How to Compare Wedding AV Rental Quotes in Malaga
Comparing wedding AV rental quotes is a different job from vetting one provider you have already shortlisted. This page is about holding two or more quotes side by side and spotting what one discloses that the other leaves out, before you have committed to anyone. If you already have a provider in mind and want the questions to ask before booking them, see our questions to ask a wedding rental company guide instead. For the full picture of what we cover for weddings, see our wedding rentals overview.
Brief Overview
A comparable wedding AV quote states nine things plainly: the guest capacity the sound system is rated for, what the sound, lighting and microphones actually are, whether a technician is on site, whether transport, setup and teardown are bundled into the price or billed separately, and whether the net price and VAT are shown apart. Below is a checklist for what to look for, then Malaga Event Gear's own Eco Pack and Wedding Pack itemized line by line, so you can write any other quote into the same rows and see where it goes vague.
Key Highlights
- Nine line items make a wedding AV quote genuinely comparable: guest capacity, sound, lighting, microphones, technician, transport, setup and teardown, net price, and VAT.
- MEG's Eco Pack and Wedding Pack are itemized below as a working reference, real figures, not placeholder rows.
- A lower price on a competing quote can simply mean a lower guest capacity or no technician, not a lower cost for the same coverage.
- Getting more than one quote before booking is worth doing precisely so you have something to hold this checklist against.
What an Itemized AV Quote Should Actually Show
A quote you can genuinely compare against another one states these nine things without you having to ask:
- Guest capacity. A number the sound system is rated for, not a venue size description.
- Sound system. What the speakers actually are, not just "PA system."
- Microphones. How many and what kind, wired or wireless.
- Lighting. What it is, since "lighting included" covers very different setups.
- Technician, included or not. Whether anyone is on site running the equipment during the event, or whether it is delivered, installed, tested and left running.
- Transport. Whether getting the gear to your venue is part of the price or a separate line item.
- Setup and teardown. Whether installation and pickup are included, or billed on top.
- Net price. The package cost before tax, stated as a number, not a vague "starting from" figure.
- VAT. Whether the price shown already includes Spain's 21 percent VAT, and whether the final quote breaks the two apart.
MEG's Own Quote, Itemized
Here is what a comparable AV quote looks like when every one of those nine items is actually filled in, using MEG's own two wedding sized packages. Write any other provider's quote into a third column against these same rows and see what they leave blank.
| Line item | Eco Pack | Wedding Pack |
|---|---|---|
| Guest capacity | Up to 50 | Up to 80 |
| Sound system | 2 active speakers with stands | High end active PA acoustic system |
| Microphones | 1 wired dynamic microphone | Wireless microphones for speeches |
| Lighting | 2 light bars with RGBW LED spotlights | Fairy lights and warm LED strings |
| Technician on site | Not included, self run after setup | Included, throughout the event |
| Transport | Included | Included |
| Setup and teardown | Included | Included |
| Net price (ex VAT) | 290 euros | 650 euros |
| VAT | Not included, +21% shown separately on final quote | Not included, +21% shown separately on final quote |
Both packages bake transport, setup and teardown into the listed price rather than billing them as separate line items, which is worth confirming on any other quote you receive, since it is often priced apart elsewhere.
Why Two Quotes for "the Same Package" Land at Different Prices
When two AV quotes look similar on the surface but land at different numbers, the honest reason is almost always one of four things: a different guest capacity rating, whether a technician is included, whether VAT is already in the number or gets added afterward, and whether delivery and setup are bundled into the price or charged separately. It is rarely a vague difference in "quality." If a provider cannot point to which of those four moved the price, ask them directly rather than assuming the higher number is simply better equipment.
Red Flags in a Vague Quote
A few things are worth treating as a reason to ask more questions before booking, not a normal industry quirk:
- No guest capacity number stated anywhere, just a venue size description.
- No mention of whether VAT is included in the quoted price.
- "Sound system" or "AV package" with nothing describing what the speakers or lighting actually are.
- No statement of who, if anyone, is present during the event running the equipment.
- Furniture, tenting or decor bundled into an "AV package." Audio visual and event decor are typically separate trades, so a quote that blends the two into one number is harder to compare against a quote from a company that only does one of them.
Is the Cheapest Quote Always the Best One
Not necessarily, and this is why the checklist above matters more than the total at the bottom of the page. A lower number can be covering less, not costing less for the same thing. Getting quotes from more than one company before booking is worth doing for exactly this reason: it gives you something concrete to hold this checklist against, rather than judging a single number in isolation.
Real Weddings We've Delivered
A reception under the Wedding Pack's included lighting and technician, the two line items a vague quote is most likely to leave out.
A wedding booked on the Eco Pack, sized and quoted around its own 50 guest capacity rather than a generic package description.
Booking and Service Area
Our services focus on Malaga and extend to Granada for rentals over 400 euros, a real distance based minimum covered in full in our tips for reducing wedding rental costs guide. If you have not settled on a package yet, our how to choose wedding rentals guide walks through the questions that decide between the Eco Pack and the Wedding Pack before you get to comparing quotes at all.
Conclusion
A comparable wedding AV quote states guest capacity, what the sound, lighting and microphones actually are, whether a technician is included, whether transport, setup and teardown are bundled in, and whether VAT is shown separately. MEG's own Eco Pack and Wedding Pack are itemized above against exactly those rows. Contact us for a quote you can hold up against any other one you're comparing.
FAQs
What should an itemized wedding AV rental quote include?
Guest capacity, what the sound system and lighting actually are, how many microphones and what kind, whether a technician is included, whether transport, setup and teardown are bundled in, the net price, and VAT shown separately. See the checklist above for how MEG's own packages answer each one.
Does the price include delivery and setup, or are those separate line items?
On both of MEG's wedding sized packages, transport, setup and teardown are included in the listed price rather than billed separately. Confirm this on any other quote you're comparing, since it is often billed apart elsewhere.
Does the quoted price include VAT?
No. MEG's listed prices are ex 21 percent VAT, and the final quote shows the net price and the VAT separately. A quote that does not state this either way is worth asking about directly.
Is a technician included, or is that a separate line item?
It depends on the package, which is exactly why it belongs on the checklist. MEG's Wedding Pack includes a live technician throughout the event. The Eco Pack does not, and is self run after our crew delivers, installs and tests it.
Why do two quotes for what looks like the same package land at different prices?
Almost always one of four things: a different guest capacity rating, whether a technician is included, whether VAT is already in the number, or whether setup and teardown are bundled in or billed separately. See the section above for how to tell which one is driving the gap.