Category: Event Rentals

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Guide To Hosting The Most Memorable Event

A table set for an event.

Are you planning a special event and need help hosting it? Signature Event Rentals can provide everything you need to make your event a success! From event rentals such as tents, tables, and chairs to wedding rentals like arches and aisle runners, we have everything you need to make your event unforgettable. Read on for our tips on how to host the most memorable event possible!

Always Have Extra

No matter how much you plan and prepare, there is always going to be some guests who show up unannounced or who stay longer than you anticipated. To avoid running out of food or drinks, always have extra on hand. You can never go wrong with too much food and drink at an event. One of the biggest even killers is running out of refreshments, so make sure to have plenty!

A table filled with food and appetizers.
People planning an event together.

Delegate, Delegate, Delegate!

One of the keys to hosting a successful event is delegation. You can’t (and shouldn’t try to) do everything yourself. Enlist the help of friends, family, and even professional event planners to help you with the planning and execution of your event. Delegating tasks will help to ensure that everything runs smoothly on event day.

Plan Ahead

One of the most important aspects of event planning is to plan ahead. Trying to do everything at the last minute will only lead to stress and anxiety. By planning ahead, you can avoid any potential problems that might arise. This will also give you more time to enjoy the event instead of running around trying to fix things last minute.

A calendar with sticky notes.
A venue decorated with tables and lights.

Rent the Proper Equipment for the Event

Another important aspect of event planning is making sure you have the proper equipment for the event. This includes things like tents, tables, chairs, and other event rentals. Signature Event Rentals can provide everything you need to make your event a success! We have a wide variety of event rentals that will fit any event size or type.

Start Planning Your Next Event with Us

By following these simple tips, you can host a successful and memorable event that your guests will be talking about for years to come. Signature Event Rentals is here to help you make your event planning process as easy as possible. Contact us today to learn more about our event rentals and services. We look forward to helping you make your event a success!

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How to Plan an Event

How to Plan an Event

Event planning can be quite daunting. Even a small meeting or a casual gathering of friends takes some planning. Things can get even more complex when you’re planning a major event like a large conference. To ensure the success of your event, every little detail must be carefully executed and properly planned. Here are a few tips to help you get started with your event planning and keep you on track.

Determine your goals and objectives

No two events are the same and this is why planning has to begin with setting tangible goals and objectives for your event. The first question to ask is why you’re organizing the event and what you hope to achieve. At the end of the day, an event is only as successful as the goals you have set for it. If you know the goals from the onset, you can plan every part of your event to ensure that the goals are achieved. We recommend using quantifiable metrics to set your goals rather than generic ones. For instance, having an attendance of 100 people is not the same as saying you want a “well-attended event.” Your tangible goals will guide your planning and are the metrics by which the success of your event will be measured afterward.

Organize Your Team

Every event needs the concerted effort of a well-managed team. This is particularly important for large events with a lot of moving wheels. Recruit members for your team to handle all the details of the event. Organizing your team is more than just bringing 10 or 20 people together. You need different committees and subcommittees with a clear leadership structure. This is crucial for accountability and performance.

Establish Your Budget

Determining how much you want to spend on your event is one of the most important aspects of event planning. Highlight some of your most critical expenses such as the venue, food and drinks, entertainment, decoration, and publicity, and get the various teams in charge of them to prepare a budget. Leave room for miscellaneous expenses so that you’re not caught unaware of anything. Even if you don’t have a fixed cost for some of your expenses, determine how much you want to spend on them from the onset to avoid going above budget.

Pick A Venue And Date

The venue and date of your event are two important factors that shape your event planning. The event marketplace is a typically busy place and locking down a venue (especially a good one) can be quite difficult. Your date and venue are closely connected. In some cases, your choice of venue will determine the available date for your event. But in the case of seasonal events, you have to find a venue that is open for the time you have in mind. The most important tip for picking a venue and date for your event is to start as early as possible. You should also make plans for your party event rentals especially for things that are not available in your event venue. Look for a reputable event rental company like Signature Event Rentals, if you’re planning an event in Fredericksburg, VA.

Conclusion

By putting all of these elements together, you should be able to create a practical master plan for your event. Make sure that all members of your team are on board with the plan and aware of your goals and objectives. With so many moving pieces, it’s easy to get blindsided, but with the right team and a solid plan, you should be able to pull off a successful event. Reach out today to get started with Signature Event Rentals!

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What to Consider When Doing DIY Menu Planning for Fabulous Parties

What to Consider When Doing DIY Menu Planning for Fabulous Parties

 

Thinking of throwing a party or two in a span of a week at home? You know it’s difficult and expensive to hire catering services for each party. 

So what can you do to make sure you have delicious food for your guests every time you have a party at home? Prepare the food yourself! It’s not that difficult, especially when you know how to do menu planning and you have some help at home. 

Here are a few things to consider when doing DIY menu planning for fabulous parties at home:

How many guests?

With normal weekly family meal planning, you consider the number of meals you’ll be consuming for the whole week. The same goes for meal planning for a party — you have to consider how many dishes there will be so that you can buy in bulk, and make sure they’re going to last for all the parties. 

When is the party?

Another factor is the date and time of your parties. Early morning parties that occur before 10 in the morning are under the full breakfast rule. Hence, you’d have to prepare a full breakfast spread for your guests. The same applies to parties happening at noon or at 5 in the afternoon, as they will fall under full lunch and full dinner respectively. 

If you want to save a bit, you can choose to hold your party at around 10 AM (to before noon) or from 2PM (to just before 5PM) so you have an option to only serve light snacks. After-dinner parties are from 8PM onwards and you have a choice to serve light snacks or just desserts. 

Quantity or Variety?

If you can’t cook a lot of dishes, what you can do is to cook in bulk so that your guests can get full despite having just two or three dishes. 

On the other hand, if you can only come up with small servings of each dish, what you can do is serve up a bunch of dishes. Having a variety of dishes makes your guests eat less of each kind so they can try the other offerings. Hence, you can make them feel full with bits and pieces of each dish. 

When doing menu planning, make sure to consider that not every guest will fall for the small serving trick. Allot an allowance for those that will get seconds.

 

catering equipmentHave a worry-free party at home with catering service equipment from Signature Event Rentals. Call now to reserve.

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How To Clean Up After A Party At Home

party clean-up

How To Clean Up After A Party At Home

Enjoyed last night’s party with friends at your home? Now comes the hard part: the morning-after cleaning. You’d think cleaning up your home after a party is technically easy, but knowing how to clean efficiently and effectively is what’s more important. 

Here are some tips to remember when you have to clean up your home after last night’s party. 

  1. Gather your cleaning materials.

Doing so will avoid you having to rinse off the soap and wipe off each time you need an item. Also, should you need an item, it’s already accessible so you need not have to go looking everywhere for it since it’s already there.

Aside from a pail of water, bleach detergent, and scrub, make sure you have a pair of rubber gloves ready. It is also recommended to prepare a vacuum, stain remover stick and a few garbage bags. 

  1. Check even the unlikely, unusual spots.

Aside from picking up all the litter and leftovers, you have to check all the nooks and crannies of your house for food crumbs, and spilled liquid. While you might think it’s impossible for clutter and garbage to reach a certain area, it wouldn’t hurt to make sure that you get everything covered and cleaned. You wouldn’t want to risk a rat, roach, or ant infestation. 

Don’t forget to look (and clean) under the carpet, between the couch cushions and any other possible surface that a guest might have used. 

  1. Make sure that your bathroom is clean.

If you’ve ever seen a drunk person, you’ll know their aim when peeing deteriorates. Hence, your walls might have fallen victim to an unsolicited shower. Moreover, a guest could have peed on any other surface other than the bowl (you never know). So to be safe, you have to clean everything. Another thing is that most likely, you’ve run out of toilet paper, so don’t forget to restock. 

Bonus: Check your furniture, like wooden tables or any other wooden surface, for water rings, as guests might not have used coasters with their drinks. Additionally, search your carpet for stains that you might not have noticed immediately so that you can spot treat it as soon as possible.

 

dinnerwareDid you know that you can also rent fabulous dinnerware from Signature Event Rentals? So you don’t have to buy new dinnerware (that you don’t have room to store in!) when you’re having that occasional big party at home. Call now to inquire.

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5 New Year’s Resolutions for Better Party Planning

party planning resolution

5 New Year’s Resolutions for Better Party Planning

It’s a brand new year and you’re looking into some new year’s resolutions to be a better party planner. Half the battle is acknowledging that you can improve yourself, so here are some ideas to start off the other half. 

1. Be open to testing out new technology.

Even though you might feel comfortable with your current processes, it won’t hurt to be open to looking into new technology that can help you plan for your parties. Say, there’s a new app that lets your guests RSVP. There’s always some new party-related app coming out. It won’t hurt to try it especially if it’s free. 

By doing this, you could be improving a certain aspect of the job. You could find out a better way to do online and/or onsite registration; or a better way to connect to new vendors. The possibilities are endless! 

2. Reflect on each event to figure out what needs to be improved on. 

It’s a great habit to reflect on each party you have planned so you can pinpoint what went well, hence what to replicate for next time. Also, this will help you figure out what went wrong so that you can do some countermeasures for next time. 

3. Learn to delegate.

When you’re used to doing everything on your own, it’s hard to entrust to other people these tasks. However, learning to do so will help free up your time to do more important things and make more and better decisions regarding party planning. It’s okay to ask for help. 

Aside from opening opportunities for other people, delegating menial tasks would help you know which of your people are good with certain tasks. It helps you know your people better and helps you delegate better next time. 

4. Be open to network.

When meeting new people, especially those with businesses related to parties, be open to learning more about their values and ethics as it would help you later on to figure out which of them better fits your party in mind. Moreover, always remember to take their contact details. 

5. Procrastination has no place in party planning. 

While postponing tasks are unavoidable, doing this often leads to procrastination. When you call your vendors late, they will also have less time to prepare for your party. If you send out your invitations late, it’s like you’re making sure less people can make it. 

Here’s to more, and better planned parties and events for 2020!

 

tent rentalFor your special occasions throughout Virginia and Washington, D.C., you’re in good hands with Signature Event Rentals as your events or party needs supplier. Check out our wide range of tents and inflatables; any one of them will make your event even more special.

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Holiday Gift Giving Gone Wrong: Common Mistakes in Gift-giving

holiday gifts

Holiday Gift Giving Gone Wrong: Common Mistakes in Gift-giving

 

The holiday season is upon us, and you know what that means. Gift-giving! We all know it’s not easy to figure out what to gift someone. We sometimes get to the point where we settle with something we didn’t really think through, just to get it over with. Aside from the usual thoughtless gift, here are some mistakes you should avoid when planning your gift list.

1. The Recycled Gift

In case you didn’t know, re-gifting is when you give a gift that you have received previously from someone else. This is rude and discourteous especially when the original gift-giver finds out. What’s worse is that if you move in a small circle of family and friends and you do this, you might accidentally re-gift someone’s gift back to them. 

2. The Gift of Self-Improvement

While it feels okay to get someone a weighing scale, or a self-help book on dieting, it might be offensive to the receiver. Giving someone such a gift implies that you feel that you know better what they should do with their life. It would also imply that there is something that needs changing with the person. Whatever your intention may be, something this personal should be that person’s decision alone.

3. The Personalized Gift

In addition to the last item, giving someone a very personal gift is a bad idea. Examples of this are perfumes, food and skin care products. Since personal taste in scents has to be considered when choosing perfume, it is unwise to give someone a pre-chosen scent. Also, you never know if someone is allergic to an ingredient. 

4. The Gift of Humor

While it may seem funny while you’re shopping, receiving a gag gift defeats the purpose of gifting especially when it’s the holidays. A close friend could laugh at it once or twice, but in the long run, it is impractical. Also, there is danger of offending someone who doesn’t get your humor. 

This includes politically incorrect gifts and those with mean messages. Always take into consideration the values and beliefs of the receiver. Make sure to avoid those with offensive messages — no matter how subtle and funny it is for you —  about minorities, women or race.

5. The Gift of Inconvenience

You got someone a bike. Have you considered what would happen if the recipient doesn’t have the space for it? While it may sound awesome to receive such gifts, you still have to consider that these items will take space. Unless you know that the recipient will really love the gift and is intending to get it for themselves at some point, don’t do it.

Moreover, it’s also inconsiderate to give surprise pets. They are a big responsibility and pets should be adopted by those ready (mentally, physically and financially) for them. 

 

Chiavari ChairNeed help in planning your holiday parties? Call Signature Event Rentals for your party needs. Plan and reserve early to make sure you get all the rentals you need, like these fancy-looking, great for the holiday Chiavari chair.

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Family Thanksgiving Survival Tips

thanksgiving

Family Thanksgiving Survival Tips

You’ve decided to go. But you’re afraid you might not make it out alive and well? Here are some tips to help you survive Thanksgiving day with your family if you have some issues with another family member.

1. Manage your expectations. 

Know who to expect once you get there. Find out in advance who’s going so you can mentally prepare yourself. You know, just in case Aunt So-and-so asks and you need to come up with answers about your parenting skills or why you’re still single. 

Also, remind yourself of the agenda. Why are you meeting up? Focus on being grateful for having a family — no matter how annoying and irritating they may be. Moreover, if you’re really having a hard time, you can look forward to the time of your departure instead. 

2. Focus on family. 

Another reason you’re attending is to spend time and catch up with your family. While you may be tempted to join in on the gossip, go ahead and ask the person being gossiped about instead. It’s always better to know the truth directly from the source. 

Avoid taboo topics like politics and religion. Don’t be afraid to change the topic or to literally walk away if you’re uncomfortable with the conversation. Remember that the perfect family doesn’t exist. Accept that they are human and that they’ll most likely disappoint you. Just focus on taking care of your family — like making sure the kids are fed. Check up on the older adults, too. Ask if they have eaten or if they need help in cleaning up. They will appreciate that. 

3. Be neutral.

Be as passive and neutral as you can when being given unsolicited advice. Be forgiving too, if you can. Don’t take things to heart. Most of the time, your “elder” relatives don’t even know they are offending you as they were just raised that way. 

Part of this is not getting too involved. If you’re the party planner, don’t expect everyone to follow your scheduled activities. Let your family have fun and freedom, so that there will be less likely a cause of friction. 

4. Let there be distractions.

While Thanksgiving is a family event, you shouldn’t force everyone to be focused on bonding with the family 24/7. You have to let people have their down time. Don’t start calling out people if they are on their phones. Invite them to do stuff with you but let them have a choice on what they want to do. 

If the children start causing a ruckus, you may distract them with games. If one of the adults have started an argument, invite one on a walk. 

Mere thoughts of attending your annual family Thanksgiving reunion could sometimes cause you anxiety. But knowing how to handle the situation is a great help in making sure you have a good time and a reason to be thankful on this wonderful family holiday.

 

carving stationDo you belong to a large family that’s celebrating Thanksgiving together? Let Signature Event Rentals take some worries off your plate. Showcase your delectable dishes by presenting them in our food service equipment, like this carving station. Call now to reserve.

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Party Supplies: What to Rent, What to Buy

party supplies

Party Supplies: What to Rent, What to Buy

 

While you are tempted to buy everything for your party, it could be wasteful to do so without even considering if it would be more practical to just rent some. 

So how should you decide what items to purchase and which ones to rent?

1. Consider what you want to keep (or give away).

Ask yourself how big the event will be. With big events, people usually get catering services where they rent out the utensils and equipment, because it is simply too expensive and impractical to buy and keep 50 sets of plates, and 50 pairs of utensils, etc. Remember that when you buy something, you’ll have to keep them somewhere. Do you have storage space ready for your party supplies? Will you be using them often, or will you be storing them for years before finding another use for them? The same goes for tables and chairs. 

For small events (of up to 12 people), it’s best to buy utensils, plates and glassware as these types of events are sure to happen more often. 

2. Decide which items you want to splurge on.

If you constantly throw get-togethers and social functions, and if you like to cook the food yourself, you can invest with purchasing quality cookware. 

And if you’re into DIY crafts, you can buy some materials for party decoration in bulk to save more in the long run. 

3. Compare what items you can use outside of the party scene.

The best example for this is an outdoor grill. If you can see yourself having a barbecue at least once a week or twice a month, even if there isn’t a party, buying a grill would be practical. 

Likewise, board games and outdoor game props could be used at home, even without a party. Board games like scrabble and chess can be used even when you only have a single person for company. Additionally, outdoor game props like a giant Jenga set or a giant chess board and pieces, can be used as decor when the party’s over. Even tabletop games can be used as decors while waiting for the next party. 

There are times that renting your party supplies is not just economical, but also more practical. Talk to a trusted party rental provider in your area to see what’s available.

 

What do you need for your party? If you’re in or near the Fredericksburg, VA area, Signature Event Rentals would be happy to help you with your party rental needs, like this sports moonbounce or other inflatables.

 

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Get Creative with Your Halloween Party Decor

halloween party

Get Creative with Your Halloween Party Decor

Halloween is fast approaching. Have you started thinking of what party decor to use?

If you’re tired of the usual cotton ball cobwebs and hanging skeletons, you’ve come to the right place. Here are a few ideas to upgrade your halloween decorations. 

1. Just because it’s halloween, doesn’t mean your decor can’t be cute. 

It’s simple: you just need to replace the scary ghost cut out with a cute one. Cut out a ghost shape but instead of putting scary eyes and teeth, put a couple of dots for the eyes and a cute smile. Optional: two pink dots on the cheeks. Then, put googly eyes on your jack o’lanterns.

Another way to cute-ify your decorations is to scatter cute spider plushies and cute bat ornaments instead of the creepy ones. This is perfect especially if your party is for kids and you don’t want to spook them too much. 

2. Make photos come to life. 

Turn off some lights to get the creepy vibe. Then, put up printed cut outs of scary images. Say you want a creepy white lady peeking at the window, all you have to do is find a similar image, print it out, and cut it’s outline to make it look like it’s peeking out of your window at a certain angle, instead of the one on the photo. You can put up as simple as a random hand to a full-on ghost.

3. Choose a theme and stick to it.

Instead of throwing out random scary stuff, pick a theme — be it a horror movie or a concept. For example, if you chose “Nightmare on Elm Street” as your theme, you can decorate according to what Freddy Krueger could scare you with. You may put up wall stickers that look like Freddy’s nail mark scratches, some fake blood smears on the walls and mirrors. For the ultimate scare, you may print out a big picture or a cut out standee of Freddy and put it in front of the bathroom mirror. Bonus points if you can keep the lighting a bit dark.

If you chose “zombies” as a concept, then you may stick to that when decorating. Don’t just stay with brains and zombie figures. You can also incorporate chopped rotting limbs and fake maggots. 

 

popcorn concessionWhat about food, you ask? Inject lots of flavor and fun to your Halloween party with these special sno-kones, cotton candy and popcorn maker that you can decorate with your chosen theme. Reserve your food machines now from Signature Event Rentals.

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Let’s Drink Up for Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest

Let’s Drink Up for Oktoberfest

While there’s an International Beer Day that’s celebrated every first Friday of August, beer drinkers around the world know that Oktoberfest is a great reason to celebrate beer.

Oktoberfest is a festival held yearly in Munich so it’s understandable if you’re unable to attend. But that fact should not stop you from enjoying this beer festival. The next best thing? Holding your own Oktoberfest Party! Here’s some tips to make it the best Oktoberfest: Party version. 

1. Dress up for the occasion. 

Celebrants usually attend wearing costumes. If you’re into it, you can request your guests wear lederhosen and dirndls. The men’s costume is basically just knee-length khaki shorts, suspenders, knee-high socks, and a feathered hat. The dirndls will make you look like the stereotypical Alpine female peasant. To achieve this look, they usually wear a lacy blouse, a tight bodice and a full skirt, and their hair is worn in braids or pigtails. 

2. Prepare a ton of beer and prost it. 

If you’re in the actual Oktoberfest, you will probably “prost” that being chanted every 15 minutes, encouraging attendees to drink. To mimic this, you can play a game of stop-drink (instead of stop-dance). Tell your assigned DJ to stop the music every 15 minutes and to toast and say “prost” or cheers. If you want to go hardcore, make it a drinking game, and stop the music at random times instead. 

Moreover, because you’re doing this, you have to make sure that you have a lot of beer for the guests. You can either buy the bottles in bulk, or buy by kegs then serve in half-liter beer mugs or steins. Make sure you have a variety of options, by serving at least 2-3 of the following:

  • Light beer
  • Lagers
  • Pilsners
  • Ale

For non-beer drinkers, have some german wine on hand — like Riesling or Spatburgunder (or Pinot noir).

3. Make your table as close to an official Oktoberfest food spread as possible.

Serve your guests a great feast of Oktoberfest food staples. You may try to incorporate modern twists to these German food to make it your own.

  • You can personalize roast meat and chicken, by creating your own sauce. 
  • Grilled fish can be any fish — even mackerel or sardines. 
  • Serving German sausages or bratwursts in buns will give this dish a new taste. 
  • You can serve pretzels with a cream cheese dip or just coat them with sugar and cinnamon powder.
  • Sauerkraut, or pickled cabbage, can be enhanced by adding cut-up sausage and some sour cream.

4. Go Polka or go home.

Oktoberfest music are mostly German polka. Interestingly, there is a great number of children songs as these encourage dancing, with easy-to-follow choreography of just jumping, hand-swaying and clapping. If you desire to make the experience really authentic, create a german song playlist with songs about friendship and meeting new people. On the other hand, you can come up with your own playlist of songs that you think will encourage friendship and inhibit dancing. 

5. Bring Oktoberfest to your guests.

Your decorations will definitely influence the vibe of your party. The tents at the beer festival are full of long lines of tables. To create the same feel, have few long tables set up, or line up several short ones to make a long one. Cover it with a blue-and-white checkered cloth (this will make it look like Bavaria’s flag). This is great if its outdoors, like a garden of some sort.

Alternatively, if you’re planning to do it indoors, you can set it up like a Bierkeller, which is an underground pub. 

Since Oktoberfest is all about enjoying each other’s company — singing, dancing and drinking together, don’t forget what makes it Oktoberfest: having fun with friends.

 

You can rent beer glasses from Signature Event Rentals to make Oktoberfest a special occasion. Call now to reserve.