Planners, couples, and party rental houses alike are ready to join forces and rethink today’s wedding scheme.
A collective “yes, please!” resounds from the vast majority who would like to push out the straight-up shabby chic (cringe!), vintage-inspired (double cringe!) look in weddings and usher in an unexpected celebration style that is fresh, beautiful, and, thankfully, more refined.
Choice is the big word for 2015, a year that promises couples the freedom — and the rental inventory — to blend genres, mingle eras and curate a party landscape that’s more out of the box than inside a mold. Not only are rental outfitters showcasing new pieces and introducing new collections, some are designing and building their own lines to ensure a signature stamp on your big day (or night).
Here’s a sneak peek at what’s new for 2015.
photo by rebecca mousseau
Rustic handmade furniture by Planks and Patina, some of reclaimed wood, has become a new staple for outdoor ceremonies and receptions.
Handmade Ceremony Seating and Dining Ensembles
Smaller companies like Planks and Patina lend an authentic handmade aspect to the party. Owner John Mania says his heirloom-sturdy furniture, some using reclaimed wood from barns in South Dakota, can transition from rustic to formal, depending on what a couple pairs with it. His booming business started just a few years ago by serendipity.
As Mania’s wife, Paulette, manages Korakia Pensione, and couples wanted rentals that complemented the bohemian vibe, he left his retail career to craft furniture the old-fashioned way: by hand. Three hundred chairs and 45 tables later, Mania’s eclectic work has become a local must-have.
“My stuff does really well outside because it’s so natural and raw,” he says.
Unexpected décor pairings top his 2015 trend predictions in addition to lace trumping burlap and florals making a comeback over succulents.
Website: www.planksandpatina.com
Photo courtesy of Classic party rentals
The sleek Vogue furniture line from Classic Party Rentals marries white or black leather with chrome.
Leather Furniture, French Country Style and Fabric in New Forms
To join its now-in-demand farm tables, vineyard chairs, LED lights and carnival lighting, Classic Party Rentals recently launched its own furniture line in three styles. General manager Ryan Brown says The Vogue is available in white or black leather with chrome legs for a tailored modern aesthetic, while The Provence is a softer line done up in French country style. The neutral-colored wicker Catalina line is casual yet upscale, ideal for outdoor events.
Brown predicts hot trends in wedding rentals will be modern chairs, wall draping, fabric swaging, and different shaped tenting like round or multi-level. Yet quite often it’s the smaller accessories that add enough subtle impact to set a wedding apart. Brown says table runners have been popular recently for exactly that reason.
Website: www.classicpartyrentals.com
photo courtesy of signature party rentals
Pair industrial-looking metal Urban Chairs with barnyard French tables.
Urban Metal Chairs, Vineyard Chic and Mix-and-Match Decor
“This year, there are no rules” says Trish Jones, event consultant at Signature Party Rentals. “We’re seeing three different kinds of chairs used in one ceremony, thanks to the nuances of how they work together.”
The company’s coordinators help navigate the vast sea of inventory. “Couples can come into our showroom, play with tables, linens, and flatware. Then we can pull all kinds of fabrics to swag.”
The ability to design your wedding on the spot inspires creative possibilities. Say you pair industrial-looking metal Urban Chairs with barnyard French tables. Add atmosphere with overhead lighting, from zigzagging strings of rustic Edison bistro lights to glamorously icy crystal chandeliers. Swap the seating for Napa-style Vineyard Chairs and the entire feel of your dining scheme morphs again.
“One element can change the entire look,” Jones says.
Sought-after rentals include marquee lights in arrows, hearts and jumbo alphabet letters and a walnut-style dance floor designed to look like rustic planks.
Website: www.signatureparty.com
photo courtesy of yeah! rentals
Yeah! Rentals has new 36-inch wooden café tables and coordinating stools.
Classic mod, industrial flair and custom café sets
Fierce demand prompted YEAH! Rentals to officially expand their business to the desert several months ago. Already Palm Springs’ top wedding venues are brimming with events that flash Yeah!’s midcentury modern, industrial and “South American cosmic vibe” offerings.
“Now we’ve decided to stop buying things other people make and make it all ourselves,” says owner Michael Antonia.
Their new 36-inch wooden café tables and coordinating stools add an interesting height contrast to their coffee and side tables, sofas, lounge chairs and ceremony benches. The wooden tabletops are so pretty, they’ve spurred a trend of their own: no linens required.
Website: www.yeahrentals.com
Lisa Marie Hart has been writing about weddings since serving as an editor at Bridal Guide magazine in New York City in 1999. Since 2006, she has been editor of the annual Palm Springs Life Weddings & Honeymoon Planner. Away from the laptop, she creates tiered cupcake stands for weddings and celebrations at www.highteaforalice.com
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