Rentals are where a wedding budget quietly doubles — not because any single item is expensive, but because there are eighty of them.
How pricing works
Rental companies quote per item, per event, with delivery and pickup billed separately. Rough guides: chairs $3–$12 each depending on style, tables $12–$25, linens $15–$40, place settings $4–$12 per guest, and lounge furniture packages from $400. Tents are their own category: $1,500–$8,000+ depending on size, flooring, sidewalls and heating.
Worth renting
Anything large, anything you would otherwise buy and resell at a loss, and anything requiring installation: tents, dance floors, lighting, lounge seating, specialty chairs and quality linens. Lighting in particular has the highest visual return per dollar of any rental category — uplighting and bistro strings transform a plain room more than centerpieces do.
Worth skipping
Chair covers (rent better chairs instead), elaborate charger plates guests never notice, and decor for spaces people pass through in ninety seconds. If a venue is already beautiful, rentals should support it, not compete.
Delivery details that cause problems
Confirm in writing: delivery and pickup windows, whether setup is included or only drop-off, who stacks and stages items at the end, and what happens if pickup is the next morning (some venues charge for overnight storage). Ask about damage waivers and what counts as damage.
Find rental companies on VowsLink in Washington, Nevada, Texas, Florida and Arizona.
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