Wedding Hire Tips: Booking Early, Delivery and Avoiding Disappointment

Expo Hire sees a surge in wedding hire enquiries from January onwards. As the days lengthen and warmer weather approaches, couples begin planning their special day. To help you secure the right equipment for your reception, Expo Hire presents this wedding hire guide for spring. We cover early booking timelines, delivery schedules, and common pitfalls.

Wedding Hire Guide For Spring: Booking Early

From April through to September, Expo Hire operates at maximum capacity. Orders for essential items like chairs, linen, and catering equipment hire arrive daily. While we work hard to maintain ample stock and delivery availability, there will be days we must close bookings to manage demand. Booking well in advance guarantees you get the items you need.

To accommodate this demand, Expo Hire holds high stock levels for popular items such as banqueting tables and chairs. We also refine our delivery scheduling to serve as many clients as possible each day. Resources remain finite. Securing your booking sooner rather than later remains the best approach.

For orders exceeding £1,000 placed more than 28 days before your event, Expo Hire operates a 25% deposit scheme. This helps spread the cost of your equipment. You can amend your order up to seven days before delivery. This flexibility helps if your guest numbers change unexpectedly.

Essential Wedding Reception Hire Items

Most wedding reception orders include a selection of the following items:

• Chairs: This ranks as the most frequently hired item for weddings. Chiavari chairs bring a classic aesthetic and feature a lightweight frame. For rustic barn venues, cross-back chairs supply a complementary look. Receptions involving a formal dinner lasting several hours benefit from banqueting chairs for superior comfort.
• Tables: We stock banqueting tables in various sizes. Consider your desired guest interaction during the planning phase. Round tables encourage conversation among guests sitting together. Long banqueting tables suit more formal seating plans. For a standard round table seating 8-10 guests, a 1.8-metre diameter table serves well.
• Linen: This category covers tablecloths, chair sashes, and napkins. Expo Hire's linen hire range features standard sizes that fit our tables. Ordering a few extra tablecloths accounts for accidental spills or stains.
• Crockery: This covers plates, bowls, and serving dishes. For crockery, Expo Hire recommends ordering 10% more items than your final guest count. This buffer covers breakages during the event and any last-minute guest additions. You also benefit from our "Send It Back Dirty" service. Return your plates unwashed, and we handle the cleaning.
• Glassware: This includes wine glasses, champagne flutes, and water glasses. Similar to crockery, order a buffer above your final guest numbers to cover breakages and unexpected needs. A typical setup might include one wine glass, one water glass, and one champagne flute per guest. Every order includes a free minor damage waiver to cover accidental chips and scratches.

Plan Your Delivery Around Your Venue

Expo Hire operates delivery and collection routes seven days a week. Delivery starts from £40 ex-VAT, which we calculate by road distance from your nearest depot. Our order tracking system lets you monitor the driver's location in real time. You will receive automated text messages both in the morning of your delivery and as the driver approaches your venue.

We strongly advise scheduling delivery for at least the day before your wedding. This provides a buffer for any unforeseen issues and allows you ample time to set up. Collection the day after the wedding remains standard practice. This prevents you from rushing and lets you enjoy your day without worrying about equipment returns.

Confirming your delivery address requires checking access for our commercial vehicles. Venues with specific access restrictions or delivery windows require clear communication at the time of booking. This helps us plan the most direct route and avoid delays.

For venues requiring specific setup times or possessing limited storage space, early delivery becomes critical. We supply specialist support for Hindu weddings, Sikh weddings, and receptions taking place at a stately home. Discuss your venue's requirements with our team to create a schedule that aligns with your timeline.

As a final tip for our wedding hire guide for spring, remember that all prices and live stock levels display directly on our website. You can add your required items to your basket and confirm your dates online today.