CUTLERY, CROCKERY & COVERS

For some, cutlery, crockery and covers (be they table or chair) are an extravagant expense, whilst for others they are that finishing touch that helps add an element of class.

Regardless of your viewpoint, it is hard to get away from the fact that chipped crockery, stained table-cloths, scuffed cutlery and shabby chairs are a wedding no-no, but don't worry, the vast majority of venues will share this viewpoint with you. However, there will be the odd one here and there that let's standards slip, so it’s always best to ask to see the venue when it’s set up for a wedding and judge for yourselves rather than taking the venue's word at face value.

Of course, one of the biggest reasons for drafting in your own cutlery, crockery and covers is not to avoid using poor versions supplied by your wedding venue, it is to stamp your own mark on proceedings.

If you have a particular theme or colour scheme in mind for your wedding, then it is often the small details that make the big difference. For example, if your colour scheme is burgundy and green, then why not draft in a set of tablecloths in this colour rather than using the venue-provided plain white ones? Likewise, if you are holding a romantic-affair, then luxurious chair covers with organza sashes can help create a much dreamier ambience than anything your venue could provide.

Typically, you can expect to spend a few hundred pounds to hire good quality products for the day, or even more if you want to buy your own, although the latter is very rare. When you consider that you will probably already be provided with half-decent knives, forks, table-cloths, napkins, chairs, plates and saucers, can you really afford to spend three figures on more? Perhaps. And this is where you really need to think about your priorities for the day. If you have just a couple of hundred pounds left in your pot but still need an outfit for the Groom, then to be honest, the venue provided knives and forks will more than do. However, if you’ve got a bit of cash spare, then you could do a lot worse than ‘decorating’ the venue with your own cutlery, crockery or covers.