Table linen

minko1986

Hi all,

I plan to have the reception at the church where I will be getting married. The church does not provide tablecloths, so I looked around renting it. I found that rental costs about $20-25 per tablecloth while I can buy it around $13-15. So when I asked the rental company why there is about $10+ up-charge, they reasoned that it's because they have to wash it and iron it. I understand that if I buy tablecloths, I will probably need to iron them at some point. 

So here are my two questions....

1. Based on your experience, for those of you who bought linens, is it really worth $25 per tablecloth to rent so that it can be ironed? Oh, I'm just talking about polyester restaurant type tablecloth - no fancy things involved. While I am on a tight budget (around $10K... who knew $10K is worth almost nothing when planning a wedding?) and want to save cost, I would rather cut budget somewhere else than making my entire family iron tablecloths all night long. There will be about 25 tables total.

2. Should the tablecloth come to the floor? The table is just regular 8'by 3' rectantular table and the legs are pretty ugly...... =( The chairs are banquet style chairs with dark red seat and black trim. I probably can't afford to cover chairs. I figured that shorter tablecloths are bit cheaper (either renting or buying). Assuming I use tablecloths that come to the floor, is it worth the additional cost (as opposed to using the ones that are shorter)?

Peavy

If you are talking about the folding 8-ft banquet tables, then yes, you will want your linens to come to the floor or almost to the floor.  Those legs are ugly!  You will also want rounded corners so that the cloths don't drag on the floor.

Only you can decide if rent vs. buy is for you.  Time is money, and if you have the time to iron everything, then you can save money.  If you don't have the time, spend the money.  Also keep in mind that not all polyester is created equal.  Some polyester cloths are soft and drape well, and some are so stiff that they barely drape at all.  Those tend to be the less expensive ones.  If you are planning to buy the cloths, be sure to purchase a sample first so you know what you're getting.

Sue-n-Kevin

Are you getting married in the Detroit area? If so, post this on the local board. I've seen rental costs less than what you mention, and the brides are REALLY helpful with vendors. Some even sell stuff they purchased for their wedding.

I rented, from our caterer, round cloths that went to the floor. I think they were $10. I purchased top rounds and made table runners, and with all that I don't think I spent as much as you have mentioned.

Ironing is not that hard. I ironed the rounds I purchased by folding in half, and ironed one side, then the other, never ironing on the fold, which would make a crease. We took them to the venue the night before.

cwaggoner07

I actually found a girl on my local board getting married at my location 3 weeks before I did. We decided to purchase linens to fit the space and split the cost. We made sure they were machine washable so that she could wash them before passing them onto me.
We split the initial cost, and then I washed them and sold them back on Craigslist, and mailed her a check for half of what I got.
We ended up paying for 150 guests, about $50 when all was said and done. There was a bit of hassle with ironing and washing, but that worked really well for us.

minko1986

Thank you so much for your comments, ladies! 

It's funny how I didn't even notice that there is a local board until some of you mentioned. i think I'm going to try that or look into the web-site one of you mentioned. Fingers crossed and thanks!!!

QueerFemme

www.smartyhadaparty.com and www.linentablecloth.com are both good resources for budget linens.  Also, cruise TK classifieds and www.recycledbride.com. You can often find good deals on used linens.