This one topic right here only has one right answer, and that answer is the one that works best for you. I know, that’s not really an answer, but it’s 100% true. Look, as a wedding planner, I love when my couples rent their linens. In fact, it’s almost one of those things I want to require my couples to do. But I also know that not all budgets allow it and sometimes you HAVE to buy your linens. So let me show you the pros and cons of both options so that you can decide for yourself.
Buying
Pros:
- Saving money – let’s face it, buying your own linens is financially cheaper
- You have the product in hand and know what you will be getting
- Setting it up yourself will let you see everything laid out and know it is done how you want it done.
- Many options to choose from because you can purchase from any company that sells linens.
- Resell – once the wedding is over you can sell them to another couple getting married to recoup some of your money.
Cons:
- Storage – they take up a lot of space, especially after you go through the list below.
- Washing – every linen comes with a chemical on it that you HAVE to wash off before use. You can do it in your washer, about 3-4 linens per load or pay someone at anywhere between $5-15 per linen.
- Ironing/Steaming – wrinkles, creases, you name it, you want them out as much as possible.
- Transportation – you have to get them to the location, again, they take up A LOT of room. At the end of the night, they take up double the room as they are no longer folded.
- Setting Up – you have to set the linens. This takes A LOT of time and it has to be done before anything else can be set.
- Teardown – You have to tear down the linens at the end of a long night.
- Washing (AGAIN) – After the wedding, you need to wash them again unless you plan on throwing them out. Again that is washing about 3-4 at a time or paying about $5-15 per linen to have them done.
- Reselling – Finding someone that wants your linens isn’t as easy as it sounds. If they’re basic white, you have better odds. But if they are colored or patterned linen, it becomes harder and you sit on them for a lot longer. And not everyone needs the exact number you have, so you may have to split and sell in smaller sets and just hope that you sell them all.
Renting
Pros:
- Design help – almost all professionals that rent linens will help bring your look, feel and design together with their linens.
- Other rentals – most companies that rent linens rent other items you may need for decor and so you can see it all put together and get it all from one place.
- MOST IMPORTANTLY, ALL OF THE CONS ABOVE YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH – AND TIME IS MONEY.
Cons:
- Financially it costs more
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Rising Ashes Designs
L’Nique Linens -
Julie Elizabeth Event Styling
Like I said before, I know that not everyone has the budget to rent linens, or finds that linens are not a priority in their wedding planning. And that’s ok. But if you are even debating between renting or buying your linens, I cannot stress it enough how much work is truly involved with linens. And as the wedding gets closer, your time will become more precious and you will not want to be dealing with all of your linens on your wedding day. So take it from a professional wedding planner, RENT!
