what is dry hire for weddings

Dry hire can be a brilliant option for many couples, especially those who have plenty of time to set up their wedding venue. For others, it can be too much to take on for their wedding day so looking for suppliers who will also set up your venue - such as a wedding coordinator or stylist may be a better choice. Let's look at what dry hire is and whether it will work for you...

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Dry hire is when a company provides you with only the items for hire, without any additional set-up, manning or clear-down support.

For venues, dry hire is when the venue space is made available to you without any other additional services, often a multi-day hire, allowing for total flexibility of the space. However, it also means total responsibility of the wedding is handed over to the couple or wedding planner to organise.

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What can be dry hired?

You can dry hire anything from small bud vases, shelving, easles, tea light candle holders to aisle runners, tables, linens, chairs, and photo backdrops, the list is endless.

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Benefits of dry hiring wedding items

• Dry hire opens the door to high-quality, quirky, beautiful items for your wedding day.
• You could dry hire from multiple suppliers if you like and create truly unique setups.
• Dry hire tends to be the cheapest option offered by hire companies because they simply make the items available to you for that time.
• Some companies will offer an upgrade to delivery as part of their dry hire option - this is common for items that could be difficult to transport, such as furniture, glassware, mirrors etc.
• Dry hire can be a way to avoid a 'minimum spend' being applied
• Dry hire may also allow you to access items from your favourite suppliers even if they are personally already booked for your wedding day

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Considerations of dry hiring wedding items

• Typically you would need to arrange or pay for collection and drop off of dry hire items from the hire company's HQ or warehouse.
• It's common for dry hire companies to ask for couples to pay a security deposit for the items until they are returned - this will be a consideration for couples who are cash-flow conscious.
• You will need to arrange set up and clear away of your hired items
• If asking for the hiring company to deliver and collect items from the venue, you will need to ensure the items can be safely stored there.
• You will also need to arrange for the items to be set up and cleared away, this could be by your bridal party, wedding coordinator or venue team.