The fixtures-and-rentals side: uplighting, draping, linens, candles, and install
| Item | Low | Typical | High | Priced By |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uplighting — DIY rental | $19 | $25 | $40 | Per fixture, shipped |
| Uplighting — pro installed | $50 | $65 | $75 | Per fixture, + delivery |
| Pro lighting package | $1,500-$2,500 typical · $300-$5,000 full range | Whole room | ||
| Pipe & drape | $8 | $14 | $20 | Per linear foot |
| Ceiling draping | $1.50 | $3 | $6 | Per square foot covered |
| Table linens (cloth + runner) | $10 | $20 | $35 | Per guest table |
| Chair cover | $2 | $3.50 | $8 | Per chair |
| Chair sash | $1 | $2 | $5 | Per chair |
| Candle/lantern decor | $10 | $25 | $60 | Per table |
| Arch/backdrop (non-floral) | $100 | $275 | $600 | Per rental |
| Signage | $25 | $75 | $200 | Per sign |
| Delivery, install, strike | $100 | $300 | $600 | Per job |
Anchors: DIY uplight rentals from ~$19 a fixture and pro installs at $50-$75 (plus ~$100 delivery) per current rental-market listings; pipe-and-drape at $8-$20 a linear foot (CV Linens) and $7.50-$15 (Wedding Lighting Co); real ceiling-draping quotes near $4,000 for ten panels with $7,500 minimums from some installers; linens commonly $10-$26 a table with chair covers $2-$10 and sashes $1-$5; rented chandeliers $95-$125 each plus install. Flowers are deliberately absent — price them with the florist calculator.
Decor is a rental stack, not a single vendor price: each line has a unit rate and a count, and the total is honest multiplication. This calculator prices the fixtures-and-rentals half of wedding decor — lighting, draping, linens, candle decor, arch, signage, and the delivery/install/strike fee that rental companies charge to bring it all in and take it back out.
Total = fixtures × mode rate + drape (linear feet × $8-$20, or square feet × $1.50-$6) + tables × linen rate + tables × candle rate + chairs × sash rate + arch + signs × rate + install fee. Low and high estimates swap in each line's published band ends.
Count your guest tables first — it drives linens, candles, and (via 8 seats a table) roughly your chairs. Set the draping mode honestly: pipe-and-drape around a head table or perimeter is one budget; full ceiling drape over a ballroom is another sport entirely, and the per-square-foot math is why. If your venue includes standard linens and uplighting in the site fee, zero those lines out — the calculator is just as useful for proving what you don't need to rent.
Mid production: 16 pro-installed uplights ($1,040), 80 linear feet of pipe-and-drape ($1,120), 20 tables of linens ($400) and candles ($500), 160 chair sashes ($560), an arch ($275), 3 signs ($225), and install ($300). Total: $4,420, range $2,435-$7,780.
Lean DIY: 10 shipped uplights ($250), 10 tables of linens ($200) and candles ($250), 80 sashes ($280), 1 sign ($75), delivery only ($100), no drape, no arch. Total: $1,355, range $675-$2,790. Same room, visible transformation, a quarter of the line.
Full production: swap the pipe-and-drape for 1,200 square feet of ceiling drape on the mid production. Draping jumps to $3,600 typical and the total to $6,900, range $3,595-$13,380. Ceiling work is labor and rigging — the fabric is almost an afterthought.
The Knot's florals-and-decor category runs about 9% of the average wedding — roughly $3,100 — but that includes flowers. The fixtures-and-rentals side this calculator prices (lighting, draping, linens, candles, arch, signage) runs about $1,400-$4,400 for a typical mid-size production, with a realistic span from $675 for a lean DIY setup to $7,800+ when professionally installed ceiling draping enters the picture.
DIY-rented uplights run $19-$40 per fixture shipped to your door; professionally installed uplighting runs $50-$75 per fixture, often plus a delivery fee. Sixteen fixtures — enough for a mid-size ballroom — costs about $400 DIY versus $1,040 installed. Full professional lighting packages (uplighting plus pinspots and a monogram) commonly land at $1,500-$2,500.
It's the most expensive decor line there is. Pipe-and-drape backdrops and perimeter runs price by the linear foot at $8-$20; full ceiling draping prices by area, roughly $1.50-$6 per square foot covered, because labor and rigging dominate. Real couples report quotes around $4,000 for ten ceiling panels and $7,500 minimums from install companies — while a simple fabric backdrop rental can start near $300.
Tablecloths run about $10-$35 per table depending on fabric (a basic 90-inch round commonly rents near $14-$20), chair covers $2-$10, and chair sashes $1-$5. Budget roughly $15-$30 per guest table for cloth plus runner, and more if the venue doesn't include standard linens — many do, so check before renting twice.
Florals are a living product priced per piece — bouquets, centerpieces, arch flowers — and they're handled by a florist; this page prices the fixtures and rentals: lighting, draping, linens, candles, arch structures, and signage. The two lines share a budget category (The Knot's combined florals-and-decor 9%) but not a vendor. Price flowers with the wedding florist cost calculator and fixtures here, then add both to the budget.
Three levers. Rent DIY uplights instead of installed lighting — the same fixtures at a third of the price if someone can place them. Swap candle decor for floral where flowers aren't needed: lanterns and votives run $10-$60 a table against $75-$300 for fresh centerpieces. And use the venue's built-in bones — exposed brick, string lights, or a statement ceiling make $2,000 of draping pointless.