Our Top 3 Most Popular Rentals

Photographer: Katie Beverly Photo

When planning any type of event, rentals are a huge part of tying a space together and creating a complete look for your venue. It can be tricky to determine what you’ll need for your space, especially with so many choices, so today we’d like to highlight our top three most popular rentals. The items on this list are some of our favorite pieces that are not only a reflection of our clients and their taste, but of trends in the event and wedding industries as well. These top three items are staples of any wedding or event and are perfect for customizing your space.

Photographer: Andy Seo

1. Draping - Drapes are one of the biggest ways to dress up your space and transform your venue. Regardless of your fabric or color palette, drapes are the perfect way to enhance the natural beauty of a space or even hide any blemishes your venue may have. Drapes can be used in so many creative ways, such as highlighting focal points, adding dimension, or setting a classic background for your wedding. We love transforming a venue by using draping techniques that brighten up the space and add elegance at the same time. 

Photographer: Katie Beverly Photo

2. Chiavari Chairs - These chairs are a favorite of our clients, and for good reason! We have so many choices of different colors and materials, including metallics, wood, and acrylic. Great for receptions, ceremonies, or parties, Chiavari Chairs compliment any type of decor and keep your guests comfortable.

Photographer: Amy T Photo

3. White Seamless Dance Floor - Dance floors are one of our specialties and such an underrated item. Not all venues provide their own dance floors, so this rental piece is important in establishing designated space for dancing. While our seamless white dance floor is by far our most popular, we have many color choices, including black and mirror. Our dance floors are also customizable to ensure the perfect size or shape for your venue, whether you’re looking to cover an entire ballroom floor or spotlight a smaller floor.

Whether you’re looking to combine these top three rentals for the ultimate package or use them individually to highlight an aspect of your venue, you can’t go wrong with draping, Chiavari chairs, and a white seamless dance floor. With so many customizable options for each of these items, you are sure to find the perfect color and material for your event or wedding. 

Specialty Chair Rentals

Photographer: Kelly Waterman

In the wedding and event world, the word “accent” is used freely and often. It’s a great, all-encompassing word that refers to highlighting key elements of your event and allows for touches of personality and flair in a multitude of ways. You may have heard the term when describing décor or colors, but today we’re going to explore it in a new phrase: accent furniture. This catch-all phrase for specialty furniture rentals are so much more than your typical chairs or sofas and can be used to elevate your space and tie in decor.

Photographer: Kathryn Colby

One of our favorite ways for incorporating accent furniture is at our client’s cultural weddings, such as a Hindu or Persian ceremony. The fixtures at these wedding ceremonies are very important in carrying out the traditions of each culture, and that all starts with a foundation. In a Hindu wedding ceremony, the couple will sit under a Mandap, the four-poster structure at the front of the space, usually on some sort of special chairs or settee. Similarly, a Persian ceremony has the couple sitting under a canopy held up by female members of the family, usually seated together on a bench or loveseat. Using a specialty rental such as an upholstered sofa or set of matching arm chairs is a great way to elevate the look of the ceremony while providing comfort to the couple sitting on them. There are so many options for these types of accent rentals in all types of finishes, colors, and materials, and they really set the couple apart by providing a seat of honor during the ceremony.

Photographer: Kelly Waterman

Accent furniture can also be used throughout your wedding reception and cocktail hour in a variety of ways. A lot of our couples choose specialty chairs for their sweetheart table, which really makes you feel like a queen or king! Setting yourself apart with a pair of elegant armchairs is a great way to make your sweetheart table stand out even more and give the guests of honor (that’s you!) the spotlight they deserve. We also have many types of lounges and armchairs that are perfect for creating vignettes through your event. Specialty lounge areas bring an extra touch of glamour to any event and provide guests with comfortable seating options that are great for sitting over drinks and conversation.

Adding a bit of personality to your wedding or event with accent furniture rentals is so easy, and can even be fun! Choosing the perfect lounge seating for cocktail hour or regal armchairs for under the Mandap will elevate your event and set the scene for a beautiful ceremony and great night.

Upgrading Your Chairs

In almost all cases, the chairs included in your event package are folding chairs for outside and then standard corporate looking banquet chairs for inside. Making them not most comfortable or not the most appealing. Chairs are the base for any event, be it a wedding or party, and upgrading from the basic hotel choices will elevate your décor, plus ensure your guests are comfortable throughout your ceremony and reception.

If you’ve seen any movie or TV show that has a wedding in it, you’ve probably seen a Chiavari chair. They can be identified by their characteristic top panel of vertical spindles, followed by two sets of horizontal rails, and sets of raised rings spaced throughout the frame. These chairs are popular choices for all types of events because not only are they comfortable and sturdy, but they come in a variety of colors and finishes. We offer Chiavari chairs in white, gold, silver, clear, and fruitwood, so you’re sure to find a choice suitable for your event. All of our chair rentals also include chair pads, which is crucial in keeping your guests comfortable for any length of time.

Another great option we have for upgrading your event chairs is the Wooden Crossback chair. These chairs have a characteristic “X” back rail (hence the name) and come in a variety of finishes. Crossback chairs look great in any setting, especially an outdoor wedding or event, and bring a rustic charm to your décor. 

Seating choices are an important part of your event planning and upgrading your chairs from the basic ones provided at your venue is a great way to elevate your décor and keep everyone comfortable all night long. Chairs put the finishing touch on the atmosphere of your event or wedding while also pulling your entire venue together. Once you upgrade to Chiavari or Vineyard Crossback, you’ll never want to sit in a regular folding chair again!

Light the Way: The Importance of Event Lighting

Photographer: Lin & Jirsa

Everyone loves a good before and after photo, and never is that truer than when the lights go on. Not only does lighting perform an important practical function in allowing your guests to see where they are going, it also provides an aesthetic that immediately sets the mood for your event. These two features, functionality and ambiance, are the key elements to making your event beautiful and lighting is the way to do that.

From a practical standpoint, lighting is critical in making sure you and your guests are able to see their surroundings and move from one space to another with ease. That doesn’t necessarily mean your room needs to be lit brightly from all angles! Your lighting professionals can create pathways and illuminate signage with strategical placement of different types of lighting to ensure safety and ease of movement. Lighting can also be used to camouflage parts of your space that you don’t love, from outdated wallpaper to shag carpet and beyond. Using lighting to highlight major players at your event is also a great way to draw your guests’ attention, be it the bridal party entering your reception or a key note speaker ready to wow the crowd. 

On the aesthetic side, lighting creates an instant mood, which elevates the emotions and heightens the energy of your guests as they step into your space. Using lighting can set the mood for your guests as soon as they walk in the door, be it with bright and fun colors for high energy events, casual washes for an intimate setting, or dynamic shadows for lounging and chatting. Lighting can also be used to change the tone of your event when you switch activities, such as using color to transition from dinner to dancing or focusing spotlights from a grand entrance to speeches.

Overall, your lighting choices define your event and set the tone for whatever activities you have in store. Not sure what type of lighting is best for your event? Check out our latest post here for an event lighting guide that is sure to help you figure out what you are looking for: https://www.illuminateeventservices.com/blog/2019/3/6/guided-by-the-light-the-perfect-lighting-for-your-event. If you have any questions about lighting, design, or anything party related, leave us a comment or give us a call; we’d love to chat with you and help you plan your perfect event, lighting and all!

Guided by the Light: The Perfect Lighting for Your Event

Photographer - Kelly Waterman Photography

Lighting is a key aspect to any event and is one of the first things guests will notice when they arrive. Not only does it set the mood, lighting also highlights your space in the perfect way. Check out these different types of lighting to find out which one is best for you!

Uplights: Uplighting is the #1 way to create an ambience for your event and is extremely popular in the wedding and event worlds. Uplights are stationed throughout the space with light shining upward, usually onto a wall or ceiling. This creates a subtle and romantic glow that is great for photos and dancing, and the best part is, you can choose and even customize your colors!

Static lighting is one type of uplighting, and it is exactly what it sounds like: stationary lights with a fixed color scheme.

Intelligent lighting, also called programmable lighting, is another type of uplighting that changes colors, which creates dynamic movement throughout the room. 

Wash lights: This type of lighting is a projection of color throughout the whole room, created by placing colored gels over the lights. There are many types of washes and the color combinations are completely customizable. Wash lights are great if you want your wedding or event colors to really stand out and catch the eye of everyone in the room. 

Pattern lights: Similar to wash lights, a pattern light is projected over the ceiling and tables of the space to create texture in the room. This can really liven up your space, especially if the walls or ceilings are a solid color and you’re looking to jazz it up. 

GOBO lights: Projects a stencil or template onto any surface in the room. They are most often used to project the couple’s names or initials, but can be used in any way you like. They are the perfect addition if you are looking for that extra bit of personalization to really make your space pop.

Pin spot lights: Used to bring focus to one or multiple areas in the space, pin spots are a beam of light that is directed at the spot to create a lighted focal point. They are often used to highlight table centerpieces, especially florals, and bring the eye of the guests immediately to the illuminated point. Pin spots create a dramatic scene of illumination and are perfect if centerpiece design is a key aspect of your decor.

Whatever your goals may be, lighting is the perfect way to achieve them while elevating your wedding or event!