If you’re in the thick of wedding planning, there’s no doubt that you’ve got quotes and spreadsheets up to your eyeballs. But it’s hard to know exactly what to funnel your wedding budget into when you don’t know what the ~standard~ costs are for each thing.
We put standard in those semi-patronising wiggly lines because, honestly, there’s not a set standard price for anything in the wedding industry. Quotes are dependent on wedding guest size, location, time of year and time of week – and that’s before you’ve even thought about colour, style and availability.
However, because we want to be as transparent with you as possible, we thought we’d turn to furniture and dinnerware hire extraordinaries, Simply Seated, to get some clear $$s around an often blurry part of your wedding budget. So here it is, this is what a 100 person wedding will cost you.
How much does it usually cost to furnish an empty venue for a wedding?
“This really depends on where your wedding is being held! Restaurants and reception venues will always have their own furniture on offer, so it depends on whether you wish to change the existing floorplan and hire something a little different to make your wedding unique. In addition to dining tables and chairs, it is always a great idea to think about cocktail and lounge furniture, for outdoor or breakout areas.”
“This is a great opportunity to style using furniture and decor and add some high and low seating options to create atmosphere in different areas of the space. For ‘pop up’ style wedding such as marquees, and blank canvas venues, you will need to think about everything from tables, chairs, cocktail furniture, lounges and other seating options as well as table linen, dinnerware, props and other decorative pieces.”
Photo // Jack Henry Photos
Photo // Jack Henry Photos
“As a rough guide, you can allow $20-22 per person for tables and chairs only, and an additional $20 per person if you also require dinnerware, quality linen table cloths and napkins, decorative glassware and high-end cutlery. Lighting, heating, cooling, other bar and catering equipment would be an additional cost.”
Based on a 100 person wedding, this is your cost breakdown for furniture, dinnerware and marquee hire:
Dinnerware only – $20 per person, which adds up to $2,000
*Dinnerware includes charger plate, plates, 5 pc. cutlery set, glassware & linen napkins.
Dinnerware & Dining Furniture – $42 per person, which adds up to $4,200
Dinnerware, Dining Furniture, Lounges & Cocktail – $58 per person, which adds up to $5,800
*Based on 2 x lounge pods, 4 bar tables and 12 stools.
Floored Marquee + all of the above – Between $10,000 – $12,000
**Prices exclude delivery and set up fees.
Photo // Story Of Us
What is the most popular wedding package for Simply Seated furniture hire?
“Couples are increasingly enquiring about lounge and cocktail packages for their weddings. Particularly for marquee and outdoor weddings, it is quite popular to have clusters of lounge settings as well as cocktail furniture scattered amongst the bar (which is feature in itself!). This sort of set up can be enjoyed during the day, and also during the night, with some soft festoon and fairy lighting to create the perfect atmosphere. Style it up with pillows, rugs, and some plants for a lived-in feel or florals to continue with the rest of the styling.”
What’s the one thing that couples consistently forget with their wedding furniture/styling?
“It is important to think about the style of your wedding and the experience you would like your guests to have. For instance, if your wedding is quite formal with a big focus on food, it is always a great idea to focus on the place settings and create something beautiful to heighten the dining experience. If your wedding is more of a cocktail style event it is important to think about the number of seating options and ensure you have at least 2-3 options for guests. Finding the right balance of stools, sofas and low tables to ensure about 60% of people can be seated at any given time will be visually pleasing as well as functional! Consider the space you have to work with and the age of your guests to help determine what you need before seeking out styles.”
Photo // Isn’t It Lovely Events
“It is also important for couples to determine their budget up front, and decide where to allocate it! It’s always going to be friendlier on your budget to minimise the number of hire suppliers where possible, so that you don’t double up on delivery costs. It also means less suppliers to co-ordinate with when it comes to bump in and bump out and can seriously streamline the hiring process and save dollars!”
What you need to know about Simply Seated?
“Simply Seated started out with just chairs and tables but we are now so much more! Our range includes a variety of furniture options for different style weddings and events, as well as quality linen, cutlery, crockery, glassware, lighting, props and décor. We aim to offer as much as possible for our clients, so our newly introduced marquees are a great option, and can provide huge cost savings when hired with other items due to our package discounts. In addition to our hire range, we can also style your event and coordinate and set up on the day! Clients are welcome to visit our warehouse and showroom for a free consultation to discuss items and styling options. We service Sydney and surrounds, including Southern Highlands, Wollongong, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Hunter Valley and Newcastle.”
Photo // Story Of Us
Styling // Ashdown & Bee
By Katie Stow
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Editor of One Fine Day
Header Image // Florals by The Hunted Yard // Styling & Props by The Collective Hire
