Could You Save Money By Buying Your Decor Instead Of Renting It?

We don’t have to tell you how fast everything can add up when you’re planning a wedding. You’re here, so you already know. Of course, it starts with the big ticket items like the venue, photographer, catering, flowers, and cake, but then each and every little thing costs a little bit more. From the lights to the chargers, table runners, and place cards.

And sure, there are some things that you can live without like those adorable votive candle holders for the tables or the perfect napkin rings, but whether you save a buck here and there or you go all in, your wedding is still going to be expensive. But, what if we told you that by buying your decor instead of renting it you could actually be spending less in the long run? It’s true! Let’s break it down. Photo: Facibeni Fotografia

the pros of renting

Now, before we totally sway you in one direction, it’s definitely worth mentioning that renting has a lot of benefits; not just to your wallet but to the environment as well. Weddings have a HUGE carbon footprint, and thankfully, couples are becoming more and more conscious of this.

Renting your decor is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and reuse beautiful items that many couples have enjoyed before you and many will enjoy at their weddings long after you say I do. And there are some things (many) that are far more economical to rent like specialty or vintage furniture for seating and lounges. Here’s a list of the things are better to rent than buy:
Event Planning & Design: Oddyssey Events and Design

-Vintage/specialty furniture

-Glassware

-Dishes & silverware

-Napkins

-Lighting

the pros of buying

It’s the little things that really make the difference. Take chargers, for example: These chargers have similar vibes. In photos, you can hardly tell them apart. One costs $5/charger to rent while the other costs $4.45 to buy.
Photo: Aristotelis Fakiolas

True, one is plastic and one is porcelain, but they look REALLY similar, especially in photos. If you are adamant about a certain material or quality for some of your decor items, you can still save money by buying them.

How? You can sell them to other couples looking for the same item for their wedding. These days, there are a ton of ways to sell online, like Facebook Marketplace or even wedding-specific sites like Wedding-Recycle. That being said, these online marketplaces are also a great place to find used wedding decor. Secondhand stores like Goodwill and the Salvation Army are also great places to score cool vintage finds like mix-and-match brass candle sticks or interesting vases for your centerpieces. Here’s a list of the items that we recommend buying and selling vs renting.

-Chargers

-Candle Holders

-Tablecloths

-Table Runners

-Misc. decor like candlesticks, vases, and sculptures

- Napkin Rings

Keep in mind

Keep in mind that if you buy an item instead of renting it, you will be responsible for the delivery and removal of the item from your venue. You will definitely want to talk this over with your planner or coordinator because they may need extra staff to accommodate the extra work and there will likely be an additional service fee. You’ll also want to take into account the time it will take you to list the items and the space required to store them until they sell.

In our opinion, the most budget/environmentally friendly approach to wedding planning is a combo of the two. You buy what you are comfortable reselling or donating and rent the things that are cost-prohibitive to buy in bulk or need special care and cleaning. And now that your wedding budget will stretch a little farther, have fun hunting for decor!
Photo above and below: Pascal

Could You Save Money By Buying Your Decor Instead Of Renting It?

the pros of renting

the pros of buying

Keep in mind

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the pros of renting

the pros of buying

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wedding vendor?