About Patti’s Party Tent Rentals
Patti’s Party Tent Rentals began quite by accident over 20 years ago. We were planning for our 25th wedding anniversary, where we redid our vows and a garden party in our yard. That particular summer, our area was at an extreme fire danger level due to the unusually hot and dry weather. On top of that, we were also planning for a surprise 50th wedding anniversary party for my husband’s parents the following year. We knew that having a tent was important to successfully conduct these events in our yard.
Thanks to my husband’s ability to source things out and our “can do” and “no is not an answer” attitude, he stumbled upon Warner Shelters in Calgary, AB, where we purchased our first three tents.
Growing into a Business
We never considered having a party supplies rental business; however, after years of renting out our tents, we were receiving more and more requests for other rental items. To accommodate these requests, we began to offer tables and chairs, then linens and chair covers. Just a few years ago, we bought another company that had dishes and tableware in their inventory.
Today, we are continuously building our inventory of party supplies. From just three tents, Patti’s Party Tent Rentals has fifteen tents of our own and four tents under contract to manage and maintain for a corporate client. We have also just added bouncy castles to our inventory and are in the process of adding disposable party items as well.
Local Resources
Planning an event in Fernie, BC? Here are our recommendations:
Our Clients
We are in a unique geographical location, nestled in the bottom southeast corner of British Columbia. While there is a party rental store about an hour west of us, the closest larger shop is a two-and-a-half-hour drive to the east. For many people, this distance is inconvenient and adds extra time to their already busy schedules. Additionally, transporting items for events can incur freight and delivery costs, further impacting clients.
Our client base primarily resides within our valley, which spans a 100 square km radius and continues to expand. As a result, we stay incredibly busy throughout the summer months, often handling up to six events in a single weekend.
Putting Our Clients First
Customer service is our top priority as the sole party rental store in the valley. For smaller events, we have a team of highly skilled staff members to ensure everything runs smoothly. However, for larger parties, our owner personally oversees the event to ensure a seamless experience for our clients. Upon booking, we will provide you with our contact number, so we are just one call away for all your questions and concerns about our services.
We believe in going the extra mile for every client, regardless of whether they are a large corporate client or a couple planning their dream wedding. Each client holds immense importance to us, and we treat them with the utmost care and dedication. Our goal is to help them bring their envisioned event to life while working within their budgetary constraints.
Affordable Pricing
If there are specific items that clients desire and can be feasibly rented again, we always strive to accommodate their needs. In our area, sub-renting certain items can be quite costly. While the rental price may initially seem favorable, factoring in additional charges like freight, delivery, or time spent on pickup and return can significantly increase the overall cost. Therefore, we aim to provide a cost-effective and hassle-free solution for our clients by bringing in desired items whenever possible.
About Fernie
Fernie has become a major destination point for weddings over the past couple of years, and the demand for our services is becoming greater and greater. We not only have the private clients that we deal with but several major corporate clients as well. We are booked yearly for events like Wapiti (our local music festival) and Relay for Life™. Additionally, our seniors complex has a summer picnic for the residents and their families every summer, and of course, there are numerous other events that we attend. With some of these events, we even go as far as donating some or all of the rental equipment the client needs. This is our way of helping in our community, as sometimes our timeline does not allow us to physically be there.
Slow Season
As for our “slow season,” sometimes we wonder when that really is. My husband does snow removal in the winter months and our employees usually help with that. This helps us to maintain employees year-round. We are very fortunate that we can share employees. Our tents may not go out very often in the winter, but the rest of our inventory goes out at times, so we still need employees for delivery and picking up orders.
This slower time of the year is when we can sit down and take a look at the past year. We take stock of inventory, do any repairs and maintenance that is required, and take note of what we may need for inventory for the upcoming year.
Busy Season
When things are extremely busy for us, and it seems like there is “no light at the end of the tunnel,” it can be extremely demanding, exhausting, and frustrating, but then things do eventually slow down. This is when we can look back at what an amazing year we have had. This includes all the wonderful people we have met, whether they are new clients or existing clients. We can be proud of the great events that we have helped bring to life for our clients, and when we get an invite to the annual event calendar from a new client, we can simply say “SCORE” – we did it again!
The party tent rental business for us has been a fantastic journey. We have learned so much, met some amazing people, and even traveled to some great destinations as a result. Our greatest joy would be in keeping and growing Patti’s Party Tent Rentals and maybe one day having our grandsons take it over (about 10 years and counting!).
Local Events
We take great pleasure in actively participating in various local events, including the Wapiti Music Festival, July 1st Celebrations in Fernie, Rocky Mountain Village Annual Summer BBQ, and the Annual Crowsnest Pass Lifestyle and Adventure Show. In fact, we are proud to mention that we won the Best Booth award at the Crowsnest Pass Lifestyle and Adventure Show in 2013. Furthermore, we thoroughly enjoy being a part of all the weddings and celebrations in our area, offering our top-notch services to make these moments truly special.
Serving the Community
Our company wouldn’t be here without the community. That is why our goal is to give back. We are proud to be supporters of Relay for Life and its advocacy to fight against cancer. We also provide the tents for the Rocky Mountain Village Annual Summer BBQ.