Catering Specialist
Your Complete Guide to Wedding Event Rentals
As your wedding quickly approaches, you have a bunch of things on your mind from where to find a photographer to what event rentals you need to reserve for the big day. It is important to make sure that you have all of your ducks in a row.
When it comes to your wedding event rentals, you do not want to have a boring collection of tables and chairs that line the perimeter of the dance floor. In fact, the new era has done away with the traditional wedding setups and many brides and grooms are opting in for some out of this world ideas. With that said, you want your event rentals to be fun, upbeat, and match the theme of your wedding at the same time without detracting from the entire day.
Below, we will go over some important and helpful questions that you need to ask your event rental company BEFORE you choose to hire them to provide you with your much-needed supplies, cutlery, and linens.
Essential Questions to Ask Any Event Rentals Company
1. Are you insured?
This is an important question and one that you should not have much wiggle room on. The reason behind this is because you never know when someone at your event may be injured or you never know if one of the event staff members will be injured. If the event company is insured, this will protect you, the injured person, and the event company. You can aslo ask them if they have their CERP.
2. Can I view the items before I rent them?
Most event rental companies will allow you to view the rental items before you actually rent them. It is important to set aside a day and time to do this, so that you can get an idea of what the items look like, how they function, and if they will work for your needs.
If a company is opposed to you taking a look at the items, then this should raise a red flag to you. If you cannot see the items, how will you know if they will meet your needs. The day of the wedding is not the time to find out that the chairs are uncomfortable or that you cannot cover that olive-green cushion on them.
3. What steps do I need to take to prepare the rented items for pickup?
Many companies will come out to your location to setup and take down any of their rented items. But, this is not always the case and it is your responsibility to find out what you need to do to prepare the items to be picked up. For example, some dish rental companies may want you to wash and dry the dishes BEFORE they are picked up. If you miss this step, it could cost you a couple hundred dollars. Also coordinate with your catering company if they are going to be bringing food in some sort of other dishes.
4. What is your cancellation and refund policy?
You never know if you will need to cancel or reschedule your event, especially if you are planning it six months to a year in advance. It helps to work with a company that has an easy to understand cancellation and refund policy. Some companies will not refund your money at all while others will allow you to cancel and receive a refund up to 30 days prior to your event.
5. Will someone show us how to operate the rented items?
Imagine renting a bunch of items for your event and then when the time comes, you do not know how to use them. Make sure you find out if the person delivering the items on the day of the wedding will show you how to operate any machines or items that you rented. This is especially true if you plan to have special lighting or even a fog machine.
6. What happens if an item is lost or broken?
Things happen and you cannot always prevent them, but you can be prepared for them. If you will be renting any items that can easily be broken or lost such as cups and dishware, it helps to prepare yourself for what the charges and policies are when this happens. Typically, rental companies will often charge you a set fee per item that turns up lost or broken.
Plan Your Day with a Professional for Ease and Convenience
If you are ready to start gathering your wedding event rentals, keep the above questions in mind. You can help relieve some of the stress off your plate by hiring a professional and letting them handle all of the event rentals for you.