Must Haves: Vintage Furniture

Must Haves: Vintage Furniture

September 21st, 2010 @ 8:37 am by Mrs. Brooch
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I’m the daughter of trash pickers and proud!

Yeah, I said it. So what?

I pride myself on my ability to find goodies at a low cost, secondhand, or for free. That’s right—for free! You might have guessed this from my bio–lover of all things vintage/antique/thrift/homemade. You’ll find I’m a sucker for a deal. I thrive on a good bargain!

Remember my seating inspiration? Many of you were concerned about the cost and rightfully so. Renting lounge furntiure, especially the expensive kind, can get really expensive and fast! My solution is to go secondhand. Seriously. Mama Brooch and I have found some pretty amazing furniture curbside.

The thing is, our venue is perfect for this aesthetic because it’s historic and has a very antique charm, and I want to keep that consistent throughout our wedding.

Take this couch for instance.

Elizabeth Anne Designs

I HEART THIS COUCH!

I’ll admit, I love it because it’s green. It’s olive green (my favorite color), but don’t you think we could find this somewhere cheap (hello, Craigslist) and sell it later? I sold all of my furniture when I graduated from college. (I sold furniture, and some pretty nice stuff, too, throughout college.) I know firsthand what BO means. (Best offer, for those of you not in the know.) And it just might be the only way I’ll get the seating I desire.

My thought: why rent overpriced lounge furniture that you’ll never get to use again when you could bring in your own pieces that can be less expensive and recycled?

On a recent trip to our venue, which I’ll talk more about in another post, Mr. B and I took some time to brainstorm the decoration and use of this huge patio behind the manor. It’s next to the garden and behind the dining area. We really want the space to be utilized, but we don’t want to put a tent up because we think it will obstruct the amazing view.

My vote is to put lounge furniture in this area. Let me rephrase: vintage lounge furniture. Let’s stage it people! We’ll pull together some really cool vintage pieces and mix them with a few modern touches. Add a table with our guestbook, and put a drink station nearby.

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We need something that is going to draw people out here. Something that will get people utilizing this space. More importantly…let’s get some awesome pictures! Can anyone else see the bridal party taking this space over and getting some um.az.ing photo ops!?

Here is the space I’m talking about:

OK, SO. You see my vision, but you’re not sure we’re going to find the vintage furniture seen on Style Me Pretty and in the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings mag. Think again! How about this charming vintage vanity for sale locally? I love it. It’s exactly the type of furniture I’m talking about in this post. And check out the black dresser below. Both are for sale on Craigslist!

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Still can’t see my vision? Then take a look at these photos from a few real weddings, where the brides apparently had similar visions to mine.

I’m so in love with this look:

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What are you using to spruce up your wedding venue? Do you like vintage furniture? Will you use it at your wedding?

Tags: arlington, decor |

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17 Responses to “Must Haves: Vintage Furniture”

Guest

Erica

I think it’s a lovely idea and if it’s already a passion of yours, then you should do it!
I did think about obtaining my own furniture for the wedding as well, but I don’t think it will be possible. The cost is one of the reasons, but not the only one. I wouldn’t know what to do with:
- The storage of the furniture up till the wedding day (I live in an apartment)
- The transport of all the furniture to the wedding location
- The reception place has some rules on what is permitted and what not
- What to do with the furniture if it rains
If you have all of the above covered, go for it!!

9/21/10 @ 9:20 am (reply)

Bee

Miss Brooch (message) 1,721 posts, Bumble bee

@Erica: Hey Erica! Yeah, I’m thinking abotu some of those same road blocks, and not sure we’ll be able to overcome them! We do live in a house, however, and have a planner, who maybe able to help transport furniture there. We don’t need a whole lot, so hopefully we can get er’ done!

9/21/10 @ 9:57 am (reply)

Member

jordynrose (message) 6,351 posts, Bee Keeper

I love this look. If you really want it, you can make it happen.

9/21/10 @ 10:07 am (reply)

Member

tksjewelry (message) 9,769 posts, Bee Keeper

We are getting married and having our reception at a vintage mansion, but I did buy a vintage pulpit and some small tables for the minister, guest book, and the escort cards.

9/21/10 @ 10:27 am (reply)

Member

FutureSteelFox (message) 155 posts, Blushing bee

I think this is fan-friggen-tastic! What a cost-effective way to get a normally “splurge” type item. There’s a cheaper way to get just about anything… even in “The Wedding Industry.”

9/21/10 @ 10:43 am (reply)

Bee

Mrs. Stripes (message) 1,063 posts, Bumble bee

Woo hoo! A bee after my own heart! I totally combed thrift stores for a few extra pieces of furniture for our wedding- our drink table was a 1950’s kitchen table and I found a fireplace mantle that we used on our cheese table….
The only downside is that the more stuff you have- the more stuff you have to move (um, hello! we had a uhaul) and the more stuff that ends up back in your entry way/dining room/living room in the days after your wedding.

I know because I’m staring at it all right now. LOL. Still I think that if you can coordinate how to pull this off it will be totally amazing!

9/21/10 @ 11:03 am (reply)

Member

Encore (message) 680 posts, Busy bee

It an absolutely gorgeous idea. But I’d really worry about storage of the pieces before and after the event. Plus, it makes your vision extremely dependent on the weather. If it rains, you’re just out of luck.

Of course, just now I looked up and saw I’m not the only one worried about that. Talk to your planner though and see if they have any cool ideas to get past this!

9/21/10 @ 11:38 am (reply)

Bee

Mrs. Pin Cushion (message) 1,012 posts, Bumble bee

Fabulous idea! I had intentions of doing this (and even bought and painted an old dresser) but we ended up not bringing anything to the venue because of space issues. I hope it works for you! Can’t wait to see!

9/21/10 @ 1:41 pm (reply)

Member

SandraMarie_1986 (message) 1,363 posts, Bumble bee

I love this idea. I want to do the same thing but our wedding location is two hours away and I’m not sure how I would do this.

9/21/10 @ 3:45 pm (reply)

10.

Member

SandraMarie_1986 (message) 1,363 posts, Bumble bee

I am totally in love with this concept though so go for it!!!

9/21/10 @ 3:45 pm (reply)

11.

Member

OctPumpkin (message) 593 posts, Busy bee

I love LOVE going to thrift stores and antique fairs. I got a lot of my decor from these places, plus Etsy, eBay and DIY. I wanted to do the same with some furniture, but ran out of time, money and am so tired of logistics! I can’t wait to see what you come up with.

9/21/10 @ 4:05 pm (reply)

12.

Bee

Miss Earrings (message) 2,477 posts, Buzzing bee

Im DYING to get a couple of peices of vintage furniture for the wedding. So far we have a little dresser that we might use for the cake, but im on the hunt for an awesome couch. Dont know if that hunt will end in results though. I hope your furniture collecting is successful!

9/21/10 @ 5:02 pm (reply)

13.

Bee

Miss Lioness (message) 817 posts, Busy bee

All of these pieces are fantastic! What a great way to add some personality to your setting!

9/21/10 @ 9:34 pm (reply)

14.

Member

bethers (message) 105 posts, Blushing bee

I love the idea, and it’ll be beautiful in your venue! You might be able to find some wrought iron or vintage-looking end tables on sale now with it being the end of patio furniture season … and it’s still good weather for some local garage sales perhaps! Maybe throw some blankets out there too for people to snuggle in?

9/21/10 @ 9:45 pm (reply)

15.

Guest

amariem25

i’d be scared of vintage furniture because it could harbor bedbugs and who knows what else.

9/21/10 @ 10:40 pm (reply)

16.

Bee

Miss Glasses (message) 2,741 posts, Sugar bee

Those are such gorgeous pieces! I can’t wait to see what you “dig up” for the wedding!

9/22/10 @ 8:15 am (reply)

17.

Guest

Jeff D

I like the vintage furniture idea a lot as it truly is a low-budget alternative to spending a small fortune on overpriced furniture. I truly believe that the recent vintage - revival also had its reasoning simply because it is a lot more affordable.

2/21/11 @ 11:27 am (reply)