Rent It: The Perfect Personalized Wedding

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Photo Courtesy of ARA
When it comes to planning a wedding, most couples don’t want to settle for cookie-cutter solutions that will make their wedding appear impersonal or even unremarkable. Instead, they want the biggest day of their lives to represent the two of them and no one else.

This yearning for personalization doesn’t have to translate into more money. On the contrary -- whether you’re planning a formal wedding or a more casual event, you can incorporate personalized touches without breaking the bank by renting the materials you will need.

From 250 identical vases, to chandeliers, to helium balloons or faux floral centerpieces, rental businesses provide endless amounts of materials that can make the difference between a run-of-the-mill event and your dream wedding.

“You can rent just about anything to make your wedding perfect,” said Christine Wehrman, CEO of the American Rental Association (ARA), the global trade association for the rental industry. “By renting products for your wedding, you don’t have to settle for items that don’t fit your personalized vision. You’ll get exactly what you’re looking for and you’ll have access to products that may have otherwise been too expensive in large quantities.”

Make an impression by choosing table linens in your wedding colors, or go with all–white, then add chair covers with a bow-tie sash and matching napkins in accent colors. Rental businesses will have hundreds of colors to pick from. Be sure to ask for sample swatches of the linens so you can coordinate colors with your bridesmaid dresses and flowers. Add your choice of china and glassware to the arrangement for each table and get a rich and sophisticated setting.

If you’re looking for the beauty of an outdoor location without the worry about the weather, tents are a great way to create the wedding of your dreams. ARA member rental businesses have beautiful tents to create the venue, as well as everything you need to make it beautiful and comfortable.

Huge tents and elegant canopies come in wedding white and many also come with clear tops -- thus allowing guests access to the drama of a sunset or a sparkling night sky. However, if you plan on incorporating a tent into your wedding, make sure you give the rental business -- and yourself -- enough advanced notice. Depending on the time of year, the rental business will need plenty of notice to reserve all the equipment you will need.

Also, many ARA member rental businesses offer personalized service through their Certified Event Rental Professionals who are trained to help you choose the right rentals to make your dream wedding come to realization.

They can help ease the tension of pre-wedding set up with their knowledge and experience. Many businesses even help you throughout the event as well, keeping it on track and flowing smoothly.

You can also rely on rental service experts to help before you book your venue. They can help you assess the site for things like power accessibility, ground water issues, or overhead power lines that may interfere with your vision of a tall tent, among other situations.

All events, no matter how big or small -- even for the Oprahs or Trumps of the world -- include rented materials. Visit www.rentalhq.com to find your local ARA member rental business.

Courtesy of ARA content
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Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.

Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.

The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.

Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is  appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.

Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.

Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.

Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.

The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.

The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.

Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.

Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years. 

He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.

Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.

Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve  a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.

Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.

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