Weddings can be very expensive, and that’s a fact. However, if you plan your own wedding, and try to do as much as you can yourself instead of hiring services, then it can turn out to be a bit cheaper.
In regards to the food, a lot of catering services will include the dishes, glasses, and flatware, as part of the service. But often, you can make it cheaper by getting your own. The problem is, who owns dishes, glasses, and flatware pretty enough for a wedding?
And not only that, you’re going to need quite a few, and ideally, they should all match. So you’re left with either buying a whole lot of dishware, sourcing it from friends or family, somehow making it yourself, or renting it.
The easiest and usually cheapest option is to rent. (That’s right! You can rent dishes, glasses, and flatware for weddings! You can rent almost anything you need for a wedding if you find the right service!)
But how much will renting these items cost? Let’s break down the averages!
The Average Cost for Renting Dishes
Dishes, believe it or not, can be a pretty big part of a wedding. They’ll be one of the most noticeable components of the wedding reception meal (apart from the overall decoration and food itself, of course), and there are enough choices to make you dream of plates for weeks.
The type of dishes that you choose can depend on many things, but one of the main deciding factors will be the overall theme of the wedding. And in all truth, you can find dishes of all sorts, with some being incredibly unique and original. Although these will be harder to find.
But when it comes to proper wedding renting services, they will usually have the more traditional and commonly used options available. But not to worry, there’s plenty of them!
Here are the most popularly rented wedding dishes, and their average cost:
Basic white plates: between 40 and 50 cents per plate
Dessert plates: around 75 cents per plate
Pasta plates: around 75 cents per plate
Pearl white with gold rim plates: around 85 cents per plate
Side plates: around 75 cents per plate
Soup bowls: around 75 cents per plate
Standard cream plates: around 75 cents per plate
So, on average, renting dishware will cost between 40 and 90 cents per plate.
The Average Cost for Renting Glasses
If you think dishware has lots of options, wait until you start researching wedding glasses.
With guests drinking all sorts, from water to wine, to spirits, to others...the amount of different glass types needed at a wedding can quickly go up in number.
Once again, the type of glasses you opt for will depend on the theme of your wedding, and the overall style you’re going for.
You might also want to buy some of the glasses, and maybe personalize them with details of the wedding as a keepsake, as this is quite a common tradition! Maybe buy the glasses for the bride and groom, and rent the rest? Up to you!
There are plenty of renting services for wedding glasses, with some having some pretty specific and unique designs.
But here are the most commonly rented types of glasses, and their average price:
Basic water glasses: around 40 cents per glass
Basic wine glasses: around 40 cents per glass
Brandy snifters: around 75 cents per snifter
Champagne flutes: around 50 cents per flute
Hiball glasses: around 40 cents per glass
Long-stemmed glasses: around 55 cents per glass
Margarita glasses: around 1 dollar per glass
Mason jars: around 75 cents per glass
Old fashioned glasses: around 40 cents per glass
Shooter glasses: around 40 cents per glass
Stemless wine glasses: around 55 cents per glass
Vintage glasses: between 85 cents and 1.50 dollars per glass
So, on average, renting glassware will cost between 40 cents and $1.50, give or take.
The Average Cost for Renting Flatware
When we talk about the flatware for a wedding, we’re talking about the utensils: forks, knives, spoons, and the likes.
Because yes, in a wedding you want everything to look its best, and you want everything to match the desired aesthetic. And that goes right down to the type of fork your guests will use to eat!
When it comes to utensils it’s 100% a good idea to rent, as there really is no need for you to have that many forks and spoons and knives, and they’re easy enough to rent from the right services.
Here are the most commonly rented flatware, and their average prices:
Standard stainless steel fork: between 40 and 60 cents per fork
Standard stainless steel knife: between 40 and 60 cents per knife
Standard stainless steel spoon: between 40 and 60 cents per spoon
Premium stainless steel utensils: around 65 cents and over per utensil
Gold-plated or decorated utensils: around $1 and over per utensil
So, on average, renting flatware will cost between 40 cents and 1 dollar or over. The fancier the utensils, the more expensive they will be, and the prices can keep going up and up.
Additional Charges to Consider When Renting
Renting your dishes, glasses, and flatware can be a great idea to reduce the overall cost of the wedding, as they will likely be cheaper than an all-inclusive catering service, and they’ll definitely be cheaper than outright buying all the components. (Besides, what are you supposed to do with so many dishes and glasses and utensils afterward?)
We’ve given you the average estimated costs for each of the dishes, glasses, and flatware, but prices can vary depending on many different things.
You can find cheaper, more affordable options, and you can also find fancier more expensive options. It’s all about doing the research and comparing different prices.
But one thing you need to remember, no matter the renting option you go for, is that there might be some additional prices on top of the actual renting price of each item.
Here are a few possible additional charges to consider:
The Delivery Fee:
Some rental services will offer to deliver all the dishes and glasses and utensils that you choose to rent for the wedding.
Which will save you from having to load them all up in a car a few days prior. However, this might result in an additional fee, so make sure to ask beforehand.
The Minimum Rental Price:
Some services will have a minimum rental price in place, which means you need to rent a minimum amount of items in order to use the service. (This is because they would hardly make a profit if someone rented a single dish or glass!)
Usually, this isn’t a problem for weddings, as you’ll need plenty. But it’s something to keep in mind.
The Insurance Fee:
Plenty of accidents can occur during a wedding. And when guests begin to get a little tipsy, it can be very easy for them to accidentally break a glass or dish.
And the problem is, you’re renting them, meaning you’re expected to take them back! This is why most rental services will have insurance to cover any possible damage.
There might be different tiers to this insurance, but it’s definitely worth getting it.
Time Frame:
When you rent, you will usually have a deadline by which you have to return the items, as you aren’t expected to need them for more than the wedding day.
However, you might not have time to return them on the same day, or even on the day after. So make sure you know the deadline beforehand, or else you might be paying a late return fee.
Whether You Have to Return Them Clean or Not:
Each rental service will have its own rules, but if you’re expected to return the items clean, and you don’t get the chance, then they might charge you extra.
So we recommend looking for a service that includes the cleaning with the rental.
Should you rent dishware, glassware, and flatware for your wedding?
Now you know the average costs of renting dishes, glasses, and flatware for your big wedding day. And we’ve gone through some of the most common options, as well as some additional charges to be aware of.
But the question is, should you rent? Is it really worth it?
At the end of the day, it depends on what you need, and what you prefer. If you have the money for an all-inclusive catering service that provides all the dining items, this is usually more comfortable, and less of a hassle. But also more expensive.
This is why renting the dishware and others can be a way to make the wedding slightly cheaper, and there’s no need for you to outright buy them.
However, even if you do decide to rent, it’s always a good idea to buy a set of dishes, glasses, and flatware, as a keepsake of your wedding.
Maybe a personalized set that’s extra fancy, to be used by the groom and bride, on their special day, that you can then take home with you.
In Conclusion
The cost of renting dishes, glasses, and flatware for your wedding will depend on the type of items that you’re choosing, the amount of them that you need, and the rental service that you’re using.
But on average, items will cost between 30 cents and 2 dollars each, varying from item to item, and its quality or design.
