Wedding Decor - Renting vs. Buying

Photo credit: Emily Millay Photography

You’ve booked the perfect venue. Your pinterest board is overflowing with ideas for the decor of your wedding day. Now it’s time to figure out how you are going to translate these inspiration images into tangible items to give your wedding the look you desire. Whether you’re going for a more modern, sleek look or a vintage vibe, you probably have a long list of items you need to acquire to create your ideal decor. These items can range anywhere from vintage teacups, to large metal candleholders, to furniture and linens and everything in between. Let’s compare the pros and cons of renting versus buying these items.

Renting

Pros:

• You reduce the carbon footprint of your wedding since you won’t be driving around to multiple stores to find the items you desire.

• The rental company will be in charge of delivering and picking up the items. This means you don’t have to worry about renting a larger vehicle to get the items to the venue. It also means you don’t have to pack them to ensure they don’t break on the way.

• The rental company may have more items available than you could even imagine.

• You won’t have to wash and iron loads of linens.

Cons:

• Once the wedding is over, you’ve put out all of that money and you don’t have any of the items.

• The labor expenses could make renting more than the item is worth, in some cases.

Photo credit: Emily Millay Photography

Buying

Pros:

• You can purchase items from other brides at events like the Recycled Wedding Boutique.

• Finding unique items at a discount at vintage thrift shops can feel like an adventure and will definitely keep your wedding from looking like a cookie-cutter wedding.

• You can incorporate these items as a gift for your guests by leaving a note on the table to take any elements of the table decor with them when they go.

• Items can be sold after the wedding either to a consignment store or at a bridal resale event, as mentioned above.

• If you’ve fallen in love with the decor you’ve collected, you can incorporate it into your home decor. Vases can be turned into planters or terrariums, china can be used for your meals together as a happy couple or displayed in open shelving, with a little DIY, you can transform your wedding accents to items you can see and love everyday.

Cons:

• The buying route will almost always be more time consuming, especially if you’ll be hunting for vintage finds.

• If you have a large wedding, you may have more stock than you’d ever be able to reuse in your home.

• More coordination is required to get items to the event. Who will transport them and coordinate that effort if you don’t have a wedding planner?

• If you’re going to resell them you have to plan for storage until the event or drop off, depending on where you are selling them.

We hope this article has given you some insight and helped you decide if renting or buying wedding decor is better for you. We'd love for you to share your stories and photos with us for your wedding decor or other weddings you've attended.

What to Expect From Your Wedding Planner

Planning your own wedding is a stressful undertaking. Once you select a date, you start searching for a venue. Then the questions start racing: Do they have in house catering, preferred vendors, or can I select my own? Does the fee include tables, chairs, linens, etc or do I need to find a separate rental company? Even if they do provide these items, is it the look I envisioned? Is there a hotel nearby that will comfortably and safely accommodate my family and friends? How much cake do I need for 150 people? How much is this all going to cost me?

All of these questions make even the most organized person feel overwhelmed. This is where a wedding planner can step in and relieve a lot of stress, but what exactly does a wedding planner do? Today, we’re breaking down the typical services offered by a wedding planner.

First, and arguably most importantly, you should sit down and have a conversation with your potential wedding planner. You want to look for a planner that is willing to meet with you before you commit to their services to ensure that he or she understands your vision and budget and is willing to stick to both. Packages vary from planner to planner, but some will even create a custom package with all of your needs. Some of the services offered by wedding planners include:

Timeline and Checklist - This is where the planner will talk to you about everything you want incorporated into your wedding and develop a practical plan to make it all happen. The planner's expertise is invaluable because they know the best way to approach the schedule and also the proper times to send save the dates, invitations, etc. They also can develop the timeline for the wedding day so that everything flows smoothly.

Photo Credit: Andrew Smith Photography

Creating a Budget - The planners involvement in your budget planning and tracking is dependent upon your needs. This can range from providing you a template for you to complete with typical wedding expenses to your planner developing a comprehensive budget based on your needs and priorities and tracking your spending during the entire planning process.

Designing the Event - This is a special service available when the planner is also a designer. Your designer/planner will work with you and your theme to design the day you’ve dreamed of. This includes customized venue research and selection, identifying unique details for the couple, and creating a color palette with you.

Vendor Coordination - If you’re only seeking minimal support, your planner would assist you by insuring that all contracts are received by vendors and that they are confirmed for your event. However, if you would like more comprehensive vendor coordination, your planner can provide customized vendor referrals to match you with the very best wedding professionals for your budget, style, and personality. He or she can also be the main point of contact for all vendors, negotiate and review contracts, assist with catering negotiations and menu coordination, and manage rental orders and deliveries. Additionally, assistance with guest accommodations and transportation can be provided.

Day of Coordination - There is a lot of coordination required to get everything perfectly in place for a wedding. Leave that coordination to someone else so you can get ready stress free and enjoy the event with your friends, family, and new spouse! Your planner will be the point of contact for all arriving vendors, wedding party, and guests. They can also manage the setup and teardown of the event. Some planners will only stay 8 hours on the day of your wedding while some stay from start to finish. Be sure to confirm that your planner will meet your day of needs.

Photo Credit: Andrew Smith Photography

Additional Activities - A wedding planner can provide many many valuable resources that you might not have considered including a custom planning checklist, how you can incorporate sustainability into your event, invitation and program guidance, assistance with wedding etiquette questions, and an emergency kit for the day of so you can be prepared for common wedding mishaps.

Photo Credit: Andrew Smith Photography

We hope this answered a few questions you may have had about what you can expect from your wedding planner. If you have any more questions, please reach out to us either in the comments or via email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Why hire a wedding planner/designer?

This week we wanted to share the reasons that it's beneficial having a wedding planner helping you to coordinate, manage, and even design your special day. But instead of just us telling you, we thought you'd like to hear what a fellow bride has to say. Meet Marie who just tied the knot on October 11, 2014  at The Ballroom at Park Lane. She had an old Hollywood theme including their first dance choreographed to Singing in the Rain.  Read how her wedding dreams turned into reality.  Why you should hire a wedding design-planner.  No, not just a planner, but a designer too!

Hi! My name is Marie and I’m your typical 31 year old “Type A” control freak. Ever since I can

remember, I have designed and directed every school project (grade school through my bachelors) to

projects around the house. I’ve been showered with compliments in the past on how wonderful my

organizational skills are and what great vision I have. I’ve always gone out of my way to decorate an

event whether it is a birthday party, a friend’s bridal shower, a gift, or baby shower with not your run of

the mill party favors or grocery store wrapping paper. Instead, I gravitate toward brilliant colors, and

luscious textures. Frankly, I am a self-professed “planner and designer”. I’d like to think that I have my

“crap” together. Even in the early stages of planning our wedding, my moto was “I’ve done it before, I

can do it again” and how would it be any different than any other event or shindig that I’ve organized

before?!? Does this sound like you? Read on.

Our vision was simple. Old Hollywood. I could envision in my head exactly what we wanted. Elegance,

class, sophistication, with accents of rich lavish colors and fabrics brought together by consistency and

simplicity. After months of planning, gathering supplies from all of the local craft stores, slowly creating

my own store in the basement and over-running every inch of free space we had in our duplex, I began

to wonder if this was too big of a project for me to handle. I found myself doubting decisions and

finding it hard to make a verdict on a color palette. My husband was more help than most men, being a

wedding photographer, but he still is in all sense of the word, “a man” so it was difficult to expound

upon an idea I had without him looking at me like I was bat-shit crazy!

In February my prayers were answered: Melanie Tindell of Oak and Honey Events! Although I was

ashamed to admit I needed help with my wedding, Melanie and I hit it off right from the get-go. First of

all she is control freak, just like me!! However, her collegiate education in interior design definitely

makes her a standout amongst her peers. What I have discovered in this journey is that many

individuals who have a hobby or like to do something will order some business cards, throw together a

website and call it a legit business. But how do clients like you and I decipher the difference between

the bogus vendors and the real-deals?! Investigation and referrals. For me it was the peace of mind

knowing that she was professionally trained in the design industry. From the moment we spoke about

our vision, I knew we made the right decision. Not once did she bat an eye at our ideas, instead she

made them happen. As soon as I relinquished control and allowed Melanie to work her magic,

everything started falling into place.

Anyone can plan and some have design intuition but not all have both (that was evident in meeting with

potential vendors). When those two qualities are married; Voila! You now have THE perfect wedding

design planner! I cannot emphasize how important it is to NOT do everything yourself but to sit back,

let the magic unfold, allow Oak and Honey to astonish you in their abilities to design and plan while they

take all of the strain off of you, your family and your bridal party. And when I say “THE”, I mean single

vendor. Don’t be the bride that is a victim of wedding planning pitfalls. You do not need multiple

vendors due to pricing or simply the vendors’ abilities. You want, you need, one planner.

Melanie handled everything from logistics of coordinating to fabric selections and color palettes. She

created for us the most simply amazing day complete with perfection. Because of this, my husband and

I were able to enjoy the entire day without a worry or care. We were able to soak up all of the love and

support instead of fretting about setting up or executing certain timeline events. And because you get

one go at your wedding, one day, one chance…no words could ever be sufficient enough to express our

gratitude for such a fabulous company and a marvelous owner. Our day was truly an Affair to

Remember, compliments of Melanie Tindell.

So yes, if you are getting married and in particular, if you are strong willed such as myself, you NEED a

wedding design planner. One of the most important days of your life is worth perfection. Remember,

sit back and let Oak and Honey Events carry the burden so you’re your memories are bursting with

enchantment and bliss and you are able to embrace the day fully!

Thanks Marie for sharing your experience with us. We're so glad you had an affair to remember!

Extras that make your guests feel at home

Kick of your heels

Whether guests have traveled across the country or across the street to celebrate with you, there a few things you can do to increase their comfort throughout the night or weekend. We've rounded up a few to make your guests enjoy your big day even more.

If parking can be a challenge at your selected venue, hire a valet. Your guests will be able to spend more time enjoying your time and won’t have to drive around worrying if they’ll find parking and how far they’ll have to walk in heels.

Make water readily available, especially towards the end of the night. After dancing and a few cocktails, they’ll be pleased to have easy access to water without waiting at the bar. A water dispenser is a great way to keep everyone hydrated. Another great way to supply water is having customized water bottles available as wedding favor as the guests leave.

For an outdoor venue, there are a number of things you can do to increase guest comfort. You can provide blankets to warm up colder guests. You can make sunglasses so that your friends and family don’t have to squint when your beautiful outdoor ceremony becomes a little brighter than they expected. Sunglasses can also come in handy for some fun, casual photos or in a photo booth. Whether indoors or out, a basket full of inexpensive flip flops will be a welcome relief for anyone who has been wearing her adorable yet painful heels while dancing the night away. They can be especially helpful if your venue has a softer surface, like grass, that would make heels stick.

As a special touch, you could setup baskets in the bathrooms should your guests need to freshen up. Items such as mints, tampons, sunscreen, deodorant, safety pins, and bug spray can help attendees enjoy the celebration.

Your guests will really appreciate if you take a little extra time to prepare these comfort items that they might not have considered. You want them to think of your special day and only have great memories. We want to hear from you! What have couples done at weddings you've attended recently that made you feel right at home? Please comment below to let us know.

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