Rent It: The Perfect Personalized Wedding

Print Story | Email Story
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
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Former Harry's Supermarket Under Construction for Restaurant

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Construction is underway to transform the former Harry's Supermarket into a restaurant

Late last month, the Conservation Commission greenlit some tree pruning on the property. New windows and a new door can be seen in the front of the building. 

"It's a substantial renovation that's currently underway here," Brent White of White Engineering said, speaking on behalf of the applicant and owner, Huajie Zhu. 

A fire gutted the longtime Wahconah Street supermarket in 2023, and the following year, Zhu purchased the property for $460,000 two years ago to build a restaurant with hibachi in the existing footprint of the more than 100-year-old building. 

White explained that the project has been ongoing for over a year, and the Community Development Board granted the property a waiver to reduce the minimum required number of parking spaces so that additional spaces aren't needed.  

He noted that, looking at the site plan, there is very little room to do so. A mirror will be installed near the sharp turn on Bel Air Avenue to alleviate traffic concerns. 

Pruning will be done on trees in the southeast corner of the existing paved parking lot, as a number of branches are hanging over. The new owners also intend to patch, sealcoat, and re-stripe the parking lot. 

A fire tore through the building less than an hour after the supermarket closed for the day three years ago. An automatic sprinkler system is required for the new use. 

View Full Story

More National Stories