Getting to Know Miller’s Party Rental Center
Miller’s Party Rental Center makes dream weddings come true. How? They bring your ideas to life! Supplying tables and chairs, linens, dishware, dancefloors, lighting, tents, and so much more, Miller’s truly makes your vision a reality. Find out a little bit more about Miller’s Party Rental Center and how they can make your fantasy wedding a real-life fairytale!
How did Miller’s get started?
Miller’s was actually started by my grandparents and, at first, they just rented out tables and chairs from their garage. It’s a funny story what happened, because their neighbor ended up being a sort of snitch and told the zoning commissioner that they were running a business out of their house so in the 1950s we moved to a warehouse. In the 60s and 70s, we were Miller’s Medical and Party Rentals and we actually rented out medical equipment like wheelchairs and stuff. It could be great because if someone got a little carried away on the dance floor and need medical equipment, we had it! But eventually, we separated into two sister businesses – Miller’s Rental and Sales and Miller’s Party Rental Center.
Do you have any tips for couples who are inviting kids?
I’ve seen a lot of brides and grooms go all out for the kids they’re inviting. Which is funny because it’s their wedding but they want to make sure the kids have fun. Some couples will even rent a cotton candy machine or sno cone machine from us just so the kids have something that feels like it’s just for them. Typically, though, most people will do things like rent paper tablecloths or butcher paper. They don’t disturb the integrity of the design, and they keep the kids entertained during the speeches and stuff so it’s a great substitution. Of course, they should also keep in mind whether they need booster seats and high chairs for any kids that are coming.
Sabrina Hall Photography
What is the most common rental that couples forget about?
It’s funny but a lot of brides come in and say “Ok, I’m inviting 200 people,” and the first thing we ask is “Does that include you and your bridal party?” I even did it myself at my wedding! You just forget to include your bridal party in your guest count. The last thing you want is to not have a table, linen, chairs, or dishware for yourself and your bridal party, so make sure you include that in your official count.
What are the benefits of a tent wedding?
When you have a tent wedding, you can have your reception somewhere you’d never thought of before. You’re not constrained to permitted buildings and don’t have to try to find the venue with the perfect ambiance and exact look you’ve been searching for. It creates a venue anywhere you want. And because it’s a blank canvas, you can customize it to whatever theme or style you want. If I were to get married now, I would definitely want a tent for our wedding.
Do you have suggestions/backup plans for bad weather at an outdoor wedding?
We all know bad weather is inevitable in Ohio – especially in the spring and fall. If you’re getting married outside during a season where storms frequently happen, double check your contract for a tent evacuation plan. Be aware of the forecast for your wedding day and keep an eye on any storms that are approaching or may form that weekend. If it’s something like having a chilly night during a May or June reception, we can put up side walls to block the chill or wind, or add a furnace. For hot weather, brides have options. You can add some fans, air cooling units – where the machine blows wind over cold water and into the tent – or even air conditioning.
How exactly does that work if you’re in a tent? Do you provide electricity?
We help provide electricity by working with local generator companies. It’s important to know exactly how much we’ll need, and where we’ll be pulling it from. For instance, if you’re getting married on the front lawn of an estate, we may not need to provide a power source, just a way to get that power to the tent. Whereas, if you’re getting married in a field or meadow or something, we’ll have to provide a power source and need to know how much we’ll need. That’s why we ask whether the caterer will need power or if they’ll supply their own; we know how much the lighting rigs need based on what you order, so we can figure all that out. And then we provide what are called spider boxes which split power at opposite ends of the tent to ensure the electricity goes all the way through it. We always test things beforehand just to make sure they’re working properly and if something isn’t right, we replace it.
What’s your most popular rental?
Table and chairs are obviously the most popular rentals we have – you can’t have anything else until you have those, basically – but linens, dishware, and China are probably the next most popular items. Those are the key pieces to creating your reception style and serve as a basis to the decor. Beyond that, we’ve seen a massive amount of requests for our bourbon barrels. They can serve as a decor piece, or be crafted into bars and cocktail tables. Couples love how versatile they are. Before I even had 5 bourbon barrel cocktail tables in my warehouse, I had couples requesting them for their wedding. I definitely see those being a huge trend in 2018.
What’s the most interesting rental piece you have?
If you ask anyone here, we’ll all probably say something different, but I think the Water Monster is super cool. Maybe it’s because of the name. But basically, it’s a giant fountain that spurts 125 gallons of liquid out of these holes. I think it would be so neat to have it at a wedding shooting out a punch or mixed drink or champagne.
Editor’s note: They also have a Popcorn Machine, Sno Cone maker, and Hot Dog Roller! Want to find out what else? Go to their website!
LMAC Photography
Which item would you take home and keep if you could?
I would probably take our hammered flatware. It’s super popular among couples and I actually went out and bought some for myself that looks just like it because they’re so nice. In fact, one Thanksgiving I remember our grandma asking us to bring over more silverware and plates and stuff – that’s one nice thing about being in the family business is that we always have access to more tables or linens for our holidays and parties – and when we were cleaning and packing up, grandma kept the polished silverware and sent us back with the older silverware. Then, for the next get-together, we had the older silverware all cleaned up and polished because it had been at weddings, and grandma switched out the silverware she had kept last time and traded it for the freshly polished silverware and just kept doing that over and over so her silverware was always nice and polished.
What makes you different from your competition?
Our service. If you call us on a Saturday night, either Charlie or I will be here to answer. If you call our after-hours number, that’s our personal cell phone number. Couples have complete access to the decision-makers every step of the way, at any time of day, which is super nice because if you need a last minute linen replacement or want to add another 10 tables to your order, we’re going to be here to get that request and make it happen.
We also have a showroom that’s open Monday-Friday, 9-5 and Saturday 9-1 where couples can come in and we’ll dress a table for them. We encourage them to bring ideas of what they want or pictures from Pinterest and we can recreate what they’ve got in mind because a lot of times when they see it in person, there are things they want to change. We may pull a plum color linen that matches a photo they love but when they see it they decide they want it a shade lighter. Or if they have a centerpiece idea they’re working on, they can choose from stock to see what will work well with it. It allows us to play around and make sure it looks exactly the way they want. Between everyone who works here, we have about 125 years of experience doing this, so we know what works and what doesn’t, too. Showing them different ideas and coming up with new suggestions helps them get a clear picture in their mind and makes it all real.
Sabrina Hall Photography
Do you have any other tips for a bride?
Keep in mind what’s important. The only thing that truly matters at the end of the day is saying “I Do” and marrying the person you love. As a rental company, I probably shouldn’t say this but, it doesn’t matter what color linens you have or if they perfectly match the napkins or if you’re short one charger. Don’t stress about the little things, because what you’ll remember most is the way you felt. When you’re planning every detail, remember that after you say “I Do” nothing else will matter anymore.
With over 125 combined years of experience and an entire warehouse full of possibilities, you’re bound to find the perfect selection of rentals to create your perfect event! Follow Miller’s on Facebook and Instagram for inspiration, or send them an inquiry for more information on decking out your wedding.
