Vintage Adventure – On the Road for a Vintage Wedding in Tarboro

One thing I love about my business is seeing the many different venues in our area. This weekend was especially a treat as we traveled to the small city of Tarboro in eastern North Carolina. According to the town’s website, Tarboro was originally inhabited by the Tuscarora tribe.  By 1733 Europeans discovered this beautiful area by a river, known as the Taw, the Native American word for “river of health.” Over the years, the area was called Tawboro, Tarrburg, and Tarborough, until today’s name of Tarboro finally settled in.

Our destination was a beautiful, historic church called Saint Anne’s Chapel on the outskirts of town. It was designed by a German Baltimore architect and built in 1922 by two sisters with help from their cousins. Services were held here until the 1950s but after the sisters’ death, it started to fall into disrepair. Rescued by Kevin and Trish Wilson in 1999 and carefully restored to its former beauty, Saint Anne’s Chapel is now a lovely place for weddings and community events. Be sure to check out their website to learn more about this gorgeous piece of history!

We left our 225 place settings with Brooke’s family and crew and can’t wait to see scenes from their wedding and reception!  Many thanks go out to her family and friends for helping Priscilla and me unload, and for sharing a bit of their stories as well.

PS – One unexpected philosophical nugget that came up during our conversation on the road to Tarboro is this thought from a Barbara Kingsolver book  – The most important thing about a person is the thing you don’t know.  Hmmm…food for thought, indeed.

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Decor Rental NC

Vintage Adventure – All In A Day’s Work

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC


It was all in a day’s work – scouring the local thrift stores for unusual vintage items. And, true to thrift shopping lore, I didn’t see what I was looking for but I did find some terrific treasures I couldn’t pass up!

As I browse around a thrift store, I’m thinking about our clients and their upcoming celebrations. One of our brides, Anna, is getting married next month and together we designed her table centerpieces which include lots of lovely items such as vintage tins, frames, brass candle holders, and teapot vases. She also loved the vintage petite artwork as much as I do. A few of these items are pretty rare to come across, but the vintage gods must have been directing me this week because many were there, on the shelves, as if they were waiting for me to pick them up!

I am so looking forward to seeing many of these new items gathered together on Anna’s tables along with the other charming trinkets in our vintage decor inventory at Southern Vintage Table!

  • Vintage Brass Candle Holder
  • Vintage Decor Rental NC
  • Vintage Decor Rental
  • Vintage Decor Rental
  • Vintage Decor Rental NC
  • Vintage Decor Rental NC
  • Vintage Decor Rental NC
  • Vintage Decor Rental NC
  • Vintage Decor Rental NC

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Feature – Delightful Sedum-Filled Vintage Teacups

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

What do you do with a beautiful vintage teacup that’s lost its handle or has a chip? Drill a hole in the bottom, fill it with an assortment of sedums, and create a beautiful mini garden!

Since they love sun, leave them outside or in a sunny window and when you need something pretty for your table, put them on a pedestal for your guests to enjoy!  These are also available from Southern Vintage Table as a tabletop decor item and fit in perfectly with our Vintage Centerpiece Packages.

And, with today being Mother’s Day, we send wishes of love, compassion, and respect to all mothers and their children. To my mother, thank you for all of your gifts to us – your spirit, strength, compassion, courage, love of family, sassy smile – we miss you.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Event – Katie & Ryan Get Hitched!

It’s true – it’s all in the details and Katie and Ryan didn’t miss a thing with their beautiful wedding and lovely reception! With the help of wedding coordinator, Amy Wurster of Knots ‘N Such and Southern Vintage Table, and after months of planning with friends and family, Katie and Ryan’s vision of a rustic yet elegant celebration was realized. From the big details to the personal touches, it was a memory-making day for all!

It began at Fairview Baptist Church where friends and family witnessed the sweet wedding ceremony officiated by pastor, Hoyt Shuford. From there, guests migrated to the reception at The Big Barn. We all love this place, not only because of the family connection, but because it’s historic and authentically rustic.

While Katie and Ryan embraced the rustic atmosphere, they also wanted it to befit their romantic celebration. After swaths of cloth were draped across the ceiling and cascaded down the interior wall, and market lamps hung, the next step was to add the small vintage details.

The wooden tables are definitely part of The Big Barn’s charm and to showcase their beauty and history, we used an alternating table runner with vintage lace sewn by friend, Cynthia, and a layered doily stream provided by Southern Vintage Table. The decor, although slightly different from table to table, featured vintage treasures from our collection such as brass candle holders, alarm clocks, stacks of books, and frames. The charming petite coral rose arrangements, fashioned by Amy, added that perfect “pop” of color.

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

After the table centerpieces were in place, our final preparation was setting up the greeting and card stations. Take notice of the terrific vintage picnic basket, child’s chair, and the baby’s breath tucked in the pockets of the old suitcase, brass goblet, and metal pitcher. Such wonderful vintage details!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental

The sweetest details were the personal ones shared by Katie and Ryan. The mantle was bedecked with photos of their engagement, the handmade box that held the engagement ring, the famous “Get’in Hitched” sign made by a friend for their engagement party, and the lighted “J” at the bar.

Perhaps the loveliest displays were the dessert and sign-in tables. Covered with one of our vintage lace tablecloths, the beautiful tiered cake was flanked by photos of Katie and Ryan’s parents and grandparents. Also, note the table next Katie’s exquisite portrait – as a memento of their day, they created a poster with a heart from their thumbprints and guests added a personal message to the couple.

One last touch, added to the tables and in honor of all who came to celebrate with the newly married couple, was a beautiful message. “We feel that the finest gift is one that helps others. We truly appreciate that you are part of this special day! Love Katie & Ryan.”  And, with that came their gift to the Fairview Baptist Church Food Pantry. So thoughtful!  Wishing you two joy, happiness, and endless love!

Southern Vintage Table

Of course, family and friends took part in this special event as well as these amazing individuals and businesses!

Wedding Coordinator & Florist – Knots ‘N Such
Vintage Decor – Southern Vintage Table
Venue – The Big Barn
Officiant – Hoyt Shuford
Catering – Johnny Bakatsias Catering
Rentals – Classic Party Rentals
Photographer – Ginny Corbett Photography
Videographer – Andrew Kennedy Cinematography
Lighting – K2 Productions
DJ – Michael Gay
Cake Designer – Faye’s Cakes
Hair Artist – Lanee Brooks Salon

More to come about this delightful couple’s wedding when Ginny’s photos are available but here’s a preview, capturing the end of a memorable day for all!

Ginny Corbett Photography

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Event – A Preview Katie and Ryan’s Wedding Day!

Sweet, romantic, and beautiful!  With vintage vignettes down the tables and throughout the venue, the celebration of Katie and Ryan’s wedding was ready to begin. This week’s post features a quick peek of last night before the guests arrived – more coming next week!

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Event – An Easter Family Dinner

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Our Easter surprise came as a last minute request to set the table for a Sunday family dinner – sweet!

Our design began with a vintage floral printed tablecloth, layered with bright green placemats and yellow napkins. We chose vintage stoneware patterns that featured green, yellow, and brown, and the sparkling jewels of the table were Sharon’s amber thumbnail tumblers – so gorgeous in the afternoon sunlight!

The centerpiece vignette included an eclectic mix of vintage gems – brass candle holders with yellow candlesticks, a mixed bouquet in a vintage vase, moss-covered egg cups and china purse, a vintage Easter postcard poised on a fork stand, and a cute ceramic basket filled with colorful jelly beans – so many fun, delightful touches to this stunning table!

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Sharon absolutely loved her beautiful table and knew her Easter dinner guests would, too.  As I am in the moment, writing this post about this intimate family dinner and thinking about our upcoming wedding this weekend, I realize once again why I love our business.  Each event, dinner, affair, and occasion, small or large, grand or casual, is an opportunity for Southern Vintage Table to create a beautiful, unique, vintage-inspired table atmosphere for the most important guest list – yours!

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Feature – Sunshine Yellow Tablescape Vignettes

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Hues of yellow and gold inspire a new set of centerpiece vignettes!

In last week’s post we unveiled our new Vintage Centerpiece Packages!  I must admit, I am super excited about this concept because now our wonderful collection of vintage decor can more easily harmonize with each other in unique table vignettes. After refining the concept last week, I wanted to design another set and it didn’t take me long to find my inspiration  –  my favorite signs of spring, forsythia and daffodils!

I love the color yellow – it’s warm, bright, and evokes happiness. With this joyful color of spring in mind, I gathered our vintage items of yellow and gold, picked flowers, cut sprigs, and began creating. Let’s test the steps from last week’s post with our new spring-inspired vision:

Step 1:  Determine how many clusters you’ll need for your vignette.
3-5 clusters on each table.

Step 2:  Decide on the number of different groups of vignettes.
8 tables with 3 different designs – Group A – 2 tables; Group B – 3 tables; Group C – 3 tables.

Step 3:  Create a formula for each vignette grouping.
Goal – Gold metals, two sets of flowers/greenery in each setting, candle lighting at each, ceramic vases, yellow candlesticks

  • Group A (5 items) – Metal – brass candelabra, clock, brass vase, small brass frame; Organic – two flower bouquets; Ceramic/Glass – medium ceramic vase
  • Group B (6 items) – Metal – 3 brass candle holders of different heights,  medium framed picture; Organic – flowers, sedum plant; Ceramic/glass – large porcelain vase, glass coaster with gold trim, sedum teacup planter
  • Group C (5 items) – Metal – brass candlestick holder, pillar candle holder (metal or ceramic); Organic – small flower bouquet, sedum plant, large/small twig ball; Ceramic/glass – ceramic vase, sedum ceramic creamer/pitcher planter

Here are three ideas for a bright, cheery look for a table featuring yellow!

Step 4 – List the items needed by their three groups.

  • Group A – 2 Tables – 2 Each
    1 brass candelabra, 1 large procelain vase featuring yellow, 1 vintage clock, 1 brass vase, 1 small brass frame with yellow insert
  • Group B – 3 Tables – 3 Each
    3 brass candle holders of different heights, 1 medium porcelain vase featuring yellow, 1 gold/yellow teacup with sedum, 1 glass coaster, 1 medium brass frame with yellow insert
  • Group C – 3 Tables – 3 Each
    1 brass candle holder, 1 tall yellow or cream ceramic vase for small bouquet, 1 ceramic/metal gold pillar candle holder, 1 gold/yellow creamer/sugar dish/teacup with sedum, 1 large/1 small twig ball

Step 5 – Let Southern Vintage Table select, pack, and deliver your items!

We’d love to help you create your unique table centerpiece!  For yellow lovers, check out last year’s post, Happy Yellow Vintage China,  And, for beautiful, locally grown NC flowers, check out the flower offerings at Fernrock Farm which provided the lovely daffodils in our arrangements. Thank you, Carrie and Bill!

This was way too much fun – look for another set of vignette inspirations coming soon!

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Feature – Announcing Our Centerpiece Packages!

Vintage Decor Rental NCIt’s time to check off the second of our three goals we set at the start of the new year!  Southern Vintage Table is now offering our collection of cool and wonderful doodads and small linens in a “per table” package so you can customize your own vintage look.  Announcing… (Drum-roll, please…)

 ~ Southern Vintage Table’s Centerpiece Packages! ~


You have your guest list finalized and now you’re ready to design your vintage table centerpieces.  You want something different for each table but you also want the tables to look coordinated and you don’t have time to scour the thrift stores for cool vintage stuff. No worries!  We’ve got you covered in 5 easy steps with an example to boot!

Step 1:  Determine how many clusters you’ll need for your vignette.
To follow the decorating rule of odds, you’ll need 1, 3, or even 5 clusters depending on the size of the table and the size of the bouquet.  Of course, the rule of odds can be ignored but it’s a good place to start.
~ For our example, we are using a small bouquet in a milk glass vase as one cluster and need 2 more.

Step 2:  Decide on the number of different groups of vignettes.
This step is to help you get organized with the details. If you have 3 tables, maybe you want a different vignettes for each table. But if you have 8 tables, maybe 4 different vignettes times 2 would work best.
~ For our example, we have 9 tables and we are going to use 3 different groups of vignettes (Groups A, B, and C).

Step 3:  Create a formula for each vignette grouping.
Here’s where the creativity comes in! To help focus choices, we have categorized our vintage items by the material they are made of – metal, organic (wood, paper, cloth), and glass/ceramic.
~ For our example, the goal is to represent each material category and vary the heights. We also want to include a small bouquet and some form of candle lighting. Here are our example formulas. Note that each grouping has a different number of items but still have three clusters in the vignette.

  • Group A (5 items) – Metal – Brass candleholder; Organic – Doily and small wooden stand; Glass/Ceramic – Milk glass vase and sedum teacup
  • Group B (5 items) – Metal – Brass candle holder and silver box; Organic – Doily and dried rose; Glass/Ceramic – Milk glass vase and votive insert
  • Group C (7 items) – Metal – Picture frame and short pillar stand; Organic – Book stack, small doily, large doily; Glass/Ceramic – Votive and milk glass vase

Vintage Decor Rental NC

Step 4 – List the items needed by their three groups.

~ For our example, we’ll need the following for our 9 table centerpieces. Although we are using the same basic items in the groupings, each vignette will be a little different! How wonderful is that?

  • Group A – 3 Tables – 3 each
    small wooden pedestal, teacup sedum, medium doily, short milk glass vase, tall brass candlestick holder
  • Group B – 3 Tables – 3 each
    small metal box or similar item, dried rose/flower, medium doily, short milk glass vase, tall pedestal candle holder
  • Group C – 3 Tables – 3 each
    book stack, low pedestal candle holder, small/medium frame. small doily, tall milk glass vase, glass votive

Step 5 – Let Southern Vintage Table select, pack, and deliver your items!
Ready to get started?  We can help you create your own “formula” and suggest items for your unique, fun, and charming centerpieces!


~ Items ~

Metals – frames; postcards on fork stands; candle holders (brass and silver); candle stands; small metal boxes; small metal pitchers; alarm clocks; sifters; kitchen scales; decorative tins; brass animals; silver-rimmed coasters; small silver trays; sad irons and trivets

Organics – books; doilies; wooden boxes; wooden frames; sedum teacups; baskets; pine cones; shells

Glass/Ceramics – milk glass vases; blue, green, and clear glass vases; ceramic vases and planters; votives; bottles; glass candle holders; ceramic figurines and boxes; salt & pepper shakers; petite teacup & saucers

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

Vintage Adventure – A More-Than-Century-Old Thrift Store Treasure

The snow is gone, spring is almost here, and it’s time to do the thrift store circuit to uncover vintage gems for Southern Vintage Table.  And, what would make a great day even better?  Browsing my favorite thrift stores with Jami!  Little did we know we would find something really, really wonderful.

So, it was our third stop and as soon as we opened the door to the old-house-turned-thrift-store, I spied these cups on the table. Neither of us could read the mark without our glasses, but even with our blurry vision, it had that distinctive vintage look.  I bought them and couldn’t wait to find out more.

Bodley StampAlthough I couldn’t find a photo or pattern name, I did discover more about the company that made them. Here’s a bit of their story.

The pottery company is Edwin J.D. Bodley from Burslem, England.  Edwin was the son of Edward Fisher Bodley and originally the two worked together but later the father retired and Edwin took over.  According to thepotteries.org, these are key dates for Edwin’s company:

  • In 1875 the father retired and the son carried on on his own accord. 
  • In the 1881 census the company is recorded as having 140 employees. 
  • In 1892 the company was declared bankrupt. 

So, using a little bit of math, this means these teacups are at least 123 years old!  Holy moly!  This advertisement from The Pottery Gazette, American and Canadian Edition, January 1st, 1880, also from thepotteries.org site, gives some insight into the company’s business plan. I definitely appreciate Edwin’s quest to create “fancy goods” for the American market!

bodley+edwin

My guess is these were made for the American market in the 1880s, with all their fanciness, shape and decorative style, and bought somewhere here. Who bought them, where they lived and how many cups of tea were stylishly served in them – alas – that’s all left to our own imagination. But, we do know they now reside at Southern Vintage Table for all to joyfully admire!  Aren’t they fabulous?

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC

 

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Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC