Rent or buy holiday tableware? How to decide
For a table you set once a year, renting usually wins; for a table you set every month, buying might. The honest answer depends on how often, how many, and where it all lives the rest of the year.
What renting a table of 24 costs
The Christmas Ribbon setting is $11.00 a guest: a Ribbon Dinner Plate and salad plate at $2 each, a Melodia water goblet at $1.50, Capri Gold Flatware (dinner knife, dinner fork and tea spoon) at $1.25 a piece, and an Olive Green Velvet Napkin at $1.75.
| Piece | Count | Price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ribbon dinner and salad plates | 48 | $2.00 | $96 |
| Melodia water goblet | 24 | $1.50 | $36 |
| Capri Gold Flatware, three pieces each | 72 | $1.25 | $90 |
| Olive Green Velvet Napkin | 24 | $1.75 | $42 |
| Total | $264 |
What buying involves beyond the price
Twenty-four matching place settings is a lot of boxes for a closet. Bought tableware has to be washed before the party, stored after it, and replaced piece by piece as it chips, and a pattern chosen for one December may not suit the next.
Linens are where renting saves the most work: rented linens come back to us as they are, with no washing on your side.
When buying makes sense
If you host the same size of table several times a year and like a plain white setting, owning a set can make sense. Renting earns its place when the count is large, when you want a pattern or a color for the season, or when the party is a one-off.
Or do both
Many hosts keep their everyday plates and rent only what changes the table. Twenty-four velvet napkins at $1.75 is $42, and twenty-four Crystal Moss Chargers at $4 is $96. There is no minimum order, so a few pieces are as welcome as a full table. The season's pieces are together in The Holiday Table.
