Rentals
April 14th, 2008 @ 5:34 pm by Mrs. Milkshake
Each 8 foot table can seat 8 people when aligned in a long row, so I’d need 15 tables… 15 x 8 = 120 feet? I believe the catering people told me the terrace could seat 200 people at a long table, weather-permitting.
I’ve sat down and started planning more than just the venue and photographers. And while it’s not quite invitations or save the dates yet, it’s a start, right?
I want to pull off a dinner on the terrace with one (or two) long tables. I’ve been trying to dissect the $140-$200 per person estimation my caterer gave for food/linens/tables/cutlery/chairs etc (not including flowers), because during a follow up call in the summer they’d told me perhaps $30-$60 per person for food… so where did the other $100+/person go? Rentals?! Yes I realize I indicated I wanted no buffet with waiters in tuxedos, but…. I’m really hoping it doesn’t have to be that expensive.
So I made a phone call to the rental company in the city, and for $1700 (ahem, $14 per person) worth of rentals, I basically get ratty old wooden tables (above)? I guess it transforms into something elegant with a simple tablecloth (side note, hopefully giving the wooden lawn chairs double duty for the ceremony and the dinner will work out… ie they’ll be proper table height).
This company in Abbotsford offers chic aluminum tables. But I guess they’d be covered up too and would only be a big deciding factor if I was recruiting family and friends to set up, which I’d rather not since I’d want everyone to enjoy the day alike.
The Burnaby-based rental company that the caterer goes through gave me a rough outline of the rentals, and while it’d be nice to save some small amount of money going through a rental company in Surrey, BC run by a Mr. Singh, I don’t think it would shave off more than a couple hundred, if that, and I’d rather leave my day in the hands of someone more tried and true…
I’m going to go through the website of the first company I called in detail, see just what the “geneva” flatware looks like and try to compare to other places if I can.
Are any of you renting tables, chairs or dinnerware for your reception?
Related Posts
16 Responses to “Rentals”
i’m contemplating rentals right now. how many guests are you expecting? i saw you were renting 120 of each thing, so i was curious how you came to that number. exact number? lots of extras?
Oh lordy, I am going to be getting into this soon with the Polebridge folks and rental companies in Kalispell. I am NOT looking forward to it.
We’re getting married in a field in the middle of the mountains so we’re renting everything - tents, tables, chairs, linens, glasses, lighting, dance floor, Portajohns, music system with speakers and silverware. The one thing I didn’t realize (even though it makes sense) is that you need more than one cup/plate per person (since they’re not going to hold onto their glass all night) and that you have to think down to the smallest detail i.e. do the portajohns have lights inside for when it gets dark. We’re having 75 people and the cost is about 3400 dollars. Overall the cost still isn’t bad since we got such a good deal on our site fee but you do feel very nickeled and dimed everytime something comes up. I was able to find some deals on things that I could buy way cheaper than the rental company charges such as table runners and a cake stand so if you’re willing to hunt around a little bit you can make it work. I hope when the day comes out you’ll be able to tell that a little bit of us went into planning every single small detail.
We didn’t have to rent dinnerware, utensils since our caterer had the regular white china, glasses and regular utensils and nice white tablecloth. Which was good for us and cheaper than the rental company.
We did rent round tables that fit 10-12 and white wooden folding chairs.
If you are doing the set up yourselves, try to get them to deliver the day before. I did use friends and family the day before. That took us less than an hour to set up but decoration took longer.
But at the end of the wedding reception (8pm) we had the DJ make an announcement. In less than 15 minutes, everything was done. I don’t think anyone cared especially since the bride and groom started helping out and friends told us to stop.
Which company is THE rental company in Vancouver?
I think it’s good to keep in mind that the tables will be covered. For my outdoor wedding (this past March 29), we used 6′ wooden tables my dad scored from a garage sale at church for $2 each! They worked out famously. You can’t tell what’s beneath your tablecloth, so if you’re looking to shave money off your rentals tables are the place to go. Just so long as they’re not wobbly 
The food cost you were quoted is probably ONLY food — i.e., not including the labor of preparing it or serving it. Food cost + labor cost + rentals + tax (whatever your state/municipality rate is) + service charge (~18% here in SF) = total/per person charge. It adds up awfully fast . . . . 
Also, for anyone having a tented reception — remember you may want/need to rent lighting/generators and a dance floor as well. We were quoted some insanely high price just for a dance floor — $1900!
The food cost is definitely a small portion of your total catering bill. so if the food is $60 per person, the labor is probably another $60 per person and then the bar and then the rentals. and then the gratuity and then the tax. yes it all adds up very quickly.
Also if the caterer needs to rent other things to cook with, platters, serving trays, salt and pepper shakers, coffee urns, etc, etc, etc, it all gets added to your bill. That is sadly the way it works.
This post actually makes me feel better about my $1,000 tent and ceremony chairs… We’re renting all our linens, flatware, plates, and glasses from our caterer. I’m hoping to make the picnic tables at our venue work with some nice linens, but I’m not sure if they’ll look good enough…
Sigh.. it is pretty ridiculous that it costs so much just to borrow stuff for a few hours… but it’s nice knowing I’m not alone.
Rentals make me want to throw up. I was going to tell you how much we’re spending on them, but I can’t bear to pull up the estimate and look at it again. For now I’m pretending it doesn’t exist. Wedding budget denial.
I love the idea of long tables, Miss Milkshake! Can’t wait to see what centerpieces you choose!
I noticed the two chairs on the end of each table have to straddle the leg; won’t that be annoying for the guests?
I am also spending a fortune on rentals. When I got the quote, I nearly fainted, and that didn’t even include plates and silverware, etc (the caterer provides heavy-duty plastic). It was definitely considerably higher than I anticipated. You don’t think $1.75 is that much but when you multiply it by 100+ it adds up!
And why are tablecloths SO expensive to rent?
Oh, about a month behind but just found your blog on rentals. I think we’re getting married at the same venue =) so needless to say, I’m renting EVERYTHING. Sheesh, EVERYTHING adds up.
hello all fellow vancouver brides horrified by rental prices. i’ve just posted an ad in weddingbee for the tablecloths and napkins purchased for my july 19 wedding. if you want the lovely long tables and are having less than 120 guests, check it out.
thanks!
Mrs. Milkshake, Seattle/Vancouver, BC
Age and Occupation: 23, Pharmacist
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Pharmacist
Engagement Date: May 2007
Wedding Date: August 2008
Blogging Since: December 6, 2007
Venue: Victorian Mansion
About Me: Despite the fact that I’ve invested many long years of my life studying the sciences in college, I’m glad to be out of there and I would never do it again! I’m super artsy at heart - I run an indie craft site, I grew up shooting and developing my own film, doing jazz and ballet, and the whole gamut of art classes. I’ve been called a Jane of all Trades… but I was also told many years ago not to make my passion my career because it’d suck the fun out of it. Hence my choice of day job. We live in Seattle but are having our wedding in Canada to be fair to all our family and friends.
i am. rental prices are about 5k. yes. FIVE THOUSAND. for stuff i don’t even get to keep!!! reedonkulous.