It’s the date we’ve all been waiting for… drum roll please!
Hitch Studio is taking over Party Depot rentals and balloons!
We will be sorting, moving, counting, training, and inventory-ing from November 3-20 and will be ready for our GRAND OPENING ON NOVEMBER 21, 2025 in our new location downtown Brookings at 406 Main Avenue. We can’t wait to show you our new space, our freshest inventory items and welcome you in to serve you officially as Hitch Studio Rentals!
Another major event coming up is our Brookings Chamber of Commerce RIBBON CUTTING AND OPEN HOUSE ON DECEMBER 18, 2025!
How are these two “grand openings” different? On November 21, we will open our doors for the first time as Hitch Studio Rentals! Our showroom will be ready and stocked for you to browse linens, centerpieces, accent furniture, balloons, backdrops, and more! You can start placing orders at this time!! On December 18th, we decided to throw a wedding, since that’s what we’re best at. We’re throwing a party for the union of “Hitch Weddings + Events” to “Hitch Rentals” as they unite under one new name: Hitch Studio Rentals! Of course, there will be wedding cake, a champagne toast, photo ops, and tours of the space after the ribbon cutting!
Another date to note is our inventory sale! We’ll be selling some great items on November 13-14 from the Hitch Studio 414 Main Avenue space. Watch for more details!
We can’t wait to launch our new website soon too to virtually show you everything coming your way for your milestone events like birthday parties, graduations, showers, and weddings. If you want rentals only, GREAT! If you want full-service wedding planning help, GREAT! We help with either, both, and everything in between. Start making those calls on November 3, 2025!
Why is Hitch Studio the best match for an event rental division?
Are you wondering a bit more about Hitch Studio, owner Renee Bauman, and what prompted this addition of a rental business? Read on below from a recent interview Renee did:
1.) The Origin of Hitch Studio
Hitch Studio was started 2014, when I took a leap of faith to open a wedding planning and design studio in downtown Brookings. What started as a small wedding invitation design business has now grown into offering services like full-service wedding planning, corporate event design, wedding stationery, officiating, venue management, a wedding planning guide book, — and in November of 2025, Hitch will be taking on its next adventure. Hitch Studio Rentals will be opening in downtown Brookings for anyone needing rentals for their milestone events across South Dakota!
2.) How I Got Involved
After graduating from South Dakota State University and working in the corporate world for seven years, I started my first invitation design business. Over 11 years, that business evolved into full wedding planning, venue management, and now rentals.
3.) What We Do
Hitch Studio is like four wedding production artists all in one. We offer full-service wedding planning, decor design, faux floral artistry, and a rental collection for ceremony and reception spaces. We also design custom invitations and signage in-house. Couples love that they can book four vendors in one place — saving them time and stress. We love providing great service! We’re also proud to say that we’re venue managers for Schade Vineyard & Winery in Volga, coordinating logistics and details under their beautiful tent and vineyard!
4.) The Vibe We Bring
The word we live by at Hitch is “accommodating”. Our vibe is joyful, genuine, professional, and calm — with just the right amount of fun. We want every couple to feel seen, supported, and celebrated. Our goal is to focus on the details of the wedding so you can focus on the meaning of your marriage.
5.) Favorite Thing About What I Do
I love a lot of things! I love the people — meeting all the family members because they’re each important. I love watching the couple’s faces when their Pinterest board come to life! I love mentoring the over 40 employees that Hitch has — and that Hitch is a stepping stone to their path in life. I love seeing couples have the best day of their lives and knowing we had a small part in making it that way.
6.) What Makes Hitch Studio Stand Out
The top five ways we set ourselves apart:
1. Our new rental company, opening in November, 2025, sets us apart! If you’re planning a graduation and just need DIY rentals…great! And if you’re planning a full-service wedding…we’ve got you covered there too! If you want to add on balloons, delivery, or set up, it’s all possible with Hitch Studio!
2. When you book a Hitch Studio wedding planning package, you get use all of our table décor for free! (As much or as little as you want!) Linens aren’t included, but otherwise anything else that decorates your tables is complimentary AND we do the set up and take down services in three of our four packages!
3. We are Certified Wedding Planners. It’s important to us that you get the most professional experience possible!
4. Each couple receives a free copy of our wedding planning guidebook, the Wedding Day Designer! It is a 150+ page book written by Renee Bauman, specifically for Midwest couples.
5. We also design wedding stationery, so your invitations, save the dates, programs, and signage can all look cohesive.
7.) The Team
We have an incredible team of certified wedding planners, design specialists, rental and balloon stylists, and graphic designers who share the same love for celebrating people. Hitch employs over 40 full-time and part-time employees for wedding and event set up and take down. We’re collaborative, hard-working, and deeply kind — and we truly enjoy each other! We all can’t wait to serve you!
8.) Bringing Client Visions to Life
We start by listening. Every couple’s story is different, and we want their wedding day to feel like them. From there, we suggest a centerpiece showcase. They get to come into Hitch Studio’s showroom and see 10-20 pre-designed centerpieces, linens, chargers, napkins, etc. all set up and styled with their Pinterest board, style, budget, and every detail in mind! It takes the pressure off of them to create the perfect guest experience, since we use our expertise to put together options for them. They get to sip, laugh, and enjoy while we coordinate the logistics of anything and everything they choose so it all flows together beautifully!
9.) Our Goals
Our biggest goal is to make wedding planning feel joyful instead of stressful — and to keep growing Hitch Studio into a full creative hub for couples and events across the Midwest. We also focus on mentoring women, creating leadership opportunities, and giving back to the Brookings community. Renee has been volunteering her time and efforts for over 20 years! Our current business goals are growing the rental and wedding business to serve other communities in South Dakota!
10.) New Announcements & Projects
We’re expanding! Hitch Studio recently added a full event rental and balloon décor division — offering modern furniture, backdrops, lighting, and statement pieces for weddings, corporate events, and celebrations of all kinds. It’s a natural extension of our design-driven approach, and we can’t wait to share the new showroom soon!
11.) Inspiration
My inspiration always comes from love stories — and from my team. Every time I see a couple’s day come together or an employee step into her strengths, I’m reminded that purpose and creativity can coexist beautifully. One of my values is learning, so I regularly attend conferences and trainings to keep up on trends from across the country.
12.) The Future of Hitch Studio
I see Hitch continuing to grow — more team leaders, more weddings across the region, more rental inventory options, perhaps another venue management location, and more creative ways to serve couples.
13.) Community Support
Brookings has wrapped its arms around Hitch Studio since day one. This community has trusted us, supported us, and celebrated every milestone — and we’ve tried to give that same love back through board service, mentorship, and volunteer work. We have given back to nearly every community we serve through the amazing non-profit organizations in those areas!
14.) Favorite Memories & Turning Points
A major turning point was growing from a one-woman shop with a business partner — into a team of 50+ talented planners, designers, and stylists. We’ve grown in employee count, office size, wedding style, and more. Those milestones remind me how far we’ve come — and how much joy there is in growth. Other favorite memories are being a part of a Mastermind growth group for over 10 years, graduating from the Dakota Rising program in 2019, and graduating from the Goldman Sachs 10KSB program in 2025. All were transformative for me and my business.
15.) Upcoming Happenings
Our rental showroom opens mid-November, but our Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting celebration for the new rental division is on December 18, 2025 from 4-6:30 p.m. at our downtown location in Brookings, SD. Please join us for an open house as we toast to a brand-new beginning — uniting wedding planning, event design, balloons, and rentals under one name. Enjoy cake, tours, and a first look at all the beautiful décor we’ll be offering!
16.) Mission Statement/Goals/Aim
Our mission: Hitch Studio specializes in wedding planning, rentals, and event decorating. We can create your custom look with our decor collection — included and fully styled by Hitch Studio. We can provide décor, set up + take down, and graphic design services for a cohesive wedding, corporate dinner, non-profit fundraiser, gala or community event. Serving all of South Dakota from our office and showroom in Brookings.
17.) Final Thoughts
If I could leave readers with one thing, it’s this: your wedding day is about love, not logistics. Let us handle the details so you can focus on what matters most — the beginning of your marriage and the memories you’ll make. Plus, your family and friends shouldn’t work on your wedding day. Let them enjoy the moments as well and be fully present! We know you just want a seamless day and to soak it all in. You are so hard-working and busy. Let us take care of it!
We can’t wait to serve you in so many ways! Rentals, balloons, weddings, events….we’re up for any and all of it! Welcome to Hitch Studio and Hitch Studio Rentals! See you at our grand opening events!