Reception Hiring/Buying/Borrowing

You never realise how much work and information needs to go into preparing for your reception, until you actually realise.

At the moment we're in the middle of deciding whether to hire everything in or whether we should wait and see what the chapel we are using already has, because if they already have things that'll keep the costs down. I know people worry about the cost of a wedding but I really do think we have it all covered thanks to some extremely lovely people.

Of course when you think about a wedding reception you think about the usual, tables & chairs but then there are the knives, forks, spoons, glasses, chair covers, table covers and table centre pieces to think of. We were trying to organise some sort of seating plan this evening and in the end it seemed to have changed more into a renewed list of the people I want to invite, which has gone from 96 to 74, or something like that.

(Not my actual seating plan as mine will need two more seats at the top table and another 6 more tables on top)

I don't know whether it is because I am feeling more ruthless or whether it's because I've forgotten someone. We've also been thinking that it is easier to place 10 people round a table than 8, this also means less tables to hire and more space (hopefully). The colours are still burgundy and lavender but hopefully when the spring dresses come in I'll have more of an idea of what I want my girls (bridesmaids not maids of honour) to wear.

To hire:
Knives, forks, spoons, dinner plates, dessert bowls, wine glasses, tables and table cloths from Ev-ent Furniture Ltd North it will cost £402.50 (without VAT, but I think they do deliver, but pretty much don't do anything else)

To hire:
Knives, forks, spoons, dinner plates, dessert bowls, wine glasses, round tables and table cloths from Bybrook hire it will cost £372.50 (Not inc. VAT or delivery, again they don't do much else besides drop it off pick it up)

To hire:
Knives, forks, spoons, dinner plates, dessert bowls, wine glasses, tables and table cloths from Barkers Catering Equipment it will cost £345 (Not inc. VAT or Delivery) BUT they do a wash up service, which could be incredibly handy because as I have discovered most places only hire for 48 hours, 12pm drop off 12pm pick up... which we can't do because the wedding is on a Saturday and nothing can be in the chapel on the Sunday, so it'd need to be picked up on the same day of the wedding....

....which makes me think we need to change the day. BUT Barkers do say for a small additional cost they will pick anything up after 5pm, who knows what that cost is though.

I just seriously hope I don't have to change the wedding day, I'm not sure my brain could cope with that haha!