So now you have your venue (YAY!), you’ve prioritized your remaining vendors (you’ve considered placing your photographer as priority number 1), and you’re looked into your florist!

Next up? Rentals.

My guess is that your wedding guests would appreciate sitting on something at your ceremony/reception. You’ll probably want tables for your guests to eat at, silverware/glassware for them to use, but what else will you need?

Depending on your rental company, they’ll have TONS of different items for you to rent, but what do you actually need and WHAT is your budget for this? Never forget your budget!

We decided to build our own farmhouse benches for the ceremony so our guests didn’t have to carry their chairs all the way to the reception area.  (Photo by Katelyn James Photography)

Tip #1: If you’d like to save money in the ceremony area, rent the same chairs for the ceremony + reception. Either designate certain guests to move the chairs after the ceremony or simply tell the guests if they want to sit and eat they have to move their own chairs!

We used the natural arch of the live oak trees at the wedding venue as our wedding arch/arbor but you can always rent one, construct your own or add flowers to the natural landscape!

Next, we looked into the reception area. We decided to build (3) six foot farmtables for the wedding party to sit at (the rental company didn’t offer six foot, just eight foot). We then rented the remaining tables for our guests from Ocean Atlantic Rentals (our main source for rentals at the wedding).

Tip #2: We opted to rent farmtables as the remaining tables for our guests. However, if you’d like to save money rent simple folding tables + cover with tablecloths!

Now onto seating! Instead of having our guests carry benches (a good distance and upstairs) to sit on, we decided to rent X-backed chairs (to match our farmhouse/beachy theme). (Photo by Katelyn James Photography)

Because we found a hole-in-the-wall restaurant for our catering, we had to rent extra folding tables, tablecloths, napkins, serving utensils, chafing dishes, and the little containers that heat the chafing dishes! (Good thing we thought about this PRIOR to the reception!)

Last, but not least we rented decorations for our reception area by the pool. We rented a handful of wine barrels so our guests could easily set their drinks/ cocktail hour plates.

Tip #3: Decorate your reception area/ cocktail space with found objects/things. We used white Christmas lights to wrap the railings around the pool deck so guests could see after sunset + to add a magical mood to the night! We created our own garland for the tables + a wreath to hang above the fireplace! (Photos by Katelyn James Photography)

Have questions about your destination wedding (on the Outer Banks or off) let us know!

View Part One HERE

View Part Two HERE

Stay tuned for Part Four