China Place Settings VS. Plastic Place Settings

Recently I have noticed one reoccurring conversation that I have with brides and grooms; the debate over whether or not renting china is worth it for their big day. Each and every time I have this conversation I give them the exact same answer, ABSOLUTELY (and I promise you I’m not just saying that to make a sale). Sure if you are having a backyard BBQ or small family get-together, plastic place settings would not be the worst idea. However, when it comes to events such as weddings, going with the real thing is well worth the price; which is usually even better than people expect. When this conversation comes around, I like to give my clients four main points to consider when it comes to plastic place settings.

1. There is not much difference in the pricing between the two.

In this day and age, we have been moving past the tradition of the parents of the bride and groom paying for the majority (if not all) of the wedding. Trust me; I am just as unhappy as you are about this news. With more and more couples having to fund their entire wedding, cutting cost and dialing back on items has become a necessity in most cases. One of the first items couples usually consider tossing out is the rental of china place settings; and while I can see why this would be, I hate to break it to you but the savings are not all they’re hyped up to be.

In order to give clients an idea of the price differences between the two, we took the liberty of making a price comparison sheet to show our prices compared to some of the most popular suppliers of plastic place settings.

While there is only a slight difference in price, remember, there is a big difference in quality.

2. Sure they don’t look much different, but the quality of the item is.

I know that most people are on a constant hunt for the best deal they can get for something. This can work for some items, no problem, but with others the quality of the item is just too important to settle on taking the cheapest option. The place settings at your wedding should be considered one of these items! Below I attached a photo that shows a plastic place setting (left) and china place setting (right).

Honestly, from a distance there doesn’t look to be much of a difference right? I will give them this, plastic place settings can look good, but the second you put one in your hands the difference between the two is immediately recognizable.

With the plastic there is a HUGE difference, and, remember, there is little to no savings going this route over rental china, glassware, and stainless flatware. The plates, which honestly are the least of your worries, will be flimsier and harder for people to carry their food on; especially if you are planning on having a pretty heavy menu at your wedding. Even worse, the plastic glassware is usually sharp, rough, and just plain unpleasant to drink out of. They are also much easier to knock over or be spilled.

Plastic Glassware

Glass Glassware

However, my least favorite of the bunch is the flatware. These are so thin you can literally see right through them! Imagine sitting down, all ready to eat some delicious food, and you can barely even cut it or pick it up.

The quality of these plastic place settings is worse than I think most people imagine. When looking at them they may seem like an easy, cheap option; but I promise you the second you pick one of them up you might reconsider the choice of plastic.

3. Plastic place settings are way out of place at upscale events.

Like I said earlier on, for a casual, laid back event I would not even bat an eye at plastic place settings. Now if I was at a nice, beautiful wedding…I would question why I am being given plastic plates to enjoy my nice, catered dinner. They just do not belong!

Let’s be honest, one of the things that the guests look forward to the most at weddings is the food. Do you really want them to be eating it off of a plastic plate using plastic flatware? I mean think about it, you most likely paid $30-$50 per guest for that food! I know china seems like an easy item to quickly trim from your budget, however, using plastic place settings will quickly bring your special, upscale, event down a notch or two.

4. SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT!

Alright I know this last point might matter more to some than others, but I still believe it is an important factor to point out. In the past few decades, plastic production has done nothing but increase when we should be trying our best to decrease it! Don’t worry, I am not going to sit here and bore you with a bunch of facts about pollution and helping our planet; but I will say that purchasing over 100 plastic place settings for one event is definitely not going to help the situation.

I am a firm believer that a wedding should be exactly what the bride and groom envision it to be. With that being said, if they are fine with using plastic place settings that is completely their decision! These are just four factors that I believe are often overlooked or misconstrued when considering the choice between plastic and china. It might be worth your while to consider these points when making your decision for your own event. I hope these four points are of assistance in your decision. I invite you to come see us to see the difference for yourself

Christmas Tree Napkin Fold

One table our rental coordinator, Libbie, was super eager to plan was our Christmas table! And let me tell you, she knocked it out of the park with this one. It was simple and elegant with just the right amount of pop for the holidays. While the entire table was eye-catching, there was one detail that we had numerous clients and customers asking about…our Christmas tree napkin fold! Since we had so much interest in this fold, I figured I would post a quick tutorial so you all could try it out yourselves and wow your guests this holiday season!

1.     Lay the napkin face-up on a flat surface.

2.     Fold the napkin in half by pulling the top of the napkin towards you.

3.     Fold the napkin in half again to create a nice little square.

4.     Turn the napkin so that it is lying flat in a diamond shape with the loose ends facing you.

5.     Take the top layer and fold it so that the tip is about an inch away from the point of the diamond. Repeat this process with the remaining layers always going about an inch away from the previous tip.

6.     Flip your napkin over so that the folds are now underneath.

7.     Bring one outer corner in towards the opposite side of the napkin. Repeat with the second outer corner overlapping over the first one.

8.     Tuck the remaining triangle in underneath your folded corners.

9.     Flip your napkin back over so that your original folds are showing.

10.  Tuck each of your end points underneath their fold to create your finished Christmas tree!

Now that you have mastered the art of the Christmas tree napkin fold, it’s time to go show it off to all of your guests! Happy Holidays!

5 Low Budget Ways to Make Your Holiday Party a Success

With all of these holidays just around the corner, we are coming up on the most wonderful time of the year…and the most expensive. The holidays are all about being with your loved ones, being grateful, and celebrating. With those come lots of gifts, travel expenses, and (thankfully) time off of work. So while we are enjoying our well-deserved time off, the last thing we want to think of is the adding up costs. With all this love and happiness in the air, we want to be able to celebrate at our holiday parties without stressing over how much we spent just to make them happen! Below I have provided 5 low-budget ways to keep your holiday party classy, decorative, and fun for the holidays!

1.   Keep Your Table Settings Creative, Yet Simple

A little can go a long way when it comes to table settings. While you might think your table needs to be overflowing in centerpieces and fancy dishware, you can create something just as pretty and tasteful with a few simple pieces.

Switch Up Your China

Create a unique look by mixing up your china patterns! One example I found in this article, which I LOVED, involved mixing a simple white dinner plate with a glass salad plate. I went ahead and recreated this image with some of our own rental items, but with a few tweaks of my own.

Pop a Colored Napkin

As seen in the photo above, a little color can go a long way; especially when you go the extra step and use cloth napkins. Taking this small step is an inexpensive way to add a little more class to your dinner. Even if you are not having a sit down dinner, including a pop of color in your napkins can still add some flair without too much extra cost.

Create Your Own Name Cards

Creating your own name cards is a super simple and fun way to add a personal touch to your table settings. Name cards can be made with the most basic of items and will not stretch your budget too much. By using scrapbook paper, dollies, or basically any crafting supply you can find, you can create some beautiful name cards with hardly any extra work. From writing them out yourself to printing them off the computer, name cards can easily be customized to fit any kind of holiday party you are having.

2. Put Your Menu on Display

This is such an easy step to take to add a little something special to your holiday party. Your guests will be able to walk in and immediately get a glance at the night’s menu. By using a chalkboard on an easel, as we did in the picture below, or by going out and buying some card stock, you can create a simple but cute display for your guests. If you have a friend with some creative handwriting you can even have them just write out the menu for you! (Thankfully my coworker is a perfectionist when it comes to writing things out!)

3.   B.Y.O.D. (Bring Your Own Dessert!)

We had a woman come in a few weeks ago who shared a GREAT idea with us! She was using our bar set up to create a candy bar at her baby shower. Honestly, I had never even considered using our bar for anything other than drinks. She explained how she was going to use the top bar to display the candy and then leave some room on the bottom table for people to fill their bowls and what not. For the holidays you can do something very similar by having all of your guests bring their own desserts for a dessert bar! With plenty of space to display all these tasty treats, you can provide your guests with a multitude of options to choose from and get them involved in the party itself. This unique way of displaying your treats will also save you some space for all the other party activities you will have going on. And let’s be honest, during this time of the year; desserts, cookies, candies, and treats are what everyone wants to indulge in at holiday parties.

4.   Add a Little Something to Your Tables or Chairs

Most people think that dressing up a table takes a lot of effort and work, plus a lot of money spent on useless items. However, this does not always have to be the case! One rental item I find myself CONSTANTLY recommending to our customers is sashes! With such a wide variety of colors and fabrics, sashes can be used in almost any part of your decor. From using them as a runner along your tables or scrunching them up around your centerpieces; sashes are such an inexpensive way to add an extra touch. They can also be wrapped around your chairs in about a hundred different ways! Just search chair sashes on Pinterest and the options are limitless!

5.   Make Your Own Drink Stands

If you are not able to have some type of bar set up at your holiday party, a unique alternative would be to create your own drink tubs and stands. Using a tub, such as our galvanized tubs pictured above, as your drink display is such a quick and easy way to navigate around not having a bar present. The only other thing you would need would be a table to place your tubs on or you could even just set them on the floor if you like! Simply fill your tub with whatever drinks you would like, create a cute sign using some of those craft supplies we talked about earlier, and let the holiday party begin!