Engaged

I realize I've brought up Engaged a few times without really talking about what it is. Y'all, it's a free wedding planning boutique. Free. You meet with a consultant who talks to you about the type of wedding you want, shows you portfolios of various vendors and invites you to free events the whole time you're engaged. There's a bouquet day where you get to check out flowers from and meet various Birmingham florists. There's a mini-makeover day...same concept, lots of make-up artists. Cake tasting day. And the list goes on. You can sign up for any of these events free of charge and get to meet a whole heap of vendors in one fabulous sitting. Sigh...my life from March 2010-May 2011 would have looked really different if I had found a resource like this in San Francisco. This would have saved me stress, mileage and more stress to have a one-stop shop.

Anyway, the point of this is that their most recent free event was a bridesmaid's luncheon for brides-to-be and their moms, maids of honor or whoever they wanted to bring as a guest. I asked if I could bring a selection of our vintage china, flatware, glassware and vases and they obliged. It was great to time myself on how quickly I could unpack and set a table with plates, glasses and utensils (hint: not fast). The flowers, linens and food were just perfect and Sandra from Bags and More in Hoover came to show the girls some great selections for party/shower dresses. Say Bre Photography took the gorgeous shots of our china, flatware and milk glass in this post. Bre Conley, who owns Say Bre, is friendly, laid-back, incredibly talented and just a pleasure to be around.

I feel so blessed to be partnering with Engaged. There could not be a better group of ladies to tell brides about everything Cameo Vintage Rentals can offer them. Looking forward to the next event!

  

Just Beachy

Is there anything more relaxing than being at the beach?!? I just got back from a weekend at the beach with close girlfriends and I feel completely rejuvenated. Because I'm so relaxed right now, I just want to direct you to some gorgeous photos of vintage themed beach weddings. Combining old stuff with a gorgeous beach setting makes me want to renew my vows. :)

From www.perfectoutdoorwedding.com

From www.everylastdetailblog.com  

From www.onewed.com  

From www.lovewedbliss.com

Farm Fresh from Tennessee

I'm going to share something my friends and family already know. There's not a better mom out there than mine. Now, I don't want to alienate any readers by saying that my mom is the best mom in the world, and in fairness and rationality I haven't met them all, but I can say with confidence there are none better...equal, sure, I'll give you that. :)

 My mom is also a fantastic aunt to her nieces and nephews and drove to Knoxville for my cousin's 21st birthday yesterday. All the way to Knoxville and back, she was stopping and picking for me! And Momma has a good eye. She's one of the reasons I love all things vintage, and she found a gorgeous old plow, scads of enamelware (I can just see the pieces brimming with flowers!), buckets, old gasoline and kerosene cans, a gigantic punch bowl the size of which I've never seen before and the crowning jewel...this super neat tiered dessert dish. It's made from a rolling pin and pie plates and it's begging to go to a rustic wedding or shower and hold truffles, cake pops or petit fours. It wants to sit on a farm table, maybe even holding napkins at a drink station with mason jars. I can't wait for someone to rent this little cutie!

Weekend Haul

Even on the fullest of weekends, my husband and I always find time to look for unique vintage pieces we can add to the rental inventory. I had a cousin in town this weekend, the bridesmaid's luncheon event at Engaged on Saturday (photos and post to come soon) and of course, Father's Day. Nonetheless, we squeezed in a few hours to do some hunting.

For the most part, it was a weekend of small victories. We found a great vinage Kodak (you can never have too many), an adorable Royal typewriter (hello, guest book table), some awesome silver plated flatware and a couple of really cool boxes that were used for packing anchovies. I just love the font on those boxes!

The big win, however, was another church pew. I already have a white one and this one was a precious size, painted brown. We were ill-prepared for a large find and were in our small car, so the pew has to be picked up later this week. But don't worry...I'll share it's beauty as soon as it's safely in our warehouse. In the meantime, take a look at our cutest new cast members!

Lounging Around

These days, you can't read an article in a wedding magazine or cruise Pinterest wedding boards without stumbling across vintage inspired lounge areas. My husband and I got married outdoors in Sunol, California and there was a deck area off of the reception room that would have been perfect for arranging a comfy couch, unique coffee table and sitting chairs. Too bad we weren't in the vintage rental business, then, no?

For those of you who are still in planning mode, we stock fullsized couches, loveseats/settees, chairs and an array of coffee table options including antique chicken carriers, industrial carts and trunks. And don't forget about the details...old bottles, small silver trophies, vintage cameras and more. These are the kinds of pieces that will make your lounge area look as if it's always been there. We'll even arrange and style them down to the little details for an extra charge. Here are some of my favorite lounge areas, courtesy of Pinterest.

From Archive Vintage Rentals 

From Jesi Haack 

From Rust and Lace 

Styled by Danielle Pasternak, from Heart Love Weddings

China Town

One of the biggest hurdles in moving into our new space has been carefully, lovingly, gingerly moving mass quantities of fine china from our kitchen "temporary warehouse" to the new office/storage space. I pretty much hold my breath the entire drive from Homewood to Cahaba Heights each time we have a load of breakables in the car, but so far no casualties.

I didn't know much about china before we decided to start this business and I've kind of fallen in love. There are so many variations not just in terms of pattern, but shape, size, and details. Hunting for this stuff is no joke! It's expensive, fragile and not extremely easy to find, which makes me all the more proud of our collection.

We're working toward an inventory of china that can serve 150+ guests but right now we hover somewhere around 75 five-piece place settings. We carry everything from Royal Doulton and Noritake to dainty flea market and thrift store finds. In addition to renting out 5-piece place settings, Cameo Vintage Rentals is happy to offer a variety of serving pieces and smaller place settings for less formal meals (2, 3 or 4-piece settings available). We're excited to supply gorgeous, eclectic china for your shower, luncheon or intimate wedding reception!

How Sweet It Is

We have a fun event coming up on June 16 that I'm sure I'll talk about more as it approaches, but long story short, it's a Bridesmaid's Luncheon event put on by Engaged over in Homewood. They've invited a caterer, a florist and a company who rents out linens and I'll be providing all of the vintage china, glassware and silver plated flatware for the event. I can't wait!


When thinking about what to bring as a giveaway, the standard promotional keychains, drink coozies and pens just don't seem classy enough, do they? Enter these super neat candy molds. I saw this picture in Country Living earlier this year and couldn't believe my eyes. You pour in the white chocolate and let it set for the white part and then add the background chocolate once the silhouette has firmed. I think they're going to be perfect!

New Cast Members

My 31st birthday was yesterday...tough for me to believe in some ways but definitely a good thing. I still feel young at heart, but one of the many signs that I'm 31 (and not 21) is that Saturday morning I was up and at 'em, hitting garage sales and hunting for more vintage rental treasures!One of the things I wanted to do on my birthday was have my husband accompany me on my trip (he usually skips my pickin' and opts for golf) so we brewed a pot of coffee and hit the road. This weekend's hunt yielded a great retro blue chair that you can see to the right, as well as a wingback chair that won't be featured until it gets reupholstered or slipcovered. It's currently featuring a blue flamestitch type pattern. The pattern isn't quite old enough to be considered vintage or retro. Just outdated. I looked at it and decided I didn't want to go through the hassle of a makeover when the lady running the sale made me an offer I couldn't refuse. So...another project in the pipeline!My favorite piece, though, is an antique white iron baby bed from the 1800s. The patent date is 1807 I think, which doesn't necessarily mean the bed is that old, but I've researched similar ones and it seems to be from the 19th century. Clearly it doesn't meet today's safety standards for little bundles of joy, but won't it just look fabulous at a baby shower overflowing with gifts?!?!