Wedding Décor Hire Checklist: What to Hire and What to Buy

Wedding décor adds up quickly, and most of it is used for a single day. Hiring the big, reusable pieces and buying only the personal touches is the easiest way to get a polished look without paying for things you'll store in a cupboard afterwards.

Use this checklist to plan your ceremony, reception and tables, with real hire prices from our Midrand catalogue so you can budget as you go.

Hire it or buy it?

A simple rule of thumb:

• Hire large, reusable items you'll only use once: arches, backdrops, stands, marquee letters, carpets, crockery, cutlery and glassware.
• Buy personal items you'll keep or use up: invitations, favours, the cake topper, candles, confetti and anything printed with your names.

Ceremony checklist

• An arch to frame your vows. A round circle arch is R400 per day, a square arch is R600 per day and our gold balloon/flower arch is R700 per day. Florals and balloons are quoted separately.
• An aisle runner. A white carpet is R400 per day.
• A welcome board at the entrance. A printed A1 correx welcome board is R600 once-off. It's printed with your details, so it's a one-off print cost rather than a hire. Display it on a wooden A-frame easel or a gold metal easel, each from R150.

Reception checklist

• A backdrop behind the couple's table. Our step arch backdrop (pictured above) is R1,200, the arch backdrop is R550 and the panel backdrop set is from R900.
• Your names (or "MR & MRS") in lights. Our MR & MRS marquee set is R1,500, or spell out your initials with marquee letters at R350 per letter (R300 per letter for 3 or more).
• Welcome drinks. A champagne wall is R950 per day. Glasses are hired separately.
• A guestbook guests will actually use. Our audio guestbook lets guests leave voice messages on a retro telephone. It's R1,800 for 6 hours and comes with an instruction stand.
• Shade for a garden wedding. Our beige cabana tent (3×6m, about 20 guests) is R2,500 per day, with draping and installation included. It isn't waterproof, so have a back-up plan for rain.

Table checklist

• Crockery: dinner plate and side plate combo R20 per set, or a dinner plate R12 and a side plate R10 each.
• Underplates: natural mat R20 or golden pattern R35 per item.
• Cutlery: a full cutlery set is R30 per guest.
• Glassware: wine glasses and champagne flutes R6 each, or gold rim versions R10 each.
• Centrepieces: real flower centrepieces are from R400 each to buy and keep (minimum of 3), with a discount on large orders.

Example: tableware for 80 guests

Here's what the basics cost for 80 guests at 8 tables of 10, using hire prices, plus real flower centrepieces, which are bought rather than hired.

Delivery and collection are quoted separately based on your venue, and you can also collect from our Midrand warehouse free of charge, by appointment. Setup isn't included with hire-only orders, and glassware and crockery must be rinsed before they're returned.

Hire-only or a wedding package?

Hire-only suits couples with a planner, a venue team or a handy family who'll set up on the day. You choose every piece and pay per item.

A wedding package suits couples who'd rather hand it over. We design the look, deliver everything, set it up before guests arrive and collect afterwards. Setup is included:

• Essential: from R15,000, with a floral ceremony arch, aisle décor, the couple's table and centrepieces.
• Signature: from R22,000, adding a reception backdrop, MR & MRS marquee letters and a champagne wall.
• Luxe: from R38,000, with full ceremony and reception styling and premium florals.

Delivery and collection for packages is usually around R1,600 for most Gauteng venues. Wedding packages range from R15,000 to R100,000, depending on your guest count, venue and styling. See the full details on our wedding packages.

When to book your wedding décor

• As soon as your date and venue are confirmed: popular items like arches, backdrops and marquee letters are booked per date.
• Two to four weeks before at the latest for hire-only orders, or 6–8 weeks for December and other busy periods.
• A week before: confirm final guest numbers so your tableware quantities are right. For packages, the balance is due a week before, and a 70% deposit secures your date.

Frequently asked questions