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!

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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

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