Bar at Merry Hill

Southern Vintage Table Event – A Beautiful Day for a Keys Events Styled Shoot at Merry Hill

Merry Hill Shoot

Finally, a glorious cool September day – perfect to be outdoors at Merry Hill for a Keys Events styled shoot. Originally, our two companies were set to be part of a vendor wedding team on this day, but, alas, things didn’t quite work out. When Monique suggested that we join her team of vendors for a shoot on this day, we immediately said “yes”. How splendid it was!

Styled shoots have always been a great means to meet new vendors and experiment with creative designs; however, they have become the saving grace for many vendors during this pandemic year. We have been able to keep busy, stay focused on our business, and work alongside other vendors in a shared creative enterprise. Typically, SVT might be part of 2-3 styled shoots in a year – so far this year, we have participated in 5 and have 5 more on the calendar. We have met many new folks in the wedding industry and visited several new venues. As the saying goes, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!”

With our masks donned, Monique of Keys Events and Jaclyn of Jaclyn Auletta Photography worked together to get that perfect shot. It’s always inspirational to see our fellow vendors in their element. These two professionals collaboratively hummed along, getting the most out of the setup.

The photos shared today are our own and we’ll be eager to share Jaclyn’s professional images. Armed with a new iPhone 11, we loved focusing on our vintage wares, especially those placed on the bar provided by Oak City Rental Events. And, with Folie a Deux Events’ luscious florals, this vignette on Merry Hill’s front porch was so pretty!

Vendor Team
Planner and Stylist – Keys Events
Venue = Merry Hill Weddings
Photographer – Jaclyn Auletta Photography
Florals – Folie à Deux Events
Linens – CE Rental
Chairs and Bar – Oak City Event Rental
Cake – Maryanne Harris Cakes
Stationery – Safari Calligraphy
Tableware and Decor – Southern Vintage Table


Enjoy your Labor Day holiday! SVT’s vintage items will travel Wednesday to Gibsonville. Bess and Beau Event Design will be styling 4 different shoots, all in one day! Since we are unable to attend, we’ll be extremely excited to see these photographs!


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Vintage Wildflower Stoneware

Vintage Feature – Three Tell-Tale Signs that Fall is Near

Vintage Napkin on Vintage Stoneware Plate

Summer has been brutal here in the NC with high temps and humidities, and though fall won’t be official until mid September, these three tell-tale signs tell us it’s closing in.

First, next weekend is our beloved Labor Day. This year most of us will be staying at home, like every day since March, but Labor Day sales will still go on and we’ll be shopping online, much like we’ve done for the past 5 months. Sure wish thrift stores offered online shopping!

Second, everything pumpkin is the rage again – when you can buy a pumpkin spice latte or pumpkin muffins, you know fall is coming. Yay! We just happen to love pumpkin anything!

Third, the favored color palette evolves from sweet pinks and blues to vibrant hues of amber, orange, red, and brown. Whether featured on a wreath, porch, or dinner table, these traditional fall colors add excitement and richness, and, with that extra touch of vintage, the look is memorably fabulous. Here are some of our favorite vintage fall tablescape looks.


Vintage Stoneware Place Settings on Table

Fall is coming and we are here to help with your event!


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Vintage Twin Decor Header

Vintage Feature – Vintage Twins

Yesterday was my birthday. No need to reveal which one 🙂 but I will tell you that I share this day with my twin brother. I think we were about 3 or 4 in this photo and living an idyllic life, free to roam the neighborhood with our 5 other siblings, hop boats docked at the pier, and stroll down to the bay beach to find horseshoe crabs. Many years later, I fondly remember these days but my birthday is also a reminder that my twin is no longer here in the physical world. He is sorely missed by so many, and although we think of him every single day, our shared birthday will always be a day of remembrance. ‘Til we meet again.


So, as a bonafide vintage twin, we decided to showcase some vintage twin decor pieces in our inventory because sometimes things are better in twos. By no means is this an inclusive list, but instead features an array of lovely paired treasures.

We are virtually available for consults and meetings to see these and other cool vintage pieces. Have a great week ahead!


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Vintage Blue and White Table Settings

Southern Vintage Table Event – Blue Themed Styled Shoot, Take 2

Vintage Blue and White Table Settings

As mentioned in last week’s Sunday post, Stephanie Batten assembled a talented group of vendors to create this styled shoot at The Parlour at Mann’s Chapel. Invitations were extended to photographers to take photos for their portfolios and we reap the benefits by having a plethora of wonderful images to share! This week’s photos are courtesy of Kailen Elizabeth Photography and they are so lovely!

Thank you, Stephanie Batten, for creating this shoot and Kailen Elizabeth for sharing your photos. We hope this brings inspiration to the many couples planning for their upcoming wedding day!

Vendor Team
Event Planner/Designer- Stephanie Batten Photography @stephaniebattenphotography
Venue- The Parlour at Mann’s Chapel @theparlourchapel 
Bridal Dresses- Oak City Bridal @oakcitybridal
Hair- Sarah- SMG Beauty Co. @smgbeautyco
Makeup- Sarah- SMG Beauty Co. @smgbeautyco
Florist- Florescence Floral and Events @florescence.design
Styling Boards- Styling Unmatched @styling.unmatched
Tableware- Southern Vintage Table @southernvintagetable2
Invitation Suites & Place Settings- 
Em Paper Co. @em.paperco
Photographer – Kailen Elizabeth Photography @kailenelizabeth
The Artsy Acorn @theartsyacorn
Models-
Abbey Codling @jabbeyo
Amelia Fisher @ameliafisher
Candace Harris @candace_jane
Jewelry- Poppy Co. @_poppy_co_
Cake- Wicked Sweet Cakes @wickedsweetcakes
Rentals- DeeJay’s Event Rentals @deejayseventrentals
Rings- Alysha Whitfield Jewelry @alyshawhitfieldjewelry


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Blue and White Reception Table

Southern Vintage Table Event – Blue Themed Styled Shoot

Stephanie Batten Photography shared photos this week which brought us such happiness! This photo shoot took place right before the stay-at-home decree began and, although we couldn’t attend, our vintage tableware made its way to the Parlour at Manns Chapel for this lovely blue shoot.

There are so many details we simply love – the different hues of candle tapers and napkins, the layered blue and white place settings, and the greenery running down that gorgeous runner. And, of course, with the setting at this historic venue, our vintage ware was perfectly at home!

Photographers were invited to attend and today’s blog features those taken by Stephanie Batten, who was both the event planner and photographer for the event. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Vendor Team
Event Planner/Designer- Stephanie Batten Photography @stephaniebattenphotography
Venue- The Parlour at Mann’s Chapel @theparlourchapel 
Bridal Dresses- Oak City Bridal @oakcitybridal
Hair- Sarah- SMG Beauty Co. @smgbeautyco
Makeup- Sarah- SMG Beauty Co. @smgbeautyco
Florist- Florescence Floral and Events @florescence.design
Styling Boards- Styling Unmatched @styling.unmatched
Tableware- Southern Vintage Table @southernvintagetable2
Invitation Suites & Place Settings- 
Em Paper Co. @em.paperco
Stephanie Batten @stephaniebattenphotography
The Artsy Acorn @theartsyacorn
Models-
Abbey Codling @jabbeyo
Amelia Fisher @ameliafisher
Candace Harris @candace_jane
Jewelry- Poppy Co. @_poppy_co_
Cake- Wicked Sweet Cakes @wickedsweetcakes
Rentals- DeeJay’s Event Rentals @deejayseventrentals
Rings- Alysha Whitfield Jewelry @alyshawhitfieldjewelry


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Vintage Egg Cups

Vintage Feature – The Adorable, Versatile Eggcup

Today’s post is about a little known piece of tableware that most of us in the US have never used or even seen. On the contrary, on breakfast tables all over Europe and Australia, folks are enjoying their soft-cooked eggs in an eggcup. Many are dipping pieces of toast, called soldiers, in the yolk and loving every morsel. For someone who doesn’t like runny yolks, this sounds anything but yummy but we decided that we had to at least try it.


Following directions, we placed eggs in water, took them to boiling, then turned off the heat and let them sit for 3-4 minutes. After pouring off the hot water and cooling them down with cold tap water, we placed them in the egg cups.

Tapping around the top with a knife, we carefully pulled off the broken shell. We dipped one soldier in and tasted it. Not yucky but not good either. We sprinkled salt and pepper on top, added more butter to the toast, and tried again – much better!

Will we eat soft cooked eggs on a regular basis? Nope. But, will we use vintage eggcups in other ways? Definitely!! Not only are they adorable, but eggcups can also hold pretty things other than just eggs!


Our favorite use is to add small clumps of fresh green moss. Against the crisp white of the eggcup, the organic green just pops. Don’t you love it, too?

A petite floral bouquet can be the perfect detail for a tablescape. We love how this is illustrated in the last photo here, taken by Jackson Signature Photography. It’s a small yet meaningful detail for guests to enjoy.

Other ideas? Why not present a small edible treat in egg cups, or use pinecones or Christmas decor to create a festive table? So many possibilities! As you can probably tell, we adore these little things!


To close, we send Happy Easter greetings to all. Many will miss the family traditions of this treasured spring holiday this year; however, we’ll all remember this Easter for many years to come. Here’s hoping that along with our lifestyle adaptations, we’ll all be more aware of two things that bind us all – hope and love.

Read more about these vintage lovelies:
History of Eggcups -Replacements
I Suddenly Wanted to Eat All of My Breakfasts Out of Eggcups – New York Magazine


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News – 3 Reasons We Are Grateful This Week

Fernrock Farm flowers

Reason 1 – Spring is here! So happy to see new growth on the trees, bright flowers, and longer days. Yay!

Reason 2 – We had a surprise delivery from Fernrock Farm! What a wonderful treat to find this assortment of blooms on our porch Monday morning. This floral package is a sample “make your own bouquet kit” that will be offered soon. Be sure to follow Fernrock Farm for the lastest in classes and offerings.

Fernrock Farm flowers
Fernrock Farm flowers

Reason 3 – We are planning to be busy soon because most of our spring and early summer clients have been able to reschedule their weddings. Thank goodness! Although we’ve had cancellations – all with good reason and sincere regret – we will be okay and even more ready to help you create a memorable, eco-friendly, vintage event!

We know you have reasons to be grateful, too. Take care and stay well.


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Salem China Collage

Vintage Feature – The Salem China Company

Southern Vintage Table Vintage China Rental NC
Photo by Tugba Tuncer

The lovely floral pattern, SLM158 (not a suitable name for this work of art, huh?), has a lot of history. It was produced by the Salem China Company, which was founded in 1898 in Salem, Ohio. The American company manufactured china for over 60 years, ending the production in 1960 and then becoming a distribution, sales and service company until 2003, when the main building was destroyed by fire.

Their patterns followed the trends of the time, with elegant florals, art deco creations, and traditional scenic designs. Also, if you love Christmas china, Salem had an extensive line of this favorite holiday. One particularly popular design from the 1930s, the triangular-shaped Tricorne, is now highly collectible – this explains why we have not come across these! Click to see some of the most popular Salem China designs and advertisements found at Laurel Hollow Brook,

~ Mount Vernon ~

Our quest to learn more about Salem China started with this set of salad plates in the once-popular Mount Vernon pattern. Enamored by its artistry and condition, we learned how to gauge the age of this particular plate. The “52” reveals that it was made in 1952 and the three starts signify the quarter of the year. With this information, we looked through our collection to find more about this American china company.

Mount Vernon, Salem China Company
~ Sovereign ~

Meet Sovereign, a gorgeous gold-rimmed pattern. We’ve actually had these for quite some time but now will certainly appreciate it more. We believe the V in the backstamp might reveal its age but we couldn’t find anything about the letter markings. We do know it had to be produced before 1960.

Sovereign, Salem China Company
~ Sandra ~

This gorgeous, delicate pattern is Sandra. Again, her mark includes a W which tells us nothing about its age. But, that doesn’t diminish how sweet she is. (So is my sister, Sandra!)

Sandra, Salem China Company
~ SLM43 ~

How in the world can a beautiful pattern with a green and gold encrusted rim and sweet lily of the valley have such a name? Certainly, we are perplexed but we do know from the backstamp that it was made in 1956.

SLM43, Salem China Company
~ SLM158 ~

Again, the name does not convey the gorgeousness of this pattern. From her mark, SLM158 belongs to a line called Quaker Girl, as homage to the Quaker residents and founders of Salem, Ohio. Her mark reveals that she was produced in 1952 during the first quarter.

SLM158, Salem China Company

And, on International Women’s Day, we serendipitously found this fascinating tidbit on Salem, Ohio on Wikipedia.

“In April 1850, Salem hosted the first Women’s Rights Convention in Ohio, the third such convention in the United States. (The first was the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848; the second was the Rochester Convention two weeks later.) The Salem Convention was the first of these conventions to be organized on a statewide basis.[17] All of the convention’s officers were women. Men were not allowed to vote, sit on the platform or speak during the convention. The male spectators were supportive, however, and when the convention was over, they created an organization of their own and endorsed the actions of the women’s convention.[18]


Salem China, we salute you! Your patterns are unique, lovely, and timeless. We love that you were manufactured in the town of Salem, a place known for its progressiveness in the 1800s, whose residents fought against slavery and for women. Hurrah!


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Client Visit at Southern Vintage Table

Vintage Feature – We Love Client Visits and our Clients Do, Too!

Have you been considering using vintage tableware for your wedding or dinner party and wondered how to create the perfect vintage tablescape? We want to show you just how easy and fun it is for you to see firsthand how it’s done at Hillsborough’s Southern Vintage Table’s studio.

Not only do we have all the dishes, glassware, and flatware you can possibly imagine, we have all the fixings’, too – candleholders and candles, fake flowers, vases, tablecloths, doo-dads – and we are here to help you see the many options. Ready to sign up? Read on!

First, we make an appointment for us to meet at the studio. We don’t have regular hours, but we are very flexible and try to meet at your convenience. We can meet after noon on most days – including weekends and early evenings – whatever suits your schedule.

After we chat about basics – date, venue, guest count, etc – the conversation turns to your vintage vision. We tour the studio rooms and highlight pieces that might suit your vision. Following our tour, the round or rectangular table is covered with a tablecloth of your choice, and the fun begins – you start setting that beautiful table that will wow your guests.

To help create the total look, we have an assortment of tablecloths, fake florals and greenery. and candles of almost every color. We want you to be able envision that final look!

The visit concludes with a listing of items you’d like to rent. In the following days, we’ll submit a rental proposal and contract for you to review. After approval, we ask for the signed contract and a fifty percent deposit to hold your pieces for your event date. Don’t worry if things change between signing the contract and the date – we’ll happily adjust the order accordingly.

So, connect with us either by phone, email, or through our contact page, and we’ll make a date. And, as you can see in our photos, you will have fun!

919 428 4502 – shelly@southernvintagetable.comContact

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