Rental companies provide tents, tabletops and more

To some in the tent-rental trade, the upcoming Memorial Day weekend is akin to Black Friday.

For Michelle Fulmer and her husband, Matthew, who own New Century Tents in Cedar Rapids, it's their most hectic weekend of the year due to so many graduation parties.

However, she admitted, “It's actually a good thing for our business.”

Here are some numbers, to get a sense of scale, according to Fulmer:

•  An average graduation party uses a 20-by-20-foot tent, 6 tables and up to50 chairs.
•  An average outdoor wedding uses a 40-by-80-foot tent and enough chairs to seat 150 to 200 guests.
•  She added that they have 60-by-150-foot formal black-and-white tents available for weddings as well as a 20-by-20-foot black-and-gold Iowa Hawkeyes tents to rent for tailgating or home parties.

Some rental companies are as much about the events as about the tents, though.

“One of our brides lost her venue in the flood of 2008,” recalled Jayne Peremsky, president of Buresh Party & Special Events. So Peremsky hosted the wedding at her own home.

Buresh, a party rental and consulting service, has been in Cedar Rapids for more than 65 years, so Peremsky also has been able to recommend reliable caterers, photographers, an officiate or chapel, and lighting and sound professionals.

In addition, Buresh has retail services for custom invitations, bridal supplies, ribbon, napkins and party favors.

To plan a wedding, Peremsky suggests making an appointment with one of their consultants at least a year in advance.

“A wedding isn't just about the décor,” she said. “Without a one-on-one meeting with the customer, details that can make or break the day could be overlooked.

“We not only want to make sure that everything is taken care of, but that the event is personalized to each couple's style.”

Or, you can look online.

Spielman's Event Services has an online rental catalog that details pricing for many of things one might need for a simple gathering to a large corporate event.

For example, a small popcorn machine rents for $35 a day and a Sno-Cone machine for $50 a day.

A black-velvet-covered Santa's chair for $50 per day.

Owner Mark Spielman said his 22-year-old business has 14 full-time employees, three of whom specialize in event consulting who meet with clients.

That becomes especially important April through November, which Peremsky and Spielman note is their busiest time of the year - simply because these months are conducive to tenting in Iowa.

Peremsky noted political functions can be added to the mix during campaign years. She said Buresh has accommodated political events as large as 1,500 people in past years.

And then there are the tents. the Spielman's online catalog currently quotes one-day rental for a 20-by-20-foot canopy tent at $100, which is available for customer pick up and set up.

For an additional $30, sidewalls with windows can be added to help block out wind or rain.

Fans can be included for another $25 to $100 or, for colder temperatures, a heater from $50 and up. Larger framed tents are delivered and installed by Spielman's staff, and prices vary depending on size.

Who puts staffs these events? During the summer months, these businesses combined employ hundreds of college students and part-time workers.

Spielman said between 100 to 120 part-time college students work for him each summer to help set up and tear down for events.