The wedding industry is exploding: 88% of all Americans get married at least once in their lifetimes, and weddings collectively make up a $50 billion industry. What a budget! And each weekend, there are an average of 44,230 weddings happening around the country. That’s a lot of bridesmaid dresses.
This article isn’t intended to be the end all, be all guide to wedding planning, because let’s face it: no such thing could ever possibly exist. There are just too many huge and tiny little things to think about. Half of all women report finding planning their wedding more stressful than they anticipated, and they spend an average of eleven hours per week on building that perfect day.
Instead, this article is all about one of those things that you might think of as tiny, optional, extra — but it’s actually a pretty big deal. I’m talking about table linens, and if you value the aesthetics of your wedding, I beg of you: keep reading.
The worst thing you could do for your wedding’s look is decide table linens are an unnecessary expense. Even if you’re planning a simple backyard picnic for your reception, linens are not optional. Wedding tablecloth rentals can provide that splash of color and texture that will take your party from drab to designed in no time.
First, decide on the basics of what you need. Linen rental companies will either already have, or be able to custom-make, literally any size you can dream up. Most rental linens come in 134 inch rounds and 8 foot drapes, to fit standard sized tables. Less common but still standard sizes include 108 inch and 120 inch rounds, for cocktail tables and other smaller surfaces.
Linens come in all sizes. Most linens come in a 134? rounds and 8ft drapes for your standard sized tables but also come in 108? and 120? rounds for cocktail and smaller tables.
You’ll obviously need to have a clear picture of all your table rentals before you decide on linens, but even once you know the dimensions, you have options in terms of the length of the drape. Do you want a short, playful ruffle? A floor-grazing swish? A dramatic, trailing column? It’s all up to you.
Once you’ve memorized and internalized and tattooed your desired dimensions onto your brain, you’re ready to move on to the next steps: color and texture. But don’t make the mistake of thinking about your linens in isolation. They’ll be part of the bigger picture at your wedding or reception, which means collaboration with your florist and any other decorative influences is essential to a cohesive aesthetic.
If, when you think about color, you’re thinking, “Duh, wedding equals white,” it’s time you learned to think outside the wedding box. It’s your party, and they’re your colors. Think about the colors that could reflect your style as a couple: reds and pinks can be romantic and dramatic, greens and blues are earthy and calm, and earth tones can be a great backdrop for smaller pops of color.
When it comes to wedding tablecloth rentals, there are also tons of texture options — Silky? Rough and rustic? Ruffled? Embossed? — but be sure to take into account how durable your wedding tablecloth rentals need to be for your reception guests.
Actual linen is a great option for balancing look and feel with functionality: linen is the strongest of all the vegetable fibers, with two to three times the strength of cotton. It can also absorb up to 20% of its weight in moisture, while remaining dry to the touch. It’s basically magic, and when the inevitable messes happen, none of your guests will be left with soggy, dripping tables.
Wedding tablecloth rentals should be an outlet for your creativity, and don’t forget about complementary chair cover rentals! Hide ugly or bland folding chairs under sumptuous fabric for a look no one will forget.