Blank Spaces
Transforming venues from blank canvases into wedding wonderlands.
From rose gold cutlery right down to the little lovebirds on your menus, styling your big day your way makes it even more special. That’s why couples are turning to ‘dry hire’ venues to personalise their receptions.
What is ‘dry hire’?
The term ‘dry hire’ is when a venue or location offers a space – without the extras. It’s a blank canvas for couples looking to really make their special day their own. When couples opt for a dry hire wedding venue they typically have more control and flexibility over the event details, such as bringing in their own vendors, caterers, decorators and other services. They can personalise their wedding and have a more hands-on approach in the planning process. But with the opportunity for creativity comes work – a lot of it!
From dry to dazzling
More responsibility can bring more stress. Adelaide’s event styling collective, The Stylist’s Guide, specialises in dry hire weddings and can be enlisted to help transform empty spaces into beautiful spaces.
The talented team of creatives can help with a couple’s overall theme, colour palette, and even stationery designs and table settings.
“Dry hire weddings are more work, but worth the effort,” says Arija from The Stylist’s Guide. “Couples have full control of the result. It’s an opportunity to not only let creativity flow but to create a truly unique wedding that speaks to the couple and their loved ones.”
The team is now seeing a rise in dry hire weddings, with more couples taking on the challenge to turn their day into one-of-a-kind.
Leading South Australian catering, events and hospitality management company, Blanco Weddings, has also recognised the increasing market for dry hire events, and as such they now have a dedicated portable events arm of their business. “For us, most of these [dry hire] events are in regional locations, where styling and catering options are limited,” says Managing Director, Christopher Horner. “We offer the opportunity for couples to outsource this part of the planning, while also enabling clients to add their own personal touches to make it their own.”
Arija agrees – “We’ve found couples are taking their styling up a notch by hiring items like crockery, cutlery, glassware and linen. Couples aren’t confined by ‘how things have always been done’ at a venue, so there’s the ability to think outside of the box and personalise every aspect.”