Wedding Wednesdays Q&A: Rent or Buy Your Wedding Decor?

Q: You probably hear this from most brides you talk to but I want a beautiful wedding. I’m also on a budget. So, I’m trying to find ways to be creative with my wedding decor. One thing I’m finding is that things are cheaper if I just buy them vs. rent them like candles. But, before I get carried away, what should I know about buying vs. renting? And is one better than the other?

Great question! And I applaud you for not going crazy with the buy now button before really assessing things. Because the question you asked is a good and important one.

So, getting creative when you’re on a budget is exactly what you should be doing. You won’t want to DIY everything, but we’ll get to that in a moment. What you need to understand first is what the reality of buying your wedding decor means.

And here is the reality – buying means it’s all on you, renting means you don’t have to do anything.

Let me explain.

Buying your wedding decor means you buy it, you set it up, you clean it up, you take it home and you store it. You own it so, it’s yours and thus the responsibility of the item falls on you for everything.

If stickers need to get taken off, that’s on you. If it needs to get put together or cleaned, that is your job.

(Photo credit: Strotz Photography)

In contrast, renting your wedding decor means you don’t do anything. Someone else stores it, cleans it, delivers it, sets it up, and takes it away. You’re just borrowing it for a few hours.

It shows up, does its job making your wedding beautiful and then it goes away.

Now I’m sure you’re thinking well, I guess I know how she feels. But, you’d be wrong. Buying is a great idea for many reasons and one of the biggest reasons is the cost.

But, you need to know that you’re trading money for time.

And that could be perfectly fine. But if you don’t want to deal with the items before, during or after, then buying probably isn’t right for you.

Renting is easy, but renting comes with a cost. The question is if that cost is worth it to you.

One way isn’t better than the other. It’s just a matter of what is more important to you – time or money.

(Photo credit: Emily Piraino)

Now I want to mention that what usually works best is to pick and choose what you buy and what you rent. Buying or DIYing everything usually isn’t the best idea. You’ll want to be strategic and weigh each item.

Small things are usually a good choice to DIY. Larger items or bigger quantities are the ones where renting can be better. But you’ll have to assess each item and make the decision for yourself.