Determining How Much Dance Floor You Need

Having a dance floor at your party can provide an inviting space for your guests to dance.  It provides an ideal surface for dancing and it let's your guests know they should dance and where.

Portable dance floor comes in sections, typically 3'x4' or 3'x3'.  So how do you know how much to rent?  The general rule of thumb is that, at most, 50% of the people at your party will dance at any given time.  For each pair of dancers (1 couple), they will need about 9 square of dance space.  You can adjust if you know your party-goers to be more likely to dance, but this formula works out well in most situations.

Here's an example of how this plays out:  If you have a party for 80 people, 20 couples (40 people) will be the maximum number dancing. You need 180 square feet of dance floor, which would be require 15 3'x4' dance floor pieces.

Using this approach, here are some common sizes*:

• 50 person party: 12 couples: 9 pieces of 3'x4' dance floor
• 65 person party: 16 couples: 12 pieces of 3'x4' dance floor
• 80 person party: 20 couples: 15 pieces of 3'x4' dance floor
• 100 person party: 25 couples: 20 pieces of 3'x4' dance floor
• 120 person party: 30 couples: 24 pieces of 3'x4' dance floor
• 160 person party: 40 couples: 30 pieces of 3'x4' dance floor
• 200 person party: 50 couples: 36 pieces of 3'x4' dance floor

*Note: we rounded to the nearest size dance floor based on the rule of thumb explained above. 

Happy Dancing!

Backyard Wedding for 250+

If you have the space - and especially the setting - a backyard wedding can be a really special event.  We recently did a wedding in the Crest area of El Cajon that took advantage of the great views and the large yard this house had to offer.  The clients wanted to transform their dirt pad into an elegant yet comfortable venue for their daughter's wedding.

We put up 2 canopies in an L shape to wrap around their house and provide enough coverage for the 250+ guests.  We covered the ground with over 4000 square feet of green turf, which really transformed the dirt pad.  Inside the canopies, we strung ping-pong lights with paper lanterns, which creates a festive environment and gives off plenty of light. 

  

They had a sufficient budget to do the event right, but as always, there were trade-offs in the areas that were more important to them.  For example, they opted for basic plastic chairs and dressed them up with chocolate brown sashes, but went with a satin tablecloths and napkins for elegance.  They opted not to drape the inside of the canopy (ceiling), but had us cover the canopy legs in white as a more visual element.  This is a delightful family, and we enjoyed working with them to help them meet their goals. 

Overall, I think we were successful in achieving the feel they were going for.  According to the bride's mom, we had exceeded their daughter's expectations... and that, after all, is what it's all about.  

Party Production Rentals provided all the party gear you see in the pictures... canopies, tables, chairs, dance floor, lighting, linen, flatware and china - all except the flowers and centerpieces (though we offer centerpieces as well). Let us know if we can help you plan your dream backyard event. 

Events Last Weekend

We had a busy weekend last weekend with some great events.  Among them were a few festivals and several weddings (yes, it's wedding season!).

One of the festivals was an Earth Day festival at one of our favorite venues, Mt. Helix Park.  The park offers breath-taking views of the San Diego region, and we've done many wedding ceremonies in the park in addition to other types of events.  I'm hoping to have some pictures of the Earth Day celebration soon, but here are a few pictures of the view and the area to give you an idea of what it's like:

 

We set-up about 40 canopies all along that path leading up to the cross at the top.  I heard it was a great event!  They couldn't have asked for better weather - and the view was spectacular as usual.   

Here are a few pictures of a wedding we did at the La Jolla Bridge Club, another great venue that we do a lot of events at.  This couple had both the ceremony and the reception there, as there are perfect spots for both.  We are hoping to get some nighttime pictures of the event from the photographer - and I will post them when I do - but here are a few pictures I was able to get so far:

This event is a good example of the "full service" we can offer clients... not only did we provide all of the rentals and set-up for the ceremony and reception (chairs, tables, linen, chuppah, p.a. system, dishware, bars, etc), but we also did the lighting and decoration.  We even signed for the alcohol delivery! 

This type of event is very satisfying for us as we can really help design the event our clients desire.  This client sent us a very nice note earlier today: "Hi Paula and Steve,  Thank you so much for the great job you did with the wedding. Everything looked wonderful. I could not have asked for anything on your part to go any smoother or look any nicer."

Event Pictures!

One of the caterers we work with just sent over a batch of pictures she's taken from recent events we've done with her company.  Here are a few:

New Rental Products

Paula and I just got back from the American Rental Association's Rental Show in Las Vegas.  Besides taking in some good shows and food, we purchased some new equipment for Party Production Rentals from the many vendors who show off their wares at the show. 

We frequently rent serpentine bars to clients who want to have a nice serving beverage serving station at their events.  We now have 2 additional bar solutions in the same price range (see catalog):

The 4' bar doesn't require linen and comes only in the black above, but the 6' bar with linen can come in a variety of colors depending on the feel you want for your event.

We've also been expanding our lighting options.  In addition to having the ability to design a custom lighting package from basic to elegant for all types of events, we have a new lighting option for our canopies:

This is a simple, but interesting lighting option that is cost-effective and provides a good amount of light for smaller canopies (e.g., 20x20, 20x30).

We also get frequent requests for backdrops for events - to go behind a stage, cover a wall or unseemly area, or section off a room.  As a result, we purchased our own pipe-and-drape, with both black and white draping.  The panels are 8' high and come in sections of up to 10'.  Each section rents for $55.

We also purchased a new podium to go with our growing selection of audio/visual equipment. 

There are more new products to come, so stay tuned - and feel free to give us a call if you have any questions about any of these items.

Spring Table Ideas

Here are some tables we've had up in our Party Production Rentals showroom over the last few weeks.  Ideas for spring and Valentine's Day.  The first one is a fun table that's fun for showers, birthdays, and garden weddings.  It's simple design, but one that sure to get lots of compliments from your guests!

Paula designed this centerpiece (which we can rent) for another client's wedding - the silver goes great with the pink satin & organza overlay.

 

Holiday Parties - Transforming a Space

We were inspired by one of our client's use of a warehouse for their company holiday party.  In a time when companies are watching their expenses closely, they made creative use of some empty warehouse space they had at their facility.  We helped them with the layout and the rentals, and one of their employees liked to decorate - together the space was transformed!

Party Production Rentals for Your San Diego Party Rentals

Party Production Rentals is proud to announce we have expanded our outstanding San Diego party rental service to reach more of Southern California. We're now serving San Diego to Riverside and from Long Beach to Palm Springs and everything between. Whether you're having a Special Event, Private Party, Wedding, Corporate Event or a Romantic Dinner when it comes to your party rental needs we are here to help. Our experience means that you will be 100% satisfied.

Now, for your convenience we have a new party planning form to plan your event needs. Please browse our catalog, then go to the form and select the items you need, enter your information, and one of our experts on San Diego party rentals will contact you within 24 hours to help you with your party planning.

We look forward to servicing you!