Planning guides

The questions to answer before you rent: how many, what size, and what the beach allows. Each guide starts with the answer.

• How many tables and chairs you need for 100 guests

  For 100 guests: 100 chairs plus spares, and 13 to 17 of our 60-inch rounds or 10 to 13 of our 72-inch rounds. Charts for 50 to 200 guests.

• Round table seating chart: how many people fit at each size

  How many people fit at a 30, 36, 48, 60, 66 or 72-inch round table, comfortable vs maximum, what size a 6-foot round is, and the round tables we rent.

• Chiavari chairs vs folding chairs

  Chiavari or folding chairs? How they compare on look, padding, sand and lawn, the finishes and folding styles we rent, and the beach rules that matter.

• Beach wedding permits on the Emerald Coast, by beach

  Who permits a beach wedding in Destin, Okaloosa Island, Miramar Beach, 30A and Navarre, and the beach rules that decide which rentals go on the sand.

• Beach wedding rental checklist

  What to rent for a beach wedding in Destin or on 30A: ceremony seating, arbors, cocktail and reception tables and catering, filtered by beach rules.

• Wedding arch and arbor sizes

  Most wedding arches are 7 to 8 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. Published sizes for the arbors we rent, and how to check one against a ceiling or tent.

• Wedding ceremony chair layout: spacing, rows and counts

  How much space between ceremony chairs, how many chairs per row and in total, rows for 50 to 200 guests, aisle width and the beach lanes to keep clear.

• How many cocktail tables you need for 100 guests

  Typically one cocktail table per 8 to 10 standing guests: 10 to 13 for 100, 15 to 19 for 150, 20 to 25 for 200. Heights, sizes and the tables we rent.

• How much coffee you need for 100 guests

  Plan on 60 to 80 cups of coffee for 100 guests, typically 4 to 5 gallons. Servings in a gallon, in 96 ounces and in a 100-cup percolator, by cup size.

• How much coffee to put in a 100-cup percolator

  Use about 6¼ cups of ground coffee for a full 100-cup percolator or coffee urn. Brew time, how many cups it pours, the grind, and half batches.

• How many drink dispensers you need for 100 guests

  A 3-gallon dispenser holds 384 ounces, 48 eight-ounce servings. How many you need for 50 to 200 guests, gallons of tea and lemonade, and outdoor tips.

• How many chafing dishes you need for 100 guests

  One chafer per hot dish per serving line, plus refill pans. How many trays of food for 100 guests, full vs half pans, and open-flame rules on the beach.

• How much flatware you need per guest

  One of each utensil per guest per course, plus a typical 10 to 15 percent. Counts for buffets and plated dinners for 100 guests, and the finishes we rent.