8 - 6 MONTHS OUT Life is good! You have your guest count narrowed down to an approximate number and are working on your first layouts. At this point, you want to have a general style in mind. This is going to help when reserving tables, chairs, dancefloors, and all the other hard goods for your wedding. These items are going to be the core of your space, where your guests sit, where the food is served, and so on. Having a style in mind will help you make choices between various rental items. Would you rather have bare wood tables or beautiful linens? Would you want rustic-style chairs or something more modern? When determining how many tables and chairs to rent a good rule of thumb is to reserve for your highest estimate guest count and then back the numbers down after you start getting RSVPs.
Emily Bartell Photography
6 - 4 MONTHS OUT It’s getting real! You’re just a few months out and your vision is coming together. Your Emily Bartell Photography Pinterest board is full and invitations are about to be mailed. By now you are refining your style and are ready to choose your tabletop items and decor. Schedule an appointment with your wedding rental vendor, get in the showroom, and start mixing and matching! You’ll want to determine your ideal plates, flatware, glassware, linens, and napkins at this point in time. This is the perfect time to see your vision come to life and get a glance at how your full space is going to look and feel. It is also common to bring your planner and florist to these meetings to make sure the items you picked compliment the rest of your decor.
J. Cameron Photography
4 - 2 WEEKS OUT Your wedding is right around the corner! You have RSVPs back in hand and it’s time to refine your orders. Hopefully, this involves slightly lowering quantities of tables, chairs, and place settings. Remember, it is always better to reserve higher than your estimated guest count and reduce quantities than to reserve for less and scramble to find additional items last minute. At this point, you also want to further refine your delivery and installation time windows. Once that is done you can kick back and relax! We know it sounds overwhelming, but your rental professionals will be there to help. Getting these big decisions squared away early will leave you at ease and relaxed as you start your wedding planning. David Darby is a Wedding and Event Specialist at Rent-E-Quip, an awardwinning, full-service rental company based out of Colonial Heights and serving all of Central Virginia. Be sure to visit Rentequip.org, Instagram at @rentequipva, or call 804-520-7100 to get in touch!
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