Styling with Vintage Furniture & Decor

Vintage has been an up and coming style in the wedding world for some time now.  It gives purpose to all those great antiques many of us love and allows them to assist in creating the perfect atmosphere for your wedding day.  However, styling with vintage furniture and decor can be tricky. You don't want people walking into your venue thinking they just stepped into grandma's hoarder filled attic.  Below are some of the ways we avoid the vintage decor overload.

Start with the big pieces.  Create cozy, romantic lounge areas for guests to relax during cocktail hour or rest their weary, dancing legs.  Stick with a themed color palate and let the furniture do the talking.

 

This sweet little seating area makes for a great photo op as well as a great place to chat with guests.

Go monochromatic in an area that is so full of green space.  The contrast will really make the furniture shine.

Focus on the furniture by only adding a few accents.  Rugs, small floral pieces, and a phonograph are great compliments to this jewel toned seating area.

Need tables?  Think outside the box with other large pieces.  Buffets or even large wood planks on logs are great for serving up your tasty treats.

Create depth and more serving space by adding height with vintage cake plates, wood crates, drawers, and log rounds.

Vintage door knobs with themed cards work great for labeling flavors.

A piece with a built in chalkboard for sending a message to your guests couldn't be sweeter.

After that, move on to the details that speak to you.  Add pieces that represent a part of your personality or past.  Little bits and bobs that really make you smile, will make others smile too.  Just remember not to overdo it.

Do double duty with a cool, vintage bicycle that also gives your guests a heads up of where to find the party.

Welcome guests with an adorable custom sign and a unique vintage piece like this child's fire truck wagon.

Trunks are great pieces to use when styling with vintage decor.  Stack a few at the entrance with a beautiful bouquet, a typewriter, and a card basket to add a special touch of old romance.  Bonus if your typewriter works, invite guests to type love notes for the new couple.

A vintage themed wedding can go in many directions.  Romantic, rustic, rock and roll, and simplistic to name a few.  It's versatility makes it one of our favorite styles and an incredibly large part of our rental collection.  

Side note:  All the pieces shown above are available for rent (along with many others).  Gives us a call to check them out.

Bridal Emergency Kit Must Haves

                                         etsy.com

For all the DIY brides out there this kit is a definite must for your big day.  Filled with items to pull you out of a disaster and pieces to help you get through your day with ease, you won't want to miss this one.

Feel Better Fast
1.  Advil
2.  Benadryl (The fresh air and beautiful flowers can often leave you sneezing.)
3.  Tums (Don't let nerves get the best of you.)
4.  Band-Aids
5.  Eye drops
6.  Tampons (Timing isn't always on your side.)

Keeping Clean and Feeling Pretty
1.  Toothbrush and toothpaste
2.  Floss
3.  Chapstick
4.  Kleenex (Catch those tears before they ruin your make-up.)
5.  Nail file
6.  Nail clippers
7.  Lotion
8.  Deodorant
9.  Straws (Keep your lipstick on point by sipping through a straw.)
10.  Q-tips (Not just for the ears, you know.)
11.  Razor
12.  Wet wipes or hand sanitizer

Energy Boosters
1.  Granola bars or trail mix (Many brides forget to eat.  Don't be one of them.)
2.  Chocolates
3.  Water (Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.)

Last Minute Touch-ups
1.  Mints (K-I-S-S-I-N-G)
2.  Lint remover
3.  Wrinkle release spray (Especially important if you don't get ready on site.)
4.  Bobbi pins
5.  Shoe polish (The guys have emergencies too!)

Fast Fixes
1.  Safety pins
2.  Sewing kit (A quick stitch can save a button or a loose shoulder strap.)
3.  Hem tape or double sided tape
4.  Stain remover pen
5.  Chalk or baby powder (For those stain remnants mentioned in the last blog.)

Emergency Extras
1.  Sunscreen (Don't spend the day looking like a lobster.)
2.  Bug spray (Maybe the smell isn't pretty, but neither are 100 mosquito bites.)
3.  Umbrella (Because mother nature has her own agenda.)
4.  Ipod with playlists (Refer to Wedding Day Drama Averted blog.)

Put it all in a cute make-up bag or travel case and pack it with your day of goods ahead of time. Add the cute Keep Calm sign above to remind yourself of what is really important during those meltdown moments.

Wedding Day Drama Averted

We would all love for the only hitch in our wedding to be at the alter between the bride and groom, unfortunately, that isn't always possible.  (See what I did there with hitch???  Anyway...)  Many disasters can be avoided with a little planning ahead.  So before you morph into Bridezilla, stopping around ripping the heads off innocent flowers, take a moment and arm yourself with a few of our favorite tips.

Make-up on your Gown:

A little touch up here and a little touch up there and suddenly, make-up on your dress.  Resist your instinct to rub it off.  I mean it!  Press some club soda on the spot and then sprinkle with salt and let dry.  If you have a white dress, you could cover up any remnants with some chalk or talc. You'll be picture perfect again in no time.

Weather Worries:

No matter what part of the country you live in, there will always be a chance of unfavorable weather. Don't sweat it.  Literally.  If the heat of the day is making your make-up melt and your hair become droopy and sad, just ask your stylist to stay on hand for touch-ups. (This is actually a great tip for any kind of weather.)  For rain or excessive heat, plan ahead and reserve a tent complete with mats for muddy feet. Keep your guests cool and dry and they'll be able to dance the night away.  If outdoor pictures were part of your plan, grab an umbrella and some cute rain boots plus a sheet or pillowcase to place under your dress. It'll keep your dress from looking like you mopped the floor with it.

Liberal Libations:

Drinking and driving is never a mark a new couple wants to make on their wedding day.  Arrange for buses or shuttles to transport guests from the reception location to their hotel.  Still can't get a stubborn guest to hand over the keys?  Assign some reliable non-drinking friends or family members to act as personal drivers.  Your overly intoxicated guest and their vehicle will make it back home safe and sound.

Vendor Communication:

Many, many details can be lost in translation and the last place you want to deal with it is the morning of your big day.  Remember to get everything in writing and keep records of your communication.  We suggest a Bridal Binder to hold all your contracts and communication. Designate a responsible party to bring it with them to venue.  Complete all your contracts ahead of time and confirm all arrivals at least one week prior.  Did all that and still have a no show?  Get creative.  A missing DJ can be replaced by a iPod in a pinch.

Bridal Party Troubles:

We all have that friend that we completely adore, but isn't really the most responsible person you know. Between showing up late and missing key ceremony items, you're never sure what you're going to get.  Call in some reinforcement on this one.  Ask another party person to give them a ride and call them in the morning to be sure they haven't overslept.  If catastrophe strikes and they fall ill or have another emergency, just rearrange your processional and nothing will look out of place.

Uninvited Guests:

When it comes to wedding crashers, it is rare that the attendee is an unrelated party.  Most often your invited guests bring a plus one or two without an RSVP.  Don't let a few strays ruin your day. Ask for help. Lean on the venue coordinator and/or cater to pull up some extra seats and put together a plate for your new friends.

Toasting Nightmare:

Maybe it's nerves, maybe it's liquid courage or maybe it's just a personality trait.  Regardless, toast makers can sometimes make you cringe, cry or be looking for the nearest exit.  Some toasters may ramble on or worse, make an inappropriate joke that grandma finds slightly displeasing (to say the least).  Whatever the case may be, get prepared ahead of time.  Talk with the toast makers about inappropriate topics or create a signal to get them to wrap it up.  Redirection is key during those awkward moments.

So many unexpected events can occur on your big day that's why we always recommend hiring a planner to deal with any last minute emergencies(totally unbiased opinion, of course).  However, the key is to keep calm, breathe deep, and roll with it.  Remember you'll always have a good story to tell in the years to come.

Stay tuned for our list of must have items for your Bridal Emergency Kit.