Winter weddings, holiday parties, and other end-of-the-year celebrations can be a unique challenge for those furnishing the wedding rental items. Not only do you have to finagle holiday scheduling, but inclement weather can cause delivery delays, outdoor spaces are often too chilly to host guests, and a whole multitude of other issues can arise.
It’s nothing that a little pre-planning can’t help with! When it comes to winter wedding rental items, there are a few additional things you should plan on offering party planners to make their holiday shindig as spectacular as possible.
First, you have your standard checklist of rental items:
- Polyester tablecloths and napkins
- Banquet tables
- Banquet chairs
- Cocktail tables
- Portable dance floor
Then, you’ll want to make sure that you have the following winter-specific items on hand to offer as well:
- Rental tents (if you’d like to utilize an outdoor space during cold weather)
- Patio heaters (for the same outdoor areas)
- Chair covers (protect your chairs from the elements during setup and teardown)
Finally, there are a few items that you won’t necessarily rent to wedding or party planners, but will probably make your life easier during winter events:
- Chair dollies (you’ll want to expedite setup and teardown to avoid cold fingers, noses, and toes!)
- Storage solutions
Standard Event & Wedding Rental Items
No reception is complete without some high top tables to mingle around, winter or not. You’ll want to provide around 1 table per every 20 guests and should consider offering either backless barstools (more informal) or folding barstools with backs for a slightly more formal look.
If dinner will be served, you’ll also need to provide banquet tables and chairs to accommodate all the guests. Since wintertime tends to see a spike in indoor events, you may use folding chairs, but it’s more likely that your party planner will opt for Chiavari chairs or banquet chairs, so be sure that you have some on hand.
It’s best to have these types of rental items in stock early to avoid the holiday ordering rush. The last thing you want is to have to turn down a lucrative holiday party or wedding because you didn’t have the foresight to have the most commonly requested rental items already!
If you do have an outdoor space that you’d like to use all year round, you may want to think about investing in a rental tent to offer guests as an alternative to an indoor ballroom. The dimensions of your space will determine which style of canopy you can have, but no matter which one you pick, it’s good to include some patio heaters for extra comfort as well. Patio heaters can also be used in open outdoor areas and are very much appreciated by guests!
You’ll also want to include a portable dance floor in any event proposal that you’re putting together, regardless of the season. Indoors or outdoors, no event (especially weddings) are complete without a place to cut a rug towards the end of the evening.
Last but not least, if you find yourself loading and unloading hundreds of banquet chairs or tables in a winter storm, you’ll want to protect them with some inexpensive (but effective) chair covers. This will help you avoid water or snow spots and keep your rental items looking crisp and clean for the event.
Event Stable is here to help make sure that you get exactly what you need in every season. Give us a call at 866-360-4642 and be sure to let us know if you need help with a rush order. Happy holidays!