#35 Rentals Guru - Kathy Newby

Kathy Newby is an Event Specialist at Abbey Party Rentals in the San Francisco Bay Area. Kathy and Michelle started working together on events almost 2 decades ago! Kathy got her degree from the ‘school of hard knocks’ - moved around a lot, has a ton of experience, and settled in the Bay Area and began her events career on the hospitality side. She started working for a big rental company in 1994, and eventually landed at Abbey. She is a networking guru, she gives back to the industry, mentors young people in the industry and she is a wealth of knowledge on all things rentals! Big Takeaways Tenting is intense! You have to think about dimensions, sunlight, flooring, lighting, generators, restrooms, connectors, weather...basically, if you need tenting for your outdoor wedding, you need to hire an experienced professional. Like Kathy! She talks about how to tent a wedding without breaking the bank - tricks of the trade to glam up a basic tent: lighting, swagging, pre-fab ceiling liners (as opposed to hand-pleated). Covering a pool - a flooring and rental company can do it! Plexiglass, staging, raised walkway above the pool, boarding it and putting astroturf down, lots of options. Backyard weddings, private estate events...just because you get a ‘free’ space, doesn't mean you’ll save money. In fact, typically, it costs more to transform a space into a venue. Michelle and Kathy break down the logistics for a 75 person backyard wedding...for example, a clear tent may be a hard NO, depending on the location and weather - they act like greenhouses and can get super hot and uncomfortable. Kitchen generators, lux porto potties, distances that the set up techs will have to load -in, permits, noise ordinances... There are many variables and everything is customized, so getting a price estimate isn’t a simple formula. Plan B. The Bad Weather Plan. You have to decide this plan in advance (not a week out), and then 48 hours beforehand, you can decide if you’re using the plan B or not. And then, fingers crossed. (A deposit will be required to hold the inventory, and have a crew standing-by.) Delivery and Strike - these times have to be arranged when you book your rentals. The prices depend on the time allotted and the crew/equipment needed. This can be expensive. Labor is the biggest cost in the rental industry. Just a quick example of basic inventory from the Abbey website - rental prices vary, but you can get an idea of overall pricing by checking the website Silver Chiavari Chair - $8/ea 3’x3’ square of dancefloor - $15 60” round table - $10 Links we referenced Abbey Party Rentals SF website The Water CottageThe luxury portable restroom company Kathy recommends One True Love Vintage The vintage furntiure rentals and sister company Kathy works with at Abbey Kathy's Instagram Page @askforkathy The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. Edited by Veronica Gruba Music by Steph Altman of Mophonics On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at [email protected] or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode On Patreon. Become a member and with as little as $6.99 per month, you get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes, + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices