Guelph company, Roy-Al Rentals & Party Centre, spends each week helping couples create fantasy outdoor weddings customized just to their needs, and offering options to transform reception halls. This family owned company has everything a bride needs to bring together the day she's been dreaming of since childhood. From tents, chairs, tables and linens to glassware, lighting, dance floors and wedding arches - the options seem endless. Roy-Al Rentals is one of those wonderful, long-time, family-owned companies that you feel safe trusting your wedding with. Operating since 1973, they have the experience, versatility and personal touch you can expect from a company that has been running successfully for three decades.

Personally speaking...

Roy-Al is run by the Lefneski family, with Brian heading up operations. We asked them what keeps them focused on and excited about the rental business after so many years. "We do this because it's a lot of fun, we get to work outside and we get to work in a variety of different places with a variety of different people." Setting up complete ceremony or reception facilities - from staging to dance floors and bars - has given them the opportunity to work with hundreds of couples in the Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge and the surrounding areas.

This family business is busy with weddings every weekend, typically doing approximately twenty-five weddings per weekend during their busy season, some of which include a complete overhaul of an outdoor space including tents, tables, chairs, linens, dishes and accessories.

The tent experts

With over 100 in stock, the hottest item at Roy-Al rentals is their tents. Roy-Al Rentals and their in-house staff (Melissa, Mary-Anne & Heather) makes sure they always carry a variety of shapes and sizes. Whether it's a rehearsal dinner for eight to twenty people, or a large scale party of 576 people, they have the tent to take cover under. Because one of The Ring's biggest pet peeves is outdoor weddings with dirty tents, we asked Brian how they approach the chore of keeping things sparkling. Roy-al staff will be the first to tell you that a lot of work goes into maintaining their rentals so that they can offer couples the best quality.

Getting 'the skinny' on tents

Brian will admit that sometimes renting a tent is not always the least expensive option in comparison to an indoor facility - but the benefits are endless. He explained, "A tent provides atmosphere. It can transform your wedding into whatever you dream it could be. Tents offer a warmer, more intimate environment for your special day."

With variables like size, style, ground type and seating capacity to consider, choosing your tent could sound a little complicated. But that's where the experts come in handy. The staff at Roy-Al Rentals will walk you through your options, such as push pole or free standing, as well as what type of ground your tent will be set up on. They will also be able to give you advice on adding bars, podiums, staging or dance floors to your space, and how this will affect the size of tent to choose.

Tent sizing & pricing: a few samples

30 x 30 push pole: seats 64 to 96 people, $700 on grass, $850 on ashphalt, cement, sand or gravel
30 x 45 push pole: seats 88 to 128 people, $860 on grass, $1010 on ashphalt, cement, sand or gravel
30 x 30 free standing: seats 72 to 104 people, $870 on grass, $975 on ashphalt, cement, sand or gravel
30 x 50 free standing: seats 120 to 154 people, $1075 on grass, $1175 on ashphalt, cement, sand or gravel
40 x 60 push pole: seats 192 to 240 people, $1470 on grass, $1570 on ashphalt, cement, sand or gravel
40 x 80 push pole: seats 256 to 320 people, $1890 on grass, $1990 on ashphalt, cement, sand or gravel
60 x 70 push pole: seats 336 to 384 people, $2620 on grass, $2920 on ashphalt, cement, sand or gravel
60 x 100 push pole: seats 480 to 576 people, $3770 on grass, $3870 on ashphalt, cement, sand or gravel

The process

After you've chosen your tent, the planning has been done and the day arrives, you will have no worries when it comes to the proper set-up of your tent and accessories. Typically, and wherever possible, tents will be set-up several days in advance. It can take anywhere from one hour to an entire day to set up a tent, depending on size. A 40 by 80 foot tent is their most popular rental and it takes about two hours to set up.

Beyond the tent

Roy-Al Rentals not only creates an outdoor wedding space, they also offer all the tools to complete the look inside and out. The list of items available is massive, but possibilities include decorations, complete table settings from table to linens and china, centrepieces, and dance floors.

When we recently met up with the staff at Roy-AL Rentals to check out what was new, they were excited to tell us about the new luxury linen that's been added to their inventory. In a variety of colours, the rich texture of these linens will enhance any event.

With so many options, Roy-Al Rentals is great for the 'do-it-herself' bride who wants total control of which items will be part of her wedding celebration. This also means that you can control the cost by making your own choices about type of plates and glasses to how much accessorizing you want.

Setting a mood...

Some of the items you may need to create the mood at your wedding: chair covers $2.50-$3.50, podium $14.50-$40, staging (4'x8') $35, wedding arch $30-$125, flower stand $7.50.

Setting a table...

Items for rent to set the table for your guests: tables $6.50-$16, table skirting $13-$31.50, chairs $1.10-$4.95, plates $2.76-$5.16, wine glasses $3.24-$4.56, wine carafes $0.50, centrepieces $1.20-$7.

Chocolate dreams

Roy-Al Rentals also offers brides and grooms the rental of a chocolate fountain. They were the first to offer this in Guelph and it has quickly become an extremely popular item. As an addition to your wedding feast, or an alternative to the traditional wedding cake, you can have a chocolate fountain where your guests can dip in cake, fresh fruit... let your taste buds go wild! The large fountain rents for $275, and the small one for $40.

Help with the stag & doe

Throwing a stag & doe party can be daunting and expensive. Since the goal of the majority of these parties is not only having fun but also raising money for the wedding, Roy-Al Rentals has great ideas to help make yours a success. An outdoor location inside a tent is a great way to start and Roy-Al Rentals can of course set you up with everything you'll need for that... but they will also keep the party going with great items like BBQ's ($22.50 to $225), a candy floss machine ($55), dance floors (depends on size), a snow cone machine ($55) and beer dispensers ($65). They've got great games like crown & anchor, black jack, dart boards, horse shoes, roulette wheel, dunking machine and tug of war ropes for $15 to $165. So many ways to have a great party and make a little money at the same time.

Expert tips come in handy

Over thirty years of tent rental experience gives you the ability to give expert advice. If your wedding or stag & doe will be on your own property, you should have a rider on your home insurance to cover any problems that may arise from hosting the event. Most insurance companies will add it to your policy with little or no charge. Roy-Al Rentals also offers an optional damage waiver (7% of your total bill). This will protect you from having to pay for any accidental damages to Roy-Al Rentals' tents or accessories that may occur during your wedding.

Details, details, details

• Tents can be set-up from April to November, but ground can sometimes be too soft in April.
• Keep in mind that tents are weather protected, not waterproof.
• Tent prices are for a 1 day event and include set-up, dismantling, sidewalls and lights, but all taxes and mileage are extra.
• Mileage is charged from Guelph to Kitchener or Cambridge and is $39 each way for delivery.
• 50% down payment is required when booking.
• Your deposit is non-refundable.
• Brian recommends booking as soon as possible (approximately 6 months to 12 months ahead of your wedding to ensure the greatest variety of products), but they will do their best to accommodate shorter time frames - keep in mind that tent, décor and other item options become very limited the closer you get to your wedding date.

In other words...

"Everything was perfect. Thank you for all your help and advice. We'll recommend your company to all of our friends. The wedding was beautiful." - Gordon & Carol

"Thank you so much for your fine service! Our weekend party at the farm on Sunday was a huge success. Much of it was due to your efficient supply of tent, chairs, dishes, etc. Each of your staff was pleasant, helpful and cheery... your advice was welcome and proved useful. So we do thank you, most heartily!" - Evelyn & Ken

"... Once again, Taste of Guelph was a success. Many people worked hard to ensure that the day would be successful. Your generous sponsorship in this fundraising event helped us raise close to $50,000 in support of The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital and St. Joseph's Health Care Foundation (Guelph). It simply could not have happened without you... Thank you, once again, for playing such an important role in this ever-popular fundraiser." - Chris Davison, Chair, The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital & Larry Kelly, President, St. Joseph's Health Care Foundation (Guelph)

"... I want to express our sincere thanks for all of your great service on our 30th anniversary celebration... Your excellent delivery and set-up of the tables was very much appreciated. Thank-you." - William Clatworthy

"Our thanks to you for the excellent service for our Carnival. The air bounce and fish pond were a big hit with the kids, and we were able to raise $1200 for new playground equipment." - Royal City Co-operative Preschool

To design your outdoor wedding...

You can contact Roy-Al Rentals by phone at 519-823-1881 or toll-free outside of Guelph at 1-888-823-1881. They are located at 74 Dawson Road in Guelph. Check them out online at www.royalrentals.com.