Weddings
Garden romance wedding
Soft greens, white florals and candlelight under the trees
See the setup, games and rentals
Weddings ideas
Weddings: themes, setups and activities
A wedding look comes down to four choices: the chair, the table shape, the linen and the light. Pick a theme below to see the palette, the setup for an indoor hall or a tented lawn, guest activities, and the exact rentals with live prices. Every theme can be added to your plan in one tap.
Themes
3 wedding themes
Each theme lists a palette, decor, setups, activities, props and the rentals with live prices.
Weddings
Black-tie gold wedding
Gold Chiavari, sequins and warm uplighting
See the setup, games and rentals
Weddings
Rustic farm-table wedding
Long wooden tables, cross-back chairs and bistro lights
See the setup, games and rentals
Setup ideas
How to set up a wedding
Layouts for backyards, tents and indoor rooms, with the rentals each one takes.
- 1
Classic rounds
Indoors
60-inch rounds seating eight, floor-length cloths and a sweetheart table facing the dance floor. The easiest layout for 100 to 250 guests and the one most Chicago banquet halls are built around.
- 2
Long family-style rows
Tent or lawn
Rows of farm or banquet tables under a frame tent read as one long dinner party. Plan about 10 square feet per guest plus a 5-foot aisle between rows so servers can pass.
- 3
Mixed rounds and kings tables
Any space
Rounds for most guests and two or three long kings tables down the middle for the wedding party. It breaks up a sea of rounds and gives the photographer a strong centre line.
- 4
Backyard ceremony to reception flip
Backyard
Ceremony chairs in rows facing an arch, then the same chairs carried to tables during cocktail hour. One set of chairs covers both if the reception area is set before the ceremony starts.
Activities, games and props
Things to do at a wedding
Photo booth with a backdrop
A booth by the bar keeps guests busy between dinner and the first dance, and you leave with the pictures.
Rent: 360 photo booth ($163.90), Flower wall ($273.90)
Lawn games during cocktail hour
Giant Jenga and cornhole on the lawn while the couple is away for photos.
Rent: Yard game ($27.50)
Late-night snack cart
Popcorn or a nacho station at 10 pm brings everyone back to the dance floor.
Rent: Popcorn machine ($82.50), Nacho cheese warmer ($86.90)
Champagne wall toast
Guests pick a glass from a wall as they arrive; it doubles as a backdrop.
Rent: Champagne wall ($159.50), Champagne flute ($0.83)
Guest book table
A small table with a polaroid camera, a frame or a puzzle guest book.
DIY: no rental needed
Sparkler or bubble send-off
Check your venue's rules first; many Chicago venues allow bubbles but not sparklers indoors.
DIY: no rental needed
Questions
Weddings FAQs
What rentals does a typical wedding reception need?
One chair and one place setting per guest, a 60-inch round per eight guests, linens and napkins, glassware for water, wine and the toast, a dance floor sized to about a quarter of the guests, and lighting. Outdoor weddings add a tent, restrooms and power.
How big should the dance floor be?
About a quarter of guests dance at once and each needs roughly 9 square feet, so 150 guests needs about 340 square feet, or an 18 by 18 foot floor.
How far ahead should we book wedding rentals in Chicago?
Six to nine months for May to October Saturdays. Chiavari chairs, specialty linens and tents sell out first in peak season.
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Price your wedding in minutes
Pick chairs, tables, linens, dinnerware and more, see live prices, and we line up Chicago's best rental houses for your date.
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