Décor and rentals

Whether waiting for the bride, listening to music or toasts, each decorative element must contribute to the moment.
- Martha Stewart

A lovely, joyous event is very much like a great work of art. All of the elements, including colour, shape, texture, and form must come together, and everyone who experiences it as a whole comes away with something different. Enjoying a work of art is an intensely sensual, personal experience, and most couples want the same result from their wedding. By tying in all of the rental and design elements of the event, a sense of ambience can be achieved that’s specific to the couple and will have the guests marvelling at its artistry.

instant chic

Think of your rental company as the artist behind the brush, painting the essentials of your wedding masterpiece in sophisticated strokes. Today’s companies go far beyond the typical hardware wedding rentals—the tent and the dance floor. The highest quality table linens, china patterns, stemware, tables and chairs are available in an astonishing variety of colour and style. Whether you’re looking for patterned or plain flatware, bone or bold- coloured china, or sheer or brocade linen napkins, you’ll find all the elements you’ll need to make your table and reception room picture perfect. You can see the selections for yourself by visiting the company’s showroom, where you can view displays and hand-pick colour and style combinations. The colours you and your rental company use to paint your masterpiece should be appropriate to the season: pastels in spring and summer, subtle browns in autumn, and vivid jewel tones for winter and the holidays.

When selecting a rental company, think about the level of involvement you’re willing to commit to. Do you want them to act as consultants, following your lead in making design choices, or do you want them to essentially take over the artistic reins? Some couples may fall somewhere in the middle, following the expertise of their rental company while still making many artistic and decorative decisions. Also, be sure to ask for an emergency contact number, whether it’s an answering service or direct line. You may want to bring the caterer into the picture at this point as well, even if it’s providing them with a sample or photograph of the table setting you’ve decided on.

beautiful outdoors

If you have your heart set on an outdoor wedding in your favourite public park, renting tents will make your dream possible, even adding to the ambience. Years ago, the selection in tent rentals was limited to two choices: white or striped. Now, clear and black tents are also available, along with a range of styles. Picture a clear tent in a garden on a wonderful starlit evening, with illuminating pin lights in the surrounding trees. The tent serves triple duty at your celebration: establishing a gathering place that’s well in line with the rest of your design scheme, while also providing protection from the more natural, uncontrollable elements of your wedding, such as the weather!

At outdoor weddings, the ceremony and cocktail hour generally take place outside the tent until twilight, when the dining and dancing begins. Think about the kind of tent you’d like to serve as the gathering place for the party portion of your wedding. There are three basic types of tents to choose from. The push-pole tent is the classic and most affordable wedding tent, with a simple vertical pole structure and a scalloped-edge canopy. The frame tent adds a metal frame to the canopy, providing further stabilization and more flexibility in tight spaces. The tension tent is the high, dramatic tent you see in the best wedding movies: with vinyl windows and fewer interior poles, it gives the tent a more open feel.

When ordering tents, the company will need to get some information from you: the number of guests, type of meal service (buffet or sit-down), and whether you’re hiring a band or DJ. Once the particulars are clear, ask about permit requirements at your site and whether the tents you’re renting are certifiably flame-retardant. You may want to request to see photographs of other weddings they’ve provided tents for. The rental company should arrange for an inspection of the site to give you an estimate, and this is where the tent experts will work with you on placement to create the most desired effect.

Lighting is another functional element that can tie into your design. Never underestimate the transformative power of candlelight, which can make an enormous banquet hall feel like the intimate, romantic space you want your wedding to be. Candles give off such a true sense of beauty and warmth that they don’t need fragrance, which can take away from the lovely scent of your flowers and the aroma of the catered meal. They also don’t need fancy, busy containers, which may be a fire hazard. Vases and lanterns are ­perennial favourites, but jars, pottery, even terra-cotta flowerpots add a personal touch to your table.

Tip: Mix texture, shapes and colour to create an impactful palette

breaking the rules

In wedding décor today, as long as you know the rules, you can break them. Anything goes, and an innovative touch can make all the difference in the world. Use the wide variety of lovely linens and beautiful table settings to make a style statement; for example, putting gold and silver together in the right placement can make your table radiant. You may be surprised by the effect that high-quality rentals can make on the overall decorative scheme.

You may want to establish a starting point, such as the flowers, and build your design scheme from there. Centrepieces of different heights offer a dramatic effect, and are not limited to flowers; pillar candles and earthy branches allow for a different look that’s soft yet slightly masculine. If you select decorations that will be used at both the ceremony and reception, put someone in charge of transporting them between the two sites.

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