Vintage Wedding Rentals: I Make a Plan

If you saw my last post, you heard the tale of my discovery of vintage wedding rentals. Since decorations are so important to me, I want to make the biggest impact possible while staying within budget. Easier said than done, of course. When it came to finding vintage props, furniture, and decorations, I was struggling on how to achieve the "look" I wanted without making endless trips to flea markets, Goodwills, and antique shops. Finding out that companies exist for the sole purpose of renting out vintage and antique items for wedding use was like winning the wedding lottery.

When I first discovered that vintage rental companies existed, the first site that I came upon was a small, family-owned company based out of my own hometown, Treasured Rentals. After browsing the shop's online "inventory" and checking out the price lists, I made an appointment to meet up with the owner of the shop to see what I could use for the wedding.

She was speedy in getting back to me, and was so sweet and enthusiastic about helping me find the perfect decorations for the "wedding vibe" I was going for. I was pleasantly surprised when she told me that it would be a one-on-one meeting, so we could go peruse the inventory together. I also learned that instead of housing all the vintage decorations and props in a store front, all of their inventory is kept in a barn on their own family property. Cute business backstory time: The shop got it's origin after the owner and her husband started to acquire lots of vintage wedding supplies for their own daughter's wedding back in 2012. They accumulated so much stuff that they decided to start a business renting the items out to other brides in search of affordable vintage decor. The business truly is a family affair, which I love.

After I made the appointment with Treasured Rentals, I decided that I really needed a plan of action for what exactly I needed and how much I could afford to spend. I knew that if I went without any sort of idea of what I needed, I'd leave with lots of things I wanted and would risk leaving without the "essentials".

I made a list of decor items I hoped to have, along with a total of how much I was willing to pay for items that will be returned at the end of the day. I formulated my list by browsing my "wedding decor" pins and also Googling the crap 'outta "vintage wedding decor"...

Photo via Treasured Rentals FB Page

Image via Mod Weddings / Photo by Melissa Vossler Photography

Image via The Wedding Chicks / Kristen Joy Photography

Image via The Wedding Chicks / Photo by Middle Child Photography

Based on my inspiration photos and what I needed to make my wedding decor vision come to life, this is what I was hoping to find:

• Entrance table (for guestbook, programs, etc.)
• Vintage suitcases
• Old books
• Galvanized tubs for beverages
• Chalkboards (gold frames preferred)
• Cake (erm, donut) table
• Wooden ladder
• Small accessories 

With my vintage wedding rental list made and entered into the "Notes" section of my iPhone (because does anyone actually hand-write their lists anymore?), I was ready to explore the barn and see what I could find! 

When it came time to find decorations for your wedding, did you prefer to rent or buy?