A place to sit: renting tables, chairs and everything else

You have the site selected, and the menu chosen. But if the location isn’t at an event center or hotel, you might need to come up with all the hardware – from tables and chairs to tablecloths, plates, glasses and a sound system. Luckily – if it’s needed for a special event, you can rent it.

For starters, get clear about the number of people you’re expecting at your event. Then look at what’s on the menu. Will guests need spoons to scoop up the ice cream or lobster picks to dig meat out of the shell?

You might not think defining the kind of chairs is necessary but consider the fact that most rental companies carry more than one type. A lot more than one. If you’re planning an upscale wedding, for example, you may want faux bamboo chiavari chairs instead of plastic folding chairs. The difference tends to be about $8 per chair versus $1.

The size of the tables matters depending on the kind of event. A wedding might be more intimate with smaller, 8-person rounds, while a seminar might be better suited to long, narrow tables that allow everyone to face the presenter and take notes. Keep in mind that the size of the room you’re renting will determine a lot in terms of the how many tables and what shape you choose.

Tables can range from $6 to $45 each.

When you’re ordering chairs and tables, it’s a good idea to stop by the rental company’s showroom. Sitting in a chair gives you much better information than picking it according to how it looks on a website. You might also get a better visual sense of things by actually seeing how big a 60-inch round table is.

Most rental tables are unfinished and need some sort of covering so add the cost of tablecloths into your tally. Tablecloths range from $6 to $30 each and come in numerous types of fabric. Check out the rental company’s website to get an idea of your choices.

According to Crystal Vincent, sales manager and wedding specialist with Colorado Party Rentals in Denver, most rental stores will help set up chairs and tables – sometimes for an additional fee and sometimes not.

“We don’t necessarily set up linens and napkins,” she said. Those are generally set up by the site team or the catering company. We set up big products mainly – things like tents and dance floors and stages.”

Be clear about giving directions to the rental company about where to deliver items. If your event is six flights of stairs up, it might take more preparation on the delivery side.

Knowing if there are any restrictions for drop off and pick up at the location you’re using is vital. Some places have enough storage room for tables and chairs to be dropped off the day before and picked up the day after your event but some charge for storage because of limited space.

Sometimes anything left in a rented room after midnight starts adding up extra rental fees.

With all the logistical details about drop off and pick it, it’s generally a good idea to have one person on-site to be in charge, whether it’s the event planner, the caterer or a coworker. That person needs to coordinate who needs to be where and when. He or she also needs to be sure and count all items when they arrive and when they’re picked up.

It might seem a little paranoid but a chair could be moved into a hallway during the event, and if it doesn’t make it back on the truck you will be paying for it on your final bill.

Contact a rental store early to ensure availability.

“Everything rented is first-come, first-serve so we recommend reserving items as soon as you know what items you need,” said Claire Low, owner of Front Range Event Rental based in Fort Collins. “Quantities can be modified once final numbers are known.”

Plan on extra time if your event falls in the busy season for events.

“Our busy season is April through October,” said Vincent, likewise encouraging people to place orders sooner rather than later.

“Destination weddings are becoming more and more popular in Colorado,” she added, pointing out that the competition for those chairs and tables could be high.

“Average lead time to order is three to one month prior. It’s never too early as long as your venue, date and color palette, in the case of weddings, are decided on.”