Location. Location. Location.

The beauty of the Northern Michigan area — a preferred destination-wedding location in the state — often inspires couples to find a natural setting for their ceremony and reception. Sometimes it’s in a favored field, on a relative’s sandy back-yard beach, or the grounds of a friend’s stunning estate. 
Several regional businesses specialize in making sure guests at these events have a place to sit, tents for weather protection, a stage for dancing and silverware for the meal.
“I’ll go out and survey the site and make sure what you want will actually fit,” said Jim O’Donnell, owner of Rental Express in Indian River. “If I have a couple saying ‘I’m getting married at grandma’s house on Walloon Lake and I’ve got this many guests,’ I go out and survey it first. The last thing you want to happen on the day of the ceremony is to find out that it’s not going to work.”
O’Donnell’s rental company offers tents, dance floors, keg coolers, linens, even pig roasters and grills. Chairs, portable bar service, tables and a restroom trailer are other options for the party. The restroom trailer includes running water, heat and air conditioning, a more comfortable bathroom for wedding guests, he noted, than portable options.
The staff at Rental Express also handles set-up and take-down of all equipment, and the company services the Northern Michigan region, including Mackinac Island. O’Donnell plans to soon add china and glassware to the rental offerings as well.

Rental pros

Taylor Rental in Petoskey is one of the largest wedding rental companies in the area, offering tables, chairs and tents along with linens, silverware and dishes. The business offers several patterns of fine china, stemware, tents of assorted sizes and colors, lighting, chafing dishes and dance floors as well.
Other companies specializing in wedding rentals in the area include Meyer Ace Hardware in Petoskey, which can provide archways, champagne fountains and candlebras along with the basic necessities like tents, table and chairs. Other unique needs for off-site weddings can include coolers on wheels, rented by Bill & Carol’s in Petoskey, and bartending services with everything included from the Party Shoppe on Pickerel Lake.
And when the reception’s over and the guests have headed out, a horse-drawn carriage ride by Riverside Carriage Co. in Carp Lake can whisk the happy couple off in romantic style to the rest of their lives. Y

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