October 4, 2023 | Rebecca Scott for Travel Phoenix Oregon
Events are a time of celebration—and also when people have a lot to juggle. There’s booking a venue, scheduling vendors and replying to guests. But thanks to a local Phoenix company, one thing people no longer have to worry about is event rentals.
Motif Event Rentals, owned and operated by Galina and Brian LeBlanc, provides wedding and event rentals in a variety of styles—including modern, boho, vintage, rustic, country and much more. Located in the Shoppes at Exit 24, Motif offers numerous unique pieces for people to rent to help them have a beautiful and stress-free event.
The start of a new adventure
When Galina and Brian got married in July 2013, they had no idea what to do with their leftover wedding decorations. Little did they know, this challenge would soon turn their lives upside down—but in the best possible way.
Brian’s dad advised them to rent out their decorations to others who might have a use for them.
“We cleared out part of the garage and advertised we had stuff for rent,” said Galina. “Then things really took off and in our first year, we did 14 weddings. We realized there might be something to this!”
To grow the business, the husband and wife duo obtained more rentals and moved into a larger space. Soon, they secured a building at the Shoppes at Exit 24 and have been there for seven years. Last year, they expanded again and added an annex which houses many of their larger rental pieces.
“We love that our storefront is centrally located and accessible to people throughout the Rogue Valley,” Galina said.
This is their second year working in their business full-time, according to Galina. Prior to opening Motif Event Rentals, Galina worked at Anderson Auto Body, which was owned by her father.
“A lot of the time, people who work in the event industry have other jobs, especially during the off-season,” she said.
When the event industry slows down in the wintertime, Galina and Brian focus on scheduling bookings, adding to their inventory and meeting with clients about future orders. Once summer rolls around, their schedule kicks into high gear. During their peak season, sometimes they’ll have up to 15-20 events in a single weekend. But even amidst the chaos, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“We love working for ourselves. You’re motivated to make it work, or else it’s over. We created this world for ourselves and it’s working out,” said Brian. “We also love to be a part of people’s happiest moments!”
Spreading joy at every event
Brian and Galina are proud to have built an exceptional event rental business.
“We’re not your average company with standard banquet tables or plastic folding chairs,” said Brian.
Their collection includes farm tables and benches, wine barrels and arbors, lounge furniture, accent furniture pieces, sweetheart tables and cake tables, cake plates and serving platters, candle holders and vases, and all the special details that round out the look of an event space.
“Our most popular items are our farm tables and benches, which are handmade by us. They are made from locally sourced sugar pine,” said Galina.
All of their rentals go out clean and in brand new condition, which is extremely important to Galina and Brian. They take care of the packing, cleaning and delivery so their clients can focus on their event.
One of Brian and Galina’s favorite parts of their business is that they experience joyful times and happy milestones right alongside their clients.
“One of the most fun things is when people come to us for wedding rentals—and then a year or two later, they’re having a baby shower! It’s fun to create lasting relationships with our clients and the community,” she said.
However, as with any business, there are challenges too. From the outside, running an event rental business might look easy. However, a lot of work goes into building and growing a successful company, including time spent preparing and cleaning items so customers have an exceptional experience.
“Sometimes we could spend five minutes cleaning each vase in an order, which doesn’t sound like much. Once you multiply that by 100 vases, that’s a lot of work!” said Galina. “But we take the time to do that because we care about maintaining a high standard of quality and cleanliness. We only deliver items we’d be proud to use ourselves.”
Even on their hardest days, Brian and Galina wouldn’t change a thing. Running their own business allows them to have a harmonious personal and work life. They can be involved with their kids, go to sports functions, enjoy their family life and still run their company.
“It’s not something we ever thought we’d do, until we started doing it,” said Brian. “But now we can’t imagine doing anything else!”
Photo Credit: Motif Event Rentals Facebook page