Obxbrides.com Live Chat with Joe Southern of Ocean Atlantic Rentals.
Hi everyone, Joe here, from Ocean Atlantic Event Rentals in Kill Devil Hills! Feel free to ask questions at any time and I'll do my best to answerthem all :)
Erica: Hey Joe, can you give me a little info about how big a tent I would need for a wedding reception for about 100 guests?
Joe Southern: There are a couple of different factors to consider: dance floor size, buffet or sit down dinner, band or dj. A good starting point would be in the 30’ x 60’ range.
Erica: What about tent permits?
Joe Southern: It varies depending on the town/county that you are getting married in. Corolla is a $50 permit, Nags Head the same, none needed in Duck (except to notify the town of an event).We do events from Ocracoke to Carova, so it really
does vary from site to site.
SandyB: Are there other costs we need to figure in when it comes to a tent? Labor, etc.?
Joe Southern: I would say that pricing varies from company to company. For us, labor is included in the price of the tent, dance floor, etc. Only on the small items, tables and chairs, is setup considered a separate cost, which you should always ask about when placing an order.
Ellen: How far in advance do you book out for weddings?
Joe Southern: I usually start around 8-9 months out with bookings, but have had some people that want to book upwards of a year out.
Erica: How much is delivery, knowing that it would vary depending on location?
Joe Southern: Our delivery charges vary from $25 (Corolla-asphalt area) to $300 for Ocracoke.
Ellen: Do you put tents on the beach?
Joe Southern: We do not set up tents on the beach. There are too many variables with winds and tides to start with to really have a safe setup.
SandyB: Tents are not allowed on ANY of the beaches, or just the ones in Corolla?
Joe Southern: I don't think there is a specific ordinance banning them, but with the weather and tides, you can't assume that the beach you picture having your tent on will be there in 9 months. It is a labor intensive process and we usually set up our tents the day before an event and take down the day after, so a beach setup would be a major production.
Billy: Do you offer air conditioners for the tents and how well do they actually work?
Joe Southern: We do. They work ok, depending on the weather. I would say that fans may be the better alternative just for general air circulation though.
Erica: And heaters?
Joe Southern: Heaters work really well in a fully side-walled tent. If the tent is open, then naturally the heat will not stay in the tent.
Angie: Who is responsible for setting up chairs and tables and linen under a tent?
Joe Southern: We offer setup and breakdown service for tables and chairs, which is our Premier setup service, but you can also do that yourself to save money. We stay away from the linen and tableware setup though. I recommend the setup service when doing beach ceremonies, as most people don't want to make their guests haul chairs off the beach after the ceremony is over.
Kelly: How many people can sit at a 60 inch round?
Joe Southern: A 60" round seats 8 comfortably, but you can squeeze another person in if you have to. Also, if doing a sit-down dinner, I would seat no more than 8 there.
Kelly: Do you offer a service to help with the layout?
Joe Southern: We offer a site survey and cad service, where we go to your site, measure out the area where you are thinking of having your event, and produce a computer cad drawing to scale of what your event will look like.
Kelly: Great! That is really helpful.
Erica: My caterer does not provide plates, forks, knives and glassware. About how much does it cost per person for that stuff?
Joe Southern: I would say that you could spend as little as $2.00 per person for a simple setup and go upwards of $4.00 per person, depending on the amount of glasses (wine, water, bar) and setting pieces that you would want for everyone.
Billy: Do you have benches for a beach ceremony?
Joe Southern: We do rent benches for the beach ceremonies. They are $30 for our basic service and $50 each for our premier setup service. We are also willing to meet you in the middle on the setup, so if you want to set them up yourself and
have us remove them after the ceremony, then the price is $40 per bench (plus taxes and delivery).
Angie: Are there any chairs that work best in sand?
Joe Southern: Our resin chairs with the padded seat and bamboo chairs work best in the sand for your ceremony.
Billy: My paranoid dad told us we should have a backup generator. Do you rent them?
Joe Southern: We do, but I wouldn't stress too much about that unless you are at a remote site.
Billy: Is four wheel drive considered a remote site for a generator?
Joe Southern: 4x4 is considered remote, depending on the house, but unless you're have a BIG production, you can use the house's power to run most anything. Generators can or may also be used at First Colony Inn in Nags Head (required)
and the Whalehead Club in Corolla (optional).
Erica: Do you do all the lighting too, or do I have a "design" company coordinate that with my flowers and event look?
Joe Southern: We do all the lighting if you like, but are not opposed to letting you bring in your own design company to work in our tents, as long as everything is outdoor rated. I do work with a couple of local designers at a good amount of my
events as well.
Nannette: As a coordinator, is it best to arrange an appointment to bring in future brides and grooms so they can talk to someone in person and see products? Or do we just come by?
Joe Southern: I would definitely try to stop by our showroom before booking, so you can see and feel everything that you are about to rent and to make sure that what you see online is exactly what you're looking for.
Kelly: I was wondering about the lighting too. How does that work? Do I have to order the lights separately for the tent? Do some come standard?
Joe Southern: All of our lighting is a la carte, as no one's event is exactly the same. We try to get everything done and tested the day before, just to make sure. :-)
Tammie: So you do stay on site during an event Joe?
Joe Southern: No, not normally, but for a fee we can have someone there. I would say that most of the time, your planner / coordinator will have a way to contact me. We can work through just about anything.
Allieandmike: As photographers, the lighting of an event is so important to the feel of the event. Are dimmer switches / uplighting / etc. available to brides?
Joe Southern: Yes they are Allie, and highly recommended! Uplighting is a very nice touch to your tent/event and dimmers are always nice to be able to control the intensity of each lighting element.
Allieandmike: From our experience if you want your guests to dance more, it is vital to have a dimmer switch so the dance floor is darker. :)
Cin: Hi, just logged in so not sure if you already went over contracts. From your experience, are there some hidden fees I should be looking for? Thanks, and if you already went over this I'm sorry.
Joe Southern: No problem Cin. There should be NO hidden fees in any contract with your rental company, but never be afraid to ask questions, as we try to cover all scenarios. Sometimes forget to mention everything.
Erica: Are deposits refundable if there is a hurricane?
Joe Southern: We do refunds in the case of a mandatory evacuation and try to be as accommodating as possible, i.e. Ida, this year, we had two huge weddings going on that weekend and had to scramble to alternate sites to make them work. I
would also tell every bride to be to check out wedsafe.com and research wedding insurance as well. As I and others have said earlier, I would always try to have "Plan B" for inclement weather in place.
Carrie: What is your best advice to those of us who are having a tent reception?
Joe Southern: ...Rent with me! :-) j/k Plan on booking your tent/dance floor/big items as early as you can to lock in the date and proceed from there. Also, make sure that the site you choose will allow tents on the premises.
Carrie: I will call you.:)
Joe Southern: Looking forward to talking to you!
Erica: Do I have to wash all the plates and glasses before you all come and pick them up?
Joe Southern: No, you just have to put them back in the racks they were delivered in, and we take care of the washing for you :-) Plates should be scraped and glasses turned upside down is the extent of your work for us.
Erica: I should have had my dad on here asking them instead of me!
Joe Southern: Haha!
Allieandmike: What are the most popular color of linens this year?
Joe Southern: Nannette says "pool blue/tiffany blue"
Anna: Would I get charged more if I wanted to use the tables and chairs for more than one day?
Joe Southern: Not with us. Our normal rental is a 3-day rental period, so we deliver the day before your event and pick up the day after.
Heidi: I was curious if you have a favorite house in Duck to have an outdoor tent reception. I really want it sound front in Duck.
Joe Southern: One house is "West Ridge" in Duck…trying to think of another...
Heidi: I will check it out thank you.
Joe Southern: Homeowners' association rules change from year to year as well, so there may be others, but not that I can think of right off the top of my head.
Heidi: I love the look of a tent wedding. Do you have different styles of dance floors?
Joe Southern: We do. We offer a wooden parquet and also a black/white floor to choose from. They are both fairly comparable in price, but the majority of my brides go with the wood, being at the beach.
Heidi: That is great. I like the black and white style best. What about chair covers?
Joe Southern: We do rent chair covers Heidi. They come in a variety of colors and materials, but I would stick with something fairly basic unless the sky is the limit on your budget.
Anna: Is it okay to have glassware around a pool? I don't like wine in plastic cups. How do you handle breakage?
Joe Southern: Glass is at your discretion around a pool We charge a standard replacement charge for breakage and I would say that whether you have your reception pool side or not, there is almost always some breakage.
Heidi: Is there a catalog of what you offer on your site? If so, what is the website?
Joe Southern: You can go to our site, at www.oarevent.com and we have our brochure available for download right on the home page.
Heidi: How does the deposit work?
Joe Southern: We require a 50% deposit to reserve, with the final payment due 60 days prior to delivery. You are able to change your order inside of 60 days if you need to though. We figure that most people will have a good handle on numbers
by two months out from the big day. You may also want to order an extra linen / table set just in case you have last minute add-ons...especially if we are doing a special order for your linen
Heidi: Great idea I would have never thought of that.
Joe Southern: Also, before we end here, you can always call or email us for further help. We are open 7 days a week in our showroom
Anna says Do you rent props like a canoe for self serve beer? Or a tiki bar? Stuff like that or just tents, tables and linen?
Joe Southern: We do rent various props, and what we don't carry, we can try to find through our network of vendors for you. Also, Anna, I would tell you to make your wish list early and give ample time to try to locate certain props (lifeguard
stand is one example...)
Joe Southern: Thanks to everyone who was here to chat this afternoon. I hope I was able to answer all of your questions!
