The Essential Guide to Gay and Lesbian Weddings (78 page)

Y
OU RENT YOUR
apartment. You rent Wii games. You rent bowling shoes. There is almost nothing you can imagine that can't be rented, as long as you can afford the rental fee. True: money can't buy happiness, but you
can
rent happiness in short spurts.

For almost any wedding, you'll find you need things that you don't own, can't afford to buy, and would probably never use again anyway. Instead of buying (which is forever), you can rent (which is only for the day). Common rental items are the stuff that your reception is made of: tables, chairs, glassware, champagne buckets, and linens. Architectural needs can also be filled by renting chuppahs, guestbook stands, arches, kneeling benches, pews, canopies, and rolled red carpet to create the aisle for you to march down. You can even change the entire look of your environment by renting palm trees and large flowering plants.

But by expanding your concept of renting beyond food service and architectural items, you'll open the doors to virtual rental reality, because also available are dance floors, klieg lights, and Jacuzzis; Wurlitzer organs and carousels; stages and outdoor, 3-D projection TVs. The world of rentals can be your oyster; you just have to return it by noon the next day.

Along with carpet cleaners, cribs, and lawn mowers, most rental companies handle basic party supplies. Going to Joe's Rent-It-All is like visiting a terrific garage sale. You'll see all sorts of neat stuff that you will want to own—uh, we mean, rent—coffee makers, rolling bars, disco mirror balls, popcorn and snow-cone makers. It's all there to be enjoyed and returned, without the burden of permanent ownership.

Rental companies have put their catalogs online, so browse away. (Some starting points might be
classicpartyrentals.com
,
abbeypartyrents.com
, or
partypop.com
.) Some sites allow you to check on availability and then reserve items based on your wedding date. Delivery fees and policies are neatly laid out, which will help you to comparison shop and stay within your budget. But it's important to visit a brick-and-mortar location before you book and sign contracts. Photos look great but can be unintentionally deceiving; you want to see the actual items that you're committing to.

Warning

BECAUSE YOU'RE ONLINE and it all seems so easy, you can be seduced into renting things you never thought you needed, like over-the-top chandeliers and life-size topiary animals. Also, make sure vendors are located a reasonable distance from your events. A two-hour drive to have the rental company deliver, set up, and pick up that magical hot-air balloon might turn out to be more than you bargained for, with costly, per-mile charges tacked on.

Whether you use the Internet first or not, here are the steps to take in order to have a satisfying relationship with your rental company:

With as much advance planning as possible, visit the rental store and choose the items you will need. (Companies can run out of essentials, especially around major holidays.)

Leave a deposit to keep the merchandise on hold.

Get an itemized bill, making sure the following are spelled out: cost per item, thorough description of items, date of rental, amount of deposit, and delivery and return information. In addition to a hard copy, you may receive an e-mail outlining everything clearly.

Decide on a “window of delivery” time for all the stuff. (See if you can have everything dropped off the night before at no extra charge.)

Find out exactly when the goods are due back at the shop. Lots of companies will deliver Friday and expect the return on Monday, but ask and make sure it appears in writing on the bill.

Get a contact name and number that's accessible 24/7 so that if you have issues after business hours you'll have someone to talk to. Contact the vendor several times in advance (two weeks and then one week before is not excessive) to confirm the details. You might also receive an e-mail confirmation so you can cross-reference what you ordered with their catalog one last time.

Most rental companies will not drop off merchandise without a signature, so figure out a time when you or one of your entourage will be there to meet the truck.

All merchandise will arrive neatly packed, and if you're renting something exotic like a fog machine there should be instructions as well. You're expected to return the merchandise in (almost) the
same shape in which you received it. (You're supposed to rinse plates to remove caked-on food, but they do the heavy-duty sterilizing back at the store.)

Rental companies carry a basic statement of liability indicating that you will be billed for merchandise damaged or broken. The more exotic the item rented, the more you will want to discuss this clause. For the average renter, a broken glass or a chipped plate is not the end of the world; however, if the disco ball falls from the ceiling and shatters, you might want to know how much it's going to set you back or if it's insured.

As convenient as renting can be, keep in mind that costs add up quickly. Since the most common rentals in the wedding biz are place settings, let us consider what that might mean to you. For argument's sake, let's say that a 10-inch white china dinner plate costs 75 cents to rent. Multiply that times the number of guests, say 75, and you've got $56.25. Not bad—but that's so everyone has one plate. So what if you need to put together an entire place setting? Your average charges might look something like this: