Today, we’re going to be looking at rental dishes for a party or wedding. This may not even be something you’ve thought of, but it can be very important! You may be asking, why would I need a dishware rental for my wedding? Well, depending on your venue, it may be something you need to provide. And renting is definitely the cheaper alternative. Let’s take a closer look.
Why Dinnerware Rentals?
If your venue requires you to use your own dinnerware, it can take up quite a large part of your wedding budget. There’s a range of reasons why it’s better to rent than buy your own.
- Price – It may seem cheaper to buy plates yourself, especially as you can reuse them after, but most of the time it works out cheaper to rent them out.
- Space – For example, if you have 100 guests, what would you possibly do with that many plates after the wedding? Where would you store them? Logistically, hiring them out would be much more convenient.
- Time – On the day, transporting that many plates and then setting them up would take up a lot of time, especially if you’re doing it yourself. However, most rental companies will deliver your dinnerware on the day and help you set up.
- Aesthetic – The bonus of renting is that you can choose your own designs. It doesn’t have to be a standard white plate, you can go wild and choose dishes to match the theme and vibe of your wedding.
Things to Consider
There’s a number of factors to bear in mind when choosing a rental company. Let’s go through some of the most important ones.
- How many? – I’m not just talking about guests here! While it’s obviously most important to know how many guests are in attendance, you also need to bear in mind how many courses you’ll be having. It may sound obvious, but you will need a plate for every course, for every guest. For example, if you have 100 guests, and a 3-course meal – you’re going to need at least 300 plates (plus a few extra for potential breakages, etc.). Or to keep the cost down, you could hire someone to wash plates in between courses.
- Food – If you’re having a 3 course sit-down meal, you’ll need far more dinnerware than if you’re having a buffet, for example. Also, having desserts like cupcakes would mean you may need less plates for that course. I can’t be the only one that doesn’t need a plate for a cupcake, right?
- What are you Buying? – Is it just dishes you’re renting? Or will you need cutlery, glasses, charger plates too? All of those additional items will take an extra chunk out of your budget.
- The Look – Do you want it to look formal, or something more casual? It may be worth deciding on how you want the look of your dinnerware to be before you start your search. This will make the search much easier.
- Date – It’s important not to leave booking the rental until the last minute. Summer months are popular for weddings (June, July, August) and if you don’t book it early enough (6 months is recommended), there may not be many options available.
Where to Find Companies?
Google is your oyster when it comes to finding companies. Finding a company will all depend on the area you live in, as most companies deliver themselves. If you put in a simple “rental dishes (insert area here)”, you’ll likely receive a lot of hits!
USA Party Rental is what I’ve chosen for my example. It’s easy to navigate and choose what you’re looking for. You can sort by price and compare product prices and looks. There’s a range of colors and styles, and prices start from just $0.50. Naturally, the prices increase depending on how fancy you want your dinnerware to be.
Cost of Dishware Rental
Like with anything, without knowing how many guests and courses you’re having, it’s impossible for me to predict how much your tableware will cost to rent. However, working out the average cost can be made easier when using websites such as Weddings Cost Helper.
Weddings Cost Helper estimates that if you’re looking for something simple, it’s around $4 per head. If you’re looking for something a bit fancier, it’s around $5.50 per head. And if you’re looking for something extravagant, it’s around $7.50 ahead. Depending on how many guests you have, that’s quite a knock to your wedding budget!
Those figures are based on each guest needing cutlery, wine glasses, a bread plate, a salad plate, a dinner plate, a cup, saucer, and dessert plate. If you’re not needing all of the above or having fewer courses – of course, the price will be cheaper.
Something else to bear in mind is that companies may charge you extra for delivery or fuel, especially if you’re venue is a considerable distance away from their base. Always keep a bit extra aside in the budget to make allowances for this.
Remember, if your venue provides all-inclusive catering, renting doesn’t even need to cross your mind as it will all be sorted for you. Or you may want to opt for disposables – that really would keep the cost of the wedding down. Luckily for me, when I got married, I didn’t have any additional extras like this as everything was included!
Conclusion
I hope this article has helped to navigate rental dishes for a party or wedding. It may seem overwhelming, but as long as you’re organized and get things arranged early enough – your wedding will be as stress-free as possible. And you’ll hopefully have some gorgeous dinnerware to flaunt.
Did you rent dinnerware for your wedding? How did you find the process? Was it more or less expensive than you were anticipating? I would love to know your thoughts. Please feel free to leave your answers in the comments below.
Read more about Chair Bows For Wedding Receptions.