Ask The Experts: Intimate Weddings – What to Rent and What to Keep

With early 2021 still looking a little uncertain, you may be looking at the smaller wedding option. Having a small intimate wedding now and a much larger ‘party’ later on in the year seems like the sensible option. This can give you so many options. Do you go big on decor for the intimate wedding, or keep this aspect for the party? You can dress the table with so much more detail as there is less to buy of everything! Do you get two dresses, one for the intimate ceremony and one for the party later on in the year? One of the best parts about opting for an intimate wedding is the amount of money you get to save to put toward your new home, honeymoon or savings. With less guests, you’ll require less seating, less food, less drinks and less of a budget — giving you more wiggle room to spend on details and items that matter most. Items such as keepsakes should take priority when deciding how to spend your extra funds, while items used for decor should be rented. Here is a quick list of items that you should spend money on with the intention to keep and items that you can save on by renting.

Intimate Weddings – What to Rent and What to Keep

Photo by Studio Balzac – full post here

The dress and suit

Have you had an eye on your dream dress? If you’re looking forward to passing this item down to future generations then this is an item that you should splurge on to keep. Just as the bride can keep her dress, affordable tuxedos from The Groomsman Suit make it possible for the groom to buy his tux for the same price as he would pay to rent one. Along with the attire, any accessories that can be passed down as heirlooms, such as headpieces, a veil, a handkerchief, jewelry and cufflinks should be bought, as well as even shoes.

photo by  Vladimir Simonov – full wedding here

Utensils and glassware

Dinnerware, such as engraved champagne flutes or cake cutting utensils, should be bought so that you can enjoy them every anniversary or as a display item in your new home. If you would also like to keep the table linens, look for items such as the block print linens from August Table. By keeping your table setting, you can recreate the same display for future anniversary celebrations. The best way to save is to set the table for the bride and groom differently than the rest. That way, you can spend a little more on items you intend to keep and rent the others for your guests to enjoy.

photo by Sebastien Bicard Photography.  – full wedding here

Decor

Anything you use to decorate your ceremony or reception area should be rented, no matter how small your wedding may be. It may seem less of a hassle to buy items such as candles or centerpieces, but it’s just as much of an effort to rent and save than to buy and spend. There are usually party rental places that will have everything you need, from tables, chairs, arches, tents and even dance floors. Scouting for the best price among your local rental places may take some time but will be worth the effort.

Photo by Simon Biffen – Full wedding here

Florals

Florals always depend on the bride’s taste and how many flowers you’ll be needing. Some may feel strongly against using faux bouquets, but the upside to this is that they can keep their wedding day bouquet forever, whereas real flowers will eventually wilt. To some, real flowers may not be worth the expensive price tag that comes with bouquets and other flower arrangements used at the wedding. If you would like to save in this area, there are places that will allow you to rent floral arrangements made of faux flowers and plants, or they can make them custom to order while saving you money. However, if you’re not planning on using too many florals for your big day, real flowers may not be as expensive.

Photo by Jessi Zou Film – full wedding here

A simple rule to remember when planning your intimate wedding is, “Rent where you can to save money and spend where you would like to keep memories”.

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