Wedding Hive Podcast
Giving you the tea and ALL the buzz in the wedding world! New episodes every Wednesday!
Wedding Hive Podcast
Wedding Decor: Rent or Buy?
Grace and Kelsey answer a listener question about whether to rent or buy wedding décor items, sharing their personal experiences and differing opinions on what's worth the investment. They discuss practical considerations to help couples make these decisions based on their specific wedding priorities and post-event plans.
• Rental items that make sense: tables, chairs, arches, linens, lighting, tableware, and specialty glassware
• Consider logistics of rentals - some require self pickup and dropoff
• Differing opinions on lounge furniture rental - Grace is against them, while Kelsey sees their value
• Items better to buy: custom signage, table numbers, candles, photo booth props, guest books, DIY centerpieces
• Final decision factors: time constraints (rent if limited time), budget considerations (buy if crafty), destination weddings (always rent locally)
• Consider post-wedding use - many purchased items end up unused in storage
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Hey queens, it's Grace and Kelsey back with another episode of the Daily Buzz. Today we are talking about a listener who sent in a question about renting and buying decor when it comes to wedding day. I think this very much goes into what is most important for you on your wedding day. When I went about it, I didn't really rent anything besides photo booth, and I also rented glassware Something to think about. Sometimes bartenders don't have the exact glassware that you want for your certain cocktails. I had espresso martinis at my wedding and I wanted them in the fancy martini glass, so that was another expense that I did not think of and had to rent those Some companies. It is nice you can have the items delivered. That one I did have to go pick up myself and drop off later, so be mindful of that. And there's also things like renting furniture for decor for your cocktail hour. I don't know what you think, kelsey, I'm not a fan favorite of furniture rentals on weddings days.
Speaker 2:Really't. I don't really care for them. Okay, um, that's so funny, because things that I have for um rentals that actually make sense um are tables and chairs, um arches and backdrops, your linens and tablecloths. Let's be honest, when are you going to need 20 um tablecloths again? Those are going to be storing in your house. They're sitting in my garage still Any type of lighting chandeliers or up lighting your tableware chargers and glassware. And then that lounge furniture like bars or the really cute lounge sets. Are you anti-lounge sets?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't care for them Really. I just feel like they're always some money, okay, I think, because, in my at least, at the end of the day, every bridal party and wedding is different. I knew, with my people coming, we are going to be on the dance floor, yeah, so I was just like what would be the point for me to rent furniture when people should be dancing, and if they want to sit, they have the chairs that are, you know, at the table, of course, and but I mean everyone's different. Maybe you have more elderly families, so you want, you know, spaces for them to sit, but I feel like people really only sit if they do during cocktail hour, which is typically only an hour, yeah, so I just don't see the point in renting the furniture. Okay, I'm anti, I'm sorry. I am for, though, renting like the photo booths or fun vendors that you found or that fits you and your groom. I'm for those, but I'm anti furniture.
Speaker 2:That's fascinating. I do like good lounge furniture. I think it just it sets a really unique to the couple's vision and what they're looking for. I think it's like a cute bonus. So some things that it makes sense to buy versus renting is going to be your signage table numbers, candles and votives, your custom favors, photo booth props, your guest book and any DIY centerpieces. So if you're doing any of those, then those are easy things to buy. Table numbers are super inexpensive. Signage you want it customized.
Speaker 1:Those things you can't rent. I don't think table numbers. Your table numbers were expensive, mine were expensive. Where did where?
Speaker 2:did etsy. Jeez, I just found some really like inexpensive ones on etsy.
Speaker 1:They're like the clear I did do like colored ones, so I think maybe that's why it's more, because I think the colored acrylic is more expensive. Okay, but I do. I will say I kind of regret buying those. They're very cute for the day of, but now I have eight purple acrylic table numbers that are probably never going to be used, so I personally wouldn't spend the money on that.
Speaker 1:I do agree with the signage. We did our welcome sign, you know, and it has our wedding date on it. It says you know, grace and John. And I love that because now we have that in our house hanging up and it was very expensive but I thought that was something that was very worth um buying investment instead of just renting that Cause I think I'd be sad if I didn't have it. But I love your like talking about like favors and I think also too, you hate favors.
Speaker 1:No, I'm saying, if you're going to like buy them like, yeah, like spend money on them.
Speaker 1:Like I said, if you're going to like do that, I think you should go all out and spend the money on them for good favors. Yeah, don't get it twisted, I do not like favors, but, um, I do think another thing not to spend money on is, um, the centerpieces. We bought all the vases off Amazon and they're sitting in my garage. We bought all the linens for the tables granted, I did only have eight tables, so it wasn't like insanely expensive but again, it's kind of those things that when are you really going to use it again? And it's just going to be sitting in your garage like it is for me.
Speaker 2:Some final tips on when you're trying to decide. If you are short on time, rent, it is less work, and then you are not stressed out about the delivery. And when that is showing up, if you are on a tight budget and crafty, just buy it and DIY it. If you're having a destination ready, rent there. It's so much easier to transport. You already have to worry about transporting your dress and so many different pieces. So rent, don't buy. And if you want to keep items for your home or resell it, buy it. So that is your daily buzz.