Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Event – Honoring the Chefs of Thanksgiving at Our Annual Family Reunion

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Thanksgiving 2018 for the Bass-Heath-Roberson families and friends was amazing! Fifty years ago the tradition began with our parents and grandparents who traveled far and near to share a homemade Thanksgiving feast. This time-honored ritual has become a favorite holiday celebration and we are grateful for the many memories this day has created for each of us.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Honoring our chefs, past and present, was this year’s holiday theme. Along with our beautiful white stoneware plates, green, brown, and amber goblets, multicolored napkins, and bakelite flatware, we incorporated vintage kitchen decor down the guest tables. Vintage sifters, graters, egg cups, and kitchen tools transformed into vases, filled with foraged florals, berries, moss, and greenery.Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NCSouthern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

We’ll be back next year to do it all over again! Many thanks to Sandy, Rowena, and Sherry for setting the tables and designing the centerpieces. Also, we salute the Rolesville Masonic Lodge for their many good deeds and for generously allowing us to use their meeting hall for our family gathering. 



Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Feature – New Vintage Patterns from Europe and the US

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

We are always on the hunt for new vintage patterns to add to our collections and we’d like to introduce you to some of our newcomers! Most of them we found at local thrift stores but we also had a few gifted to us. How sweet is that? These new patterns hail from England, Austria, France, Bavaria, and the US.

The patterns above are rich with colors and we love each one of them. From the top left, the makers are Salem China from USA, Royal Bayreuth from Bavaria, Mason’s from England, and Trischenreuth, also from Bavaria.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Now, who doesn’t love vintage patterns with delicate florals? These four beauties are from several different countries. Starting at the top left, we have Knowles China from the US, Union Ceramique from France, Haviland from France, and Karlsbad from Austria.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rentals NC

These colorful four patterns look so nice together! The two on the right are from England, Johnson Brothers and Royal Dalton. The two on the left are from potteries in the US, Vernon Kilns and Knowles China, both of which are no longer in business.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

This last set of four are a bit atypical of china patterns with their hues of brown. We love how they look together – add a brown and amber goblet to the table, and you have a terrific look! All of these ironstone patterns are from England – the top two are Mason’s, the bottom left is Johnson Brothers, and the bottom right is Staffordshire.

Mixing and matching china patterns presents a beautiful, interesting table for your guests whether it’s a wedding reception, bridal shower, a holiday meal, or a dinner party.  Give us a call or send an email through our Contact page. We’d love to hear from you!


Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Event – Jess & Andrew’s Mountainside Wedding

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

What’s the secret recipe for a wedding celebration beyond imagination? Start with a magnificent mountain backdrop near a quaint inn, generously add gorgeous florals and greenery, and set lovely vintage china and goblets for each guest. Then gather your twenty dearest friends to be a part o,f the bridal party, and, of course, invite 300 family and guests to celebrate with you.! Finally, add a talented photographer, aka Katy Cook Photography, to capture all of this perfection!

The most important ingredient for the perfect wedding is the betrothed couple and Jessica and Andrew couldn’t have been more perfectly matched. Their joy and happiness spill out everywhere and we feel so fortunate to share these with you!

We had a difficult time only selecting a few from this much anticipated wedding day. But, you’re in luck because Katy Cook published a sneak peek of the wedding on her blog and you’re going to be mesmerized by her post!

Here are a few of our favorite favorites which showcase our vintage beauties!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Congratulations to this amazing couple, Jessica and Andrew! Wishing you two and your family the best of everything!

Vendor Team
~Venue and Catering: Switzerland Inn & Chalet Restaurant~
~Photographer: Katy Cook~
~Florist: Millefleurs, Banner Elk, NC~
~China: Southern Vintage Table, Hillsborough, NC~
~Tent and all other Rentals: Classic Event Rental, Asheville, NC~
~String Quartet: Cafe String Quartet~
~Makeup – Pop of Color: Hair & Makeup~
~Cake: Sugar Cloud Bakery~
~Band: Rupert’s Orchestra, Atlanta, GA~
~Bride’s Dress & Shoes: Carolina Herrera & Manolo Blahnik~
~Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Sung~
~Groom: Custom jacket & pants~
~Tuxedos: Black Tux~
~Videography: Magic Hour Creative~
~Photo Bus: Carolina Booth and Bus~


Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental

Vintage Feature – Three Client Reviews and Three Vintage Views

Natalie E Photography

For wedding professionals, there’s nothing more delightful than receiving kind reviews from their clients. Because we are passionate about our vintage wares and what they represent, we truly love sharing them with others. We strive to do our best to be accommodating, polite, and timely with all of our interactions and events. These three client reviews from Wedding Wire help us know that our collection and efforts are appreciated!


Emma –  April, 2018

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Kelsey Rae Photography

“Shelly was great to work with and I really enjoyed getting to visit her studio to try different colors and patterns for my wedding reception tables. The mix-and-match blue china and glasses were whimsical yet classic and added a nice touch of color to my tables. There were tons of options to choose from! She was flexible with pick up and drop off.”


Renée – April, 2018

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Natalie E Photography

“If you are looking for vintage place settings and rentals for your wedding or other special event, look no further! Southern Vintage Table has everything you can imagine! Shelly is wonderful to work with and was so accommodating through the whole wedding planning process. Shelly and her team did a fabulous job and went above and beyond to make my daughter’s wedding reception even more beautiful than we could have imagined!”


Mallory – May, 2018

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Shelly Heath Photography

“I got the most compliments on my wedding about the table settings and the dishware! Everyone LOVED the eclectic pieces and creativity! The staff was very professional, timely, and accommodating. Would recommend Southern Vintage Table to anyone! Thank you for making our wedding so beautiful!”


Thank you, Emma, Renée, and Mallory, for your lovely reviews and for trusting us to be a part of your wedding day! To read more client reviews, go to Wedding Wire and our newest collaborator, The Knot.


Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Event – First Look at Casey & Alex’s Elegant Reception

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

The rain cleared, clouds broke, and the sunshine arrived just in time for Casey and Alex’s beautiful ceremony! This marvelous wedding was such a treat for us because we were both a vendor and a guest!

Our connection is through Casey’s mother, Jami, who is the beloved “butterflies and rainbows” member of our tribe, the Yayas. We’ve known each other for more than 20 years and have shared many life events together with each other’s families. Casey and Alex’s wedding meant so much for each of us and we all were excited to attend.

An upcoming blog post will show more of the wedding and reception with JP Pratt‘s professional photographs, but today we are sharing a few of our own. Our vintage clear and pink goblets, silver-plate flatware, dessert plates, and table numbers look so pretty in the Carolina Club‘s ballroom. Meristem‘s glorious florals, the elegant black chairs and napkins from American Party Rentals, and CE Rentals‘ tablecloths and chargers created this elegant, glamorous setting.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Congrats, Casey and Alex! We loved every bit of your joy-filled wedding and reception and wish the best of everything in the years ahead!


PS – Many, many thanks go out to Camille Zarzar, event planner for the Carolina Club, and Stacy Newberg of Events By Memory Lane. We enjoyed meeting photographers JP and Theresa Pratt and floral designers Anna and Brian of Meristem Florals. The Yayas also loved our personal server, Kristin, who was sweet and attentive to our every need!


Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Event – A Magical Wedding at Snipes Farm

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Yay! We are so pleased to share photos of Lindsey and Brad’s vintage reception tables, courtesy of Sean True Photography. One word that describes these gorgeous, colorful photos – MAGICAL! The glorious floral centerpieces, vintage colored goblets, the perfectly set tables, and twinkling lights created an wondrous backdrop for the newly wed couple and their guests as they celebrated this beautiful day.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Congratulations and thank you, Lindsey and Brad, for inviting us to be a part of your beautiful wedding day. Wishing you the very best of everything!

“Call it magic, call it true
I call it magic when I’m with you” – Coldplay

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Feature – The “Magic” Behind Vintage Blue Ridge China

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

We found Peggy first – this quaint dessert dish with a single pink flower. We thought it was special because of its simplicity but didn’t know it was a Blue Ridge Southern Potteries’ pattern until much later. In fact, we had never heard of Blue Ridge pottery!

Now we understand why folks love to collect these quaint patterns. The history behind this unique style of dishware is a great American story about a once thriving pottery in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Tennessee.  Although our current inventory of Blue Ridge is limited, our appreciation at Southern Vintage Table for this American-made china is growing!

The story begins in the early 1900s when a railroad company sold a large parcel of land along their railroad line in Erwin, Tennessee to a group of investors. There were rich deposits of kaolinite and feldspar nearby, perfect ingredients for a pottery business. According to Wikipedia, in 1916 Clinchfield Potteries opened their doors for business, manufacturing the typical china style of the times which were described as “gold-trimmed, decal-decorated dishes”.

blue ridge logo

In the 1920s the business was sold and became known as Southern Potteries. To set his style of china apart from his competitors, the new owner introduced a hand painted, underglaze technique. The bold, new patterns, painted by the local women, were stamped with the new label, Blue Ridge, sometime during the 1930s.

Young ladies, some as young as fifteen, came down from the mountains to be trained as painters at the pottery. Men were taught how to mold the shapes and do the firing. Some of the young ladies were so talented that they were allowed to paint what are called Artists Signed Plates. These are rare, but wonderful to own. Others were content being part of a team who sat in hard chairs around a table and painted for many hours each day. One might paint a flower on the bisque plate while another would add a stem and leaves. A third might paint an edge around the plate and so on until the plate was finished and put in the stack to be fired and glazed.  (blueridgechina.com)

Bright colors and big designs are hallmarks of Blue Ridge patterns. Here are four dinner plate patterns in our inventory at Southern Venture Table.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NCThis pattern is called Stanhome Ivy.  It was a pattern made in 1947 for Stanley Home Products and given as a gift to the hostess when she held a party featuring their wares. Avon cosmetics and Quaker Oats also gave Blue Ridge china to salespeople and consumers to boost sales of their own products.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

The big bold flower patterns are our favorite designs, especially the yellow ones. These vintage dessert plates are simply charming!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Due to a shortage of imports during WWII, business boomed for Southern Potteries. After the war ended, however, cheaper china imports returned to the American market and plastic dinnerware hit the stores. The competition was tough on Southern Potteries and their business dramatically fell. After designing over 4000 different patterns, Southern Potteries finally closed its doors in 1957 and, according to Blue Ridge-SPI,  “the magic was gone.”  I love that quote.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

These vintage American-made hand painted patterns are available at Southern Vintage Table in limited amounts but we are actively looking to add to our collection!  As we admire these hand painted beauties, we have a vision of women, brushes in hand, artfully painting and sharing a little of themselves with every stroke of their brush. Invite Southern Vintage Table to share some vintage magic with your guests at your next event!

Here are more resources about the now-collectable Blue Ridge china!
Blue Ridge Pottery China Dinnerware Pottery Southern Potteries
Blue Ridge – SPI
Blue Ridge (dishware) – Wikipedia
The Erwin National Pottery Club

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Feature – Shiny Vintage Silverplate

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Cleaning silver can be messy and time-consuming but the results are always so satisfying! We have been putting this task off for a while but this weekend turned out to be the perfect time. In fact, it turned out to be a Zen moment.

With the counter covered in plastic, new gloves donned, and Yaya apron protection, the polishing began. Piece by piece in the silent studio, the dark tarnish was wiped away. While being “in the moment” over the period of several hours, we cleaned vintage flatware, trays, and teapots. Remarkably, the dreaded task had become a cathartic experience.

In the pile of mostly butter knives, there was a pair of forks, but, as it turns out, not an ordinary pair. As the tarnish came off, two etchings were revealed. One was etched with Mr and the one with Mrs. We recall finding these in a thrift store bin, but didn’t realize we had the pair. What a nice surprise! Notice how the Mr fork is smaller than Mrs. There must be a wonderful backstory!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

After finishing the flatware, the cleaning and polish continued. Kymberly came by this week to choose decor for an upcoming church tea party. She needed 12 silver teapots/pitchers and 12 silver trays for her centerpieces.

Here’s the after-polish-applied look…

…and here are the shining results!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Ahhh, the feeling of wiping off the old and revealing the shiny underneath is certainly fulfilling; our task turned out to be more than cleaning silver. And, it’s important to remember that It takes time for the tarnish to reappear, and when it does, it can be wiped cleaned again.

Have a wonderful week!


Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Event – Handpicked Showcase of Makers & Experts at The Parlour at Mann’s Chapel

How delightful and humbling to be invited to the “handpicked showcase of makers and experts” at The Parlour at Mann’s Chapel, a beautifully restored historic chapel! This charming venue is absolutely perfect for intimate gatherings and we love being a part of any affair held here.

The evening was great fun for both vendors and guests! Tasty bites from a cadre of talented caterers and food vendors – Columbian chocolate treats, homemade ice cream, champagne, mac & cheese, cake, coffee & donuts, cookies, cider, petite salads, and speciality drinks – were enjoyed by everyone. The beautiful tablescapes, handmade paper products, glorious florals, and samples of guest favors as well as vendor services such as hair, makeup, photography, handwriting, and planning were part of this showcase affair.

Our post today includes photos of our table, taken by the talented Rebecca Ames, which was all decked out with the magnificent locally farmed flowers from Fernrock Farm.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Sending out kudos and thanks to hosts Aimee and Yvette, owners of the The Parlour at Mann’s Chapel, for inviting us to this gala event, Fernrock Farm for the gorgeous fresh flowers, Priscilla for her sparkling spirit and support, and Rebecca Ames for her lovely photos! To see more of Rebecca’s photos from the evening, skip over to her blog post. You won’t be disappointed!


~ Here’s a salute to all of the fantastic vendors! ~
A Signature Welcome, Abigail Porter Bridal Yoga, Amanda Blair By Design, American Party Rentals, The Bardot Beauty Bus, Bri Bakes, Carolina Livery, Cat Call Collective, CE Rentals, Chad Biggs Event Planning, Chatham Cider Works, Chatham Rabbits, Chef Paris Fine Southern Catering, Choco Sweetness, Cottage Luxe Boutique Event Rentals, The Gathering Company, H+L Catering, Happy Tines Calligraphy + Design, Heir Raleigh, Ida Lou Bride – Fine Bags & Trimmings, Juniper and Rye Floral, Kast Events & Co, Krystal Kast Photography, Laurel Calligraphy, Lil Photobus, Mason Dixon Designs, Mood Fleuriste, Party Tables, Pinola Camper Bar, Rebecca Ames Photography, Salt & Smoke, Simply Cakes, Southern Sugar Bakery, Southern Vintage Table, Tenco Coffee Truck, Top Off Events, Trillium Workshop, Two Roosters Ice Cream, Wink Hair & Makeup

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Event – Vintage China, Local Flowers, and a Historic Venue

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental

Attention tea party lovers!  Last week the Yayas, a group of very close friends, hosted a bridal shower tea party for Casey at the historic King’s Daughters Inn in Durham, NC. Since Casey is a daughter of one of the YaYas, this tea party needed to be extra special!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

The four guest tables in the dining room featured four different color schemes – pink, yellow, green, and blue & white. Dainty teacups sat beside trays of scones, platters of mini ham biscuits, and petite bowls of cheese straws. Tiered stands of cookies, strawberries, and tea sandwiches adorned each table. Four different flavored mini cupcakes, nestled on cake stands, completed the tea party menu.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

After guests enjoyed their tea party fare, they were invited to the flower table where an array of beautiful flowers awaited their attention. Each guest created their own floral arrangement using the locally grown flowers from Fernrock Farm. Each designed a unique floral bouquet to take home. One guest remarked that it was her favorite shower activity. Yay!

We then adjourned to the parlor to enjoy watching Casey open her shower gifts. She was delighted by the thoughtful presents and looks forward to using them with her new husband!

Many thanks to Tubga Musurfu for capturing beautiful photos to record this joyous occasion! Additionally, the YaYas and Southern Vintage Table highly recommend the services provided by Cathleen, Events Manager, and crew at the King’s Daughters Inn. Finally, we appreciate the advice and beautiful locally grown flowers from Fernrock Farm in Hillsborough. Carrie can provide buckets of gorgeous flowers or create beautiful fresh floral arrangements for you!


Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC