Anniversary & Wedding Rental

Wedding plans should naturally be made as far ahead as possible and especially so if you are planning a spring or summer wedding. As soon as the date has been set and the type of wedding and reception decided upon, confirm the availability of your clergyman and the place where you will hold your reception. In some areas, reservations for a reception room may have to be made as much as a year in advance. You will want to contact your wedding rental coordinator as early as possible. He will have most if not all of the items you will need for your ceremony and reception. Abbott Party Rental's experienced staff will assist you will all of your wedding planning including: selection of your Chicago wedding rental needs, and helping your wedding and reception to go as smoothly as possible. Chicago weddings can be especially memorable with the area's large selection of unique venues.

As soon as possible, bridesmaids should be selected and the bride's gown and bridesmaid's dresses ordered. Be sure to take into account that the bridesmaids pay for their own dresses. Tuxedo rental arrangements should also be made at this time. A department or specialty store should be contacted and your choice of silver, china and crystal patterns registered for the convenience of your friends and guests.

No matter how large or small your wedding reception, you can rely on Abbott Party Rental for your Chicago party rental equipment and Chicago party supplies. Our Chicago canopy tent rentals can ensure your outdoor reception is a success even with unexpected weather. Consider our Chicago chocolate fountain rental and champagne fountain to add excitement and appeal to your reception. Our Chicago chocolate fountain rental packages will create an instant conversation starter for all your guests and they're sure to enjoy the delicious dipping treats too!

We know it can be overwhelming to plan a wedding and wedding reception. Our experience staff is happy to provide you with professional service as you decide on the Chicago wedding rental selections that best fit your reception needs.

You should begin compiling your guests list at least three months prior to the wedding date. Be sure to obtain a guest list from the groom's mother. She will depend upon you to suggest the size of her list. It will be helpful to keep your list in alphabetical order on file cards with each card indicating whether the guest has been invited to the reception (R) or the ceremony (C) only. Those to whom announcements (A) only are sent should also be included.

Your wedding invitations, announcements and other stationery should be ordered two to three months in advance. Addressing of both inner and outer envelopes is always done by hand. Invitations should be mailed out about one month before the wedding date. Allow about two weeks for replies and then give your caterer the final number of reception guests expected. Announcements are mailed the day after the ceremony.

On the basis of your guest list, give your caterers, whom you should select at least three months in advance of the reception date, an estimated number of guests expected at the reception. Generally, you can expect about 75% of the number of people invited.

A month in advance is not too soon to complete your final arrangements with your florist and photographer. Since you are arranging for once-in-a-lifetime pictures, a professional photographer is best. If you are planning to have music at your reception, these plans should be finalized at least three months in advance. An advantage of Chicago weddings is the large network of professionals who cater to all styles and needs.

Wedding gifts are generally displayed in the bride's home beginning four to six weeks prior to the ceremony. It is not considered proper to attach name cards to the gifts, but a card noting the receipt of a check may be displayed. To make an artistic display, group china items together with silver, crystal and linen items in separate groupings. Duplicates should not be displayed. To make an elegant display, consider renting a banquet table with table risers.

The bride's family is responsible for arranging transportation to and from the church and for arranging accommodations for bridesmaids and out-of-town guests. The guests generally pay for their own accommodations, but those of the bridesmaid, if necessary, are the responsibility of the bride. Guests are expected to provide their own transportation from the church to the reception.

Wedding planning is a full-time job in many senses as it requires consideration for events leading up to and immediately following the ceremony. The rehearsal dinner is step in the process. The wedding rehearsal is most often held the afternoon or evening of the day before the wedding. It is customary for the groom's parents to give the rehearsal dinner for the bridal party in conjunction with the rehearsal.

Another step in the wedding planning is the wedding reception which can be as simple or as elaborate as you choose. The simplest could entail a buffet table with assorted sandwiches, the wedding cake, assorted nuts and mints and punch or coffee. Floral arrangements and candelabra are generally used to make the table more attractive and to set off the other items. A more elaborate buffet would include two or three cold dishes and possibly two hot dishes in silver chafers or casseroles. A separate table might then be used for the wedding cake-- a 4 foot round table would be a good size. Another similar size table might be used for champagne, punch or coffee. A punch or champagne fountain is a decorative and practical addition to the reception since it eliminates the necessity for someone to serve the beverage. To add pizzazz and make a lasting impression on your guests, consider including The Chocolate Fountain. Our Chicago chocolate fountain rental the latest craze in party planning. Rich, flowing Ghirardelli chocolate cascades down a fountain for guests to dip their favorite items; just like with fondue. Check out more information here. Combine it with our other Chicago wedding rental options, like our elegant Champagne fountain and you've got a memorable reception.

A seated wedding breakfast or dinner is, of course, the most formal type of wedding reception. The tables are arranged so that the bride's table is the focal point of the room. The wedding cake is the center of attraction at this table. A dance is generally included at a reception of this magnitude. Our catalog of Chicago party rental supplies and equipment includes dance floors which can accommodate any size venue.

The wedding reception is traditionally begun with the receiving line, which is composed of the bride and groom, the bridesmaids, and the parents of the couple. The order of receiving is generally the bride's mother, the groom's father, the groom's mother the bride's father, the bride, the groom and the maid of honor followed by the bridesmaids. The best man and groomsmen are not generally included in the receiving line.

Traditionally, the wedding cake is served to the guests after the bride and groom have served each other the first piece, symbolizing their first meal together. You want to be sure to have someone available who is familiar with the usual reception process. This person will guide you through, making sure that no cherished moment is forgotten.

Planning a wedding is no easy task Many things will need to be arranged. Start early to avoid last minute frustrations. Make contact with each professional as early as possible for the best service. One of the first, most beneficial stops you will make is Abbott Party Rental. Our professional staff have a wealth of information and services to make your planning easier. Organizing your planning through one source helps relieve the pre-wedding tensions. Our large inventory of party rentals is a great resource for checking items off of your To Do List.

This is an important day in your lives. With careful organized planning, it will be a most pleasurable memory.

To help you plan your perfect day, we have compiled a list of answers to the most frequently asked questions. Answers have been compiled from authoritative sources on wedding etiquette, from the engagement through the wedding reception.

Q: Is an engagement ring necessary?
A: No. However, the wedding ring is it is an integral part of the wedding ceremony.

Q:Are engagement presents given?
A: They are not necessary but on occasion families or close friends may give small gifts.

Q: May relatives give showers for the bride?
A: This is not considered proper.

Q: When should invitations and announcements be ordered?
A: Approximately two months prior to the wedding.

Q: When are invitations for a formal wedding mailed?
A: Approximately three to four weeks prior to the ceremony.

Q: Does the fact the groom has been married before affect the bride's wedding plans?
A: No, plans do not differ.

Q: If the bride is a young widow, does her family send invitations?
A: Yes.

Q: Are reception cards included with invitations?
A: Yes, along with reply cards and envelopes with the home address printed on the reply envelopes.

Q: Should invitations be engraved?
A: If the bride wishes. However, simulated engraving is very satisfactory and less costly.

Q: When should announcements be mailed?
A: A day or two after the ceremony.

Q: When are at-home cards mailed?
A: Normally with the announcement.

Q: Are announcements sent to anyone who has been invited to the ceremony or reception?
A: No.

Q: May guests be invited to the reception and not the wedding?
A: Yes, if the ceremony is to be attended by only relatives and close friends.

Q: If the bride's parents are divorced, who handles the invitations and plans the wedding?
A: The bride's mother.

Q: Does the formal invitation to a church wedding require an answer?
A: No.

Q: Are wedding invitations sent to those in mourning?
A: Yes.

Q: How are envelopes of invitations addressed formally?
A: No abbreviations except for Mr., Mrs., Jr., Dr., etc.

Q: Is it proper to use "and family" on the invitation envelopes?
A: No. Separate invitations should be mailed to adult sons and daughters. Small children's names should be listed in the inner envelope with only the first names under the parents' names.

Q: How should the invitation be inserted into the envelope?
A: The invitation is folded with wording outside and placed in the inner envelope (unsealed) with the folded edge down. The inner envelope is placed in the outer envelope facing the flap.

Q: Who provides the wedding and reception?
A: The parents of the bride.

Q: What does the bride give the bridesmaids?
A: A small lasting gift such as a piece of jewelry.

Q: What does the groom present to his ushers?
A: Gloves, ties and boutonnieres.

Q: Who provides corsages for the bride and mothers?
A: The groom.

Q: What does the groom present to his bride as a gift?
A: Usually a personal gift such as jewelry.

Q: How are the wedding bands engraved?
A: Inside the band with the bride's initials, then the groom's and then the date of the marriage.

Q: How many ushers are needed?
A: Usually figure one per every 50 guests.

Q: Is it required to have the same number of ushers as bridesmaids?
A: No.

Q: Where can receptions be held?
A: The bride's home, the home of a friend, hotel or club.

Q: Where does the bride sit at the Bride's table?
A: Always on the right of the groom.

Q: Do parents sit at the bride's table?
A: Yes, or they may have a table of their own.

Q: If the reception is given by the bride's divorced father, what is the mother's position?
A: The mother is an honored guest, but if this poses a problem, she should refrain from attending.

Q: Are gifts brought to the reception?
A: No.

Q: Are identifying name cards placed with presents on display?
A: No.

Q: Are checks displayed with other wedding gifts?
A: No, but they can be noted on a card.

Q: Is it correct to exchange duplicate gifts?
A: Yes.

Q: Who should read congratulatory telegrams for the guests?
A: The best man.

Q: Who gives the first toast to the bride?
A: The best man.

Q: Which side of the church is reserved for the bride's family and friends?
A: The left is for the bride, the right is for the groom. In some synagogues, this procedure is reversed.

Q: If the church has two center aisles, what should be done?
A: Choose one aisle only and conduct the wedding as if it were the only aisle. If you wish, you may use the right aisle for the processional and the left aisle for the recessional.

Q: Is wearing black considered acceptable by any of the feminine members of the wedding party?
A: Traditionally not.

Q: Are divorced parents of the bride seated together?
A: No. the mother is seated in the front row with her new husband, if remarried, the father in the third left hand pew.

Q: Where do the groom's parents sit if they are divorced?
A: The mother is in the front right-hand pew, the father in the third pew.

Q: Does the groom always kiss the bride following the ceremony at the altar?
A: This is ruled by the church ceremony. The clergyman will advise the couple.

Q: Who handles the clergy's fee?
A: The groom pays the fee, but the best man presents it to the clergy either before or after the ceremony in a plain white envelope.

Q: Is the clergyman invited to the wedding reception?
A: Yes, along with his wife if married. He is seated at the parents' table.

Q: Do ushers and the best man stand in the receiving line?
A: No.

Q: Should the bride and groom smoke or hold drinks or food in the receiving line?
A: No.

Q: Should the groom dance with others?
A: Yes, with his mother, mother-in-law and maid of honor.

Q: What is "boxed" wedding cake?
A: Individual pieces of cake placed in small white boxes of the guests to take home. This is done at very elaborate weddings.

Q: Can a home wedding be a formal as a church wedding?
A: Yes, but usually there are not as many attendants.

Q: How is a recessional conducted at a home wedding?
A: The couple simply turns around after the ceremony to receive the best wishes of the guests.

Q: How are the wedding gifts displayed if a reception is not planned?
A: A tea or cocktail party may be held for close friends several days prior to the wedding.

Q: Who cuts the first piece of cake?
A: The bride with the groom's right hand over hers. They then break the slice and eat it together. The rest of the cake is then sliced by a friend or waiter.

Q: How is the reception dance begun?
A: The bride and groom should be honored with the first dance. However, if guests have already started when the couple enters the dance floor, the dancing stops and the couple dances once around the floor alone.

See our Tips page for more planning information such as estimating tent size and seating, estimating liquor and coffee, punch recipes and more. See more about our exciting Chicago Chocolate Fountain rental packages. For more Chicago party supplies, visit our online catalog.

 

Print this page and use these convenient checklists to assist in your planning.

To print the checklists only (Windows users): Select and highlight them with your mouse. Choose File>Print and then choose "Selection" in your print dialogue box.

Wedding Checklist
	Number of Guests:
	Invitations, Response Cards, Reception Cards, Informals
	Style:
	Quantity:
	Rehearsal Dinner:
	Wedding:
	Reception:
	Florist:
	Jeweler:
	Caterer:
	Bakery:
	Photographer:
	Music:
	Decorations:
	Party Rentals and Canopy/Tent:
	Tuxedos:
	Gowns:
	Transportation:
	Parking:
	Gifts:
	Favors:
Ceremony Appointments
	Arch:
	Candelabra:
	Candles:
	Type:
	Color:
	Aisle Runner: Length
	Other:
Rehearsal Dinner
	Tables: Size
	Chairs: Style
	Tablecloths: Size
	Style:
	Napkins: Color
	China: Pattern:
	Flatware: Pattern
	Glasses: Style
	Style:
	Style:
	Serving Pieces:
	Chafers: Style
	Decorations:
	Other:
Reception, Dinner, Dance
	Tent: Size
	Location:
	Head Tables: Size
	Buffet Table:
	Diner Tables: Size
	Number:
	Registration Table: Size
	Gift Table: Size
	Tablecloths: Size
	Color:
	Napkins: Color
	Chairs: Style
	China: Pattern
	Flatware:
	Glasses: Style
	Style:
	Style:
	Beverage Fountain:
	Punch Bowl:
	Coffee Service:
	Chafers:
	Trays: Size
	Size:
	Candelabra:
	Candles: Style
	Color:
	Decorations:
	Cake Knife/Server:
	Cake Fountain
	Serving Pieces
	Dance Floor:
	Bar:
	Bartender:
	Liquid/Mixer:
	Type/Amount:
	Type//Amount:
	Other:
Information on Party Rentals
	Rehearsal Dinner:
	Delivery Date:
	Delivery Time:
	Return Date:
	Return Time:
	Wedding:
	Delivery Date:
	Delivery Time:
	Return Date:
	Return Time:
	Reception/Dinner/Dance:
	Delivery Date:
	Delivery Time:
	Return Date:
	Return Time:

I calculated and I think I've attended more than 200 weddings in a professional capacity over the last decade. What I've learned is that while they are always lovely, inevitably, when the time comes for toasts, I find myself looking for a place to hide and hoping that no one will say anything that will make me (or the bride, groom or anyone else) wish that a giant hole would open in the ground and swallow me up to save me from the embarrassment of listening to a horrifying wedding speech.

I've catalogued my favorite "bad toasts" from over the years, and have found that, amazingly, the most awkward and offensive speeches nearly always fall into one of five topic areas. Should you be asked to make some remarks at a wedding, or are thinking of taking the mic up at your own wedding, here are five topics that should be avoided ... at any and all costs.

1. Past Relationships: Few things evoke more quiet gasps of horror than when a best man or maid of honor begins to take a trip down the romantic memory lane of the bride or groom's single years. I still shudder when I think about one wedding where the MOH (maid of honor, to you wedding novices) started on "Remember that guy you used to sleep with in college? He strung you along for years!" This doesn't just apply to friends; it was equally awkward standing in the audience when a groom told his now-bride how happy he was that he had called off his past three engagements but that he made it to the altar with her. I don't know that any of us needed to know or to be reminded of that.

2. Money: Generally speaking, little evokes horror quite like bringing up cash during a toast, even if it seems the intention is complimentary. So, no matter how amazing or lavish the wedding might seem, a good opener is probably not "Wow! This must have cost them a fortune, Huh?" (I've heard that). Even if your relationship with the couple is particularly intimate, and you are mesmerized by their generosity, one should avoid making mention of monetary transactions at a wedding. I'm reminded of a particularly awkward toast where, when describing the couple's generosity, the Best Man made mention of a large business loan they made to him for a business that didn't take off, and added, "they are still the only people I haven't paid back!"

3. Low Lights of Bride and Groom's Relationship: Many couples have long and winding roads towards the altar. Blame it on the follies of youth, or travel or distance, lots of factors can make the early stages of a relationship bumpy and possibly comedic. While this might be great conversation for dinner with the couple alone, it probably isn't great to remind everyone in a public setting about the time that the groom cried all night because he had been cheated on by the bride before he took her back. Or about the time they broke off their relationship because her future mother in law couldn't stand her. The wedding day is a day for joy about the future, not triumph over adversities of the past ... even if they are funny.

4. Your own failed marriage: Listen, the world is full of realists, so no one wants you to pretend that divorce doesn't exist, but it would be best, and less awkward to not introduce your own failed marriage into your toast, even if the intention is complimentary. Some examples of this are: "If I would have had a woman like Janet, well, I think maybe my marriage would have ended differently. Or maybe not ended at all." Or, my personal favorite, that still haunts me years and years later "When I was on my way here today, I looked at my wife and, we'd been fighting earlier, and I thought to myself "I really hope that this marriage thing works out better for them than it did for us." Not really necessary. I think this is doubly true for parents. Obviously, your child is aware that you and their mother or father is divorced. Likely, the awkwardness was palpable during the planning process. You needn't wish her or him better luck than the two of you had. It's implied and needn't be verbalized.

5. How you NEVER thought you'd see this day and other Insultaments: "My brother is such a jerk, I really never thought ANYONE would want to be with him each and every day." Or, "We had resigned ourselves to thinking of Beth as a Career Girl." In my family we call them Uncle Johns, after my uncle who was the master of the well-intended insultament. You know the insultament: it's a compliment wrapped in an insult. Ironically it's almost always the parents or siblings who are guilty of this element of embarrassing speech-making.

Remember, giving a toast at a wedding is not only an honor, it's a commitment to not dropping the ball! The whole party stops for your words, so make the most of it and avoid the low-hanging humor fruit. To quote Owen Wilson in Wedding Crashers, you are always "better off going with something from the heart."

1. Start early – There’s no winging this one! You do not want to be scrambling at the last minute on what to say. Take notes, and brainstorm some ideas ahead of time! Remember – the bride or groom is your best friend. Make them proud and write something special.
2. Be yourself – We cannot stress this enough. Use your words and write in your sense of humor.
3. Keep it short, but not too short – People have a short attention span! 1-3 minutes is ideal, five minutes is long enough!
4. Start strong – How do you know the bride and groom? Inquiring minds want to know! How did you meet? Consider telling a short story.
5. Be sincere – Dig deep! Avoid googling “sweet wedding toasting quotes.” Speak from your heart.
6. If you are in doubt on whether to say something or not, leave it out – Avoid the super embarrassing stories. It’s better to be safe, than sorry.
7. Speak to both the bride and groom – This is an important one! Even if you are best friends with the bride, or best friends with the groom, remember to talk to both of them! You are toasting them as a couple, not solo.
8. Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse – Rehearse several times. Practice your speech in front of people. Make sure you are comfortable with your words and feel comfortable talking in front of an audience.
9. Be confident and have fun – This is a special moment in your life and in your friends life. Avoid the bar, take deep breaths, and smile. Be sure to raise your glass at the end and wish the lovely couple a lifetime of happiness.