. Let them help you in the planning process to make sure that you have everything you need for your big day.

* Unlike halls and churches that need to be booked at least a year in advance, generally you only need to reserve the rental equipment six to seven months in advance.

* Some rental stores allow you to pick up the rental materials on Thursday evening and drop them off on Monday morning for no additional charge. That way, you don’t have to worry about pick-up and drop off on your wedding day.

* A rental store will provide you with more options, in terms of color and design, than a reception hall will.

When it comes to planning your wedding, don’t let the cost wipe out your entire savings account — rent your wedding materials. To find your local ARA member rental business, visit www.RentalHQ.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Rent It: The Perfect Personalized Wedding

Jennifer — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:59:08 +0000

When it comes to planning a wedding, most couples don’t want to settle for cookie-cutter solutions that will make their wedding appear impersonal or even unremarkable. Instead, they want the biggest day of their lives to represent the two of them and no one else.

This yearning for personalization doesn’t have to translate into more money. On the contrary — whether you’re planning a formal wedding or a more casual event, you can incorporate personalized touches without breaking the bank by renting the materials you will need.

From 250 identical vases, to chandeliers, to helium balloons or faux floral centerpieces, rental businesses provide endless amounts of materials that can make the difference between a run-of-the-mill event and your dream wedding.

“You can rent just about anything to make your wedding perfect,” said Christine Wehrman, CEO of the American Rental Association (ARA), the global trade association for the rental industry. “By renting products for your wedding, you don’t have to settle for items that don’t fit your personalized vision. You’ll get exactly what you’re looking for and you’ll have access to products that may have otherwise been too expensive in large quantities.”

Make an impression by choosing table linens in your wedding colors, or go with all–white, then add chair covers with a bow-tie sash and matching napkins in accent colors. Rental businesses will have hundreds of colors to pick from. Be sure to ask for sample swatches of the linens so you can coordinate colors with your bridesmaid dresses and flowers. Add your choice of china and glassware to the arrangement for each table and get a rich and sophisticated setting.

If you’re looking for the beauty of an outdoor location without the worry about the weather, tents are a great way to create the wedding of your dreams. ARA member rental businesses have beautiful tents to create the venue, as well as everything you need to make it beautiful and comfortable.

Huge tents and elegant canopies come in wedding white and many also come with clear tops — thus allowing guests access to the drama of a sunset or a sparkling night sky. However, if you plan on incorporating a tent into your wedding, make sure you give the rental business — and yourself — enough advanced notice. Depending on the time of year, the rental business will need plenty of notice to reserve all the equipment you will need.

Also, many ARA member rental businesses offer personalized service through their Certified Event Rental Professionals who are trained to help you choose the right rentals to make your dream wedding come to realization.

They can help ease the tension of pre-wedding set up with their knowledge and experience. Many businesses even help you throughout the event as well, keeping it on track and flowing smoothly.

You can also rely on rental service experts to help before you book your venue. They can help you assess the site for things like power accessibility, ground water issues, or overhead power lines that may interfere with your vision of a tall tent, among other situations.

All events, no matter how big or small — even for the Oprahs or Trumps of the world — include rented materials. Visit www.rentalhq.com to find your local ARA member rental business.

Courtesy of ARAcontent