How to dress up tables?

vgmartinez · February 2010

We are having our reception at our local community center. Unfortunately, we're not able to have linen table and chair covers because the venue does not allow vendors to tear down the next day. The only way we would be able to have linen or cloth table covers is if we went around at the end of our reception and cleaned the tables off ourselves so that the vendor could come and take their table covers. I don't plan on doing that so I'm trying to look for alternative, inexpensive, ways to covers our tables and chairs. Has anyone used heavy vinyl table covers? Any pictures? The chairs are the metal folding chairs so any idea on dressing those up would be helpful. Thanks!

Sue-n-Kevin · February 2010

If it's in your budget I'd still try to get fabric table covers and perhaps "pillow slipcover" type of chair covers (these slip over the back of the chair, but the seat is not covered).

Most vendors will work with you, and pick up or drop off where you want. Even your home. Or, you could do the pick up and drop off. I say this because if you work with the vendor, and the reception venue, you can have someone in your family, or one of your friends, gather up the rented linens after the reception and drop them off or have them picked up the next business day. They rarely turn around and rent the same stuff for the next day.

Having said that, if you cannot afford the rentals, or none of the vendors in your area will cooperate, here's are links to a website I've been very happy with, and they have table covers and table skirts for reasonable prices. You'd just have to use sturdy two sided tape to hold the skirt on the tablecover. The table covers are in rectangles, several colors, but you can just cut them to fit. They have tons of other stuff too, most of it cheaper than the standard craft type websites.

http://downtowncrafts.com/table_covers_rec.htm

http://downtowncrafts.com/table_cover_skirt.htm

Good luck.

chosen175 · February 2010

Personally, I'd rent the linens and take care of them myself. I mean, if you're renting a community center, obviously you have to clear away all the plates, garbage, etc and return everything to the way you found it, right? What's the big deal about rolling up the linens and tossing them in a garbage bag for pickup? I'd call the linen company and ask if they'd be willing to pick up at your home the next day instead. There's no way I'd have vinyl tablecloths at my wedding if linens were within my budget.

vgmartinez · February 2010

No, we don't have to clear away anything, the venue does it all. We just have to take anything we want to keep ( which I don't plan on doing). It's not in our budget to rent linen covers. Most of our $5,000 budget is going to food, drinks and music.

flower_diva · February 2010

IMO forget the chair covers and do the linen tablecloths. These will be the focus of the reception anyway. You can't have a champaigne reception on a beer budget so pick what is important to you and move on.....it is what it is.....

felicia220 · February 2010

I would have some chair pads for some of your older guests. It may be very uncomfortable for them to sit in a metal folding chair for a couple of hours. I was in a bad accident a couple years ago, leaving me with a bad back. I couldn't survive 30 mins in a folding chair without having pain, and I'm only 25. Just something to think about.

vgmartinez · February 2010

Thanks for all the advice. Champaigne reception on a beer budget is an interesting perspective. We are on a beer budget and there's more important things to us than what's covering the chairs and tables. I don't think our guests will be disappointed that we don't have these.

How to dress up tables?

Re: How to dress up tables?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards