Nashville Newlywed Launches Rental Company, Stockroom Vintage, + Shares Fave Venues for Vintage Weds
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Newlyed Elizabeth Ulrich-Fanguy, owner of Stockroom Vintage, is a passionate chick with an old-soul. She has been collecting vintage pieces since she was a kid. The child of a furniture maker, she was born into a family with an appreciation for handmade, restored, and repurposed beauties. It's no wonder that for her own budget wedding, her family recommended that she use her own pieces. And, that's just what she did.
Soon after she accomplished the feat of a lifetime, a vintage wedding for under $5k, she decided to share her specialty collection, custom-search and event styling services with other Nashville brides. And while her pieces are stunning, she is staying true to her budget wedding roots and amassed a collection that every Nashville bride can afford.
Images from her recent photo shoot (below), which I am lucky to share with you today, give a small peak into her world of antique goodies, which are all available to rent via her website.
Photos: Stef Atkinson Photography
ABG: What was the inspiration behind your photo shoot?
Elizabeth of Stockroom Vintage: This wedding shoot was inspired by the whimsical style of Kate Spade, graphic black and white patterns, and my undying love for confetti and gold glitter. When I first envisioned the shoot, I wanted to make sure I styled it in a way that showed brides how vintage pieces can be incorporated into a more modern look. I adore rustic, farmhouse weddings, but I also love to push the envelope and show people that vintage can also feel really sleek, new, and cool. I love the way the chevron patterns and the gold touches—from the polka dots placed on the walls to the bow-topped-swizzle sticks made with gold lamé ribbon—play off the rustic nature of the worn wood furniture and the industrial look of the space at WestLight Studios. I’ve always been a fan of looks that are both hard and soft, tough, and girlie. It’s unexpected and fun and something guests will remember.
I also incorporated tons of DIY elements to keep the budget low. I always say you should splurge on big things—like an amazing photographer, such as Stef Atkinson, who photographed this shoot—and craft little details yourself to save money. For this shoot, I bought all of the big, girlie blooms at Import Flowers and arranged them into various jars and vintage vessels. I turned some pretty glass drawer knobs from Anthropology into holders for the place cards. I designed the “Make It Rain” envelopes and filled them with hand-cut confetti and made the gold bow drink stirrers. I also made all of the table runners, recovered the mix-and-match vintage dining chairs in a chevron print to tie them together visually and crafted the paper flowers out of pretty party napkins and polka dot tissue paper. And those plates on the dining table? I fell in love with these Ticker Tape Tidbit Plates from Kate Spade, but couldn’t splurge on them. So I bought some white vintage plates at Goodwill and a gold porcelain paint pen at the craft store and whipped up my own version of these confetti-sprinkled beauties for less than $10.
ABG: Stef Atkinson's photos are spectacular! I noticed she also did your wedding photos. Who else participated in the photo shoot?
Elizabeth: Photography was by Stef Atkinson Photography; Venue was WestLight Studios; Flower were purchased at Import Flowers and arranged/styled by Stockroom Vintage.
ABG: I absolutely love the mail collector used for guest table cards! The black and white contrast against the worn wood is genius. What was your favorite piece from the shoot?
Elizabeth: The Vintage Postal Sorter is such a stunner. It’s definitely one of our show-stopper pieces, and I’m so grateful to the old postmaster who set it free. With its worn wood, the remnants of the original paper state labels and all of those cubbies, it’s always so much fun to style. And those cubbies are just begging to be filled with all sorts of vintage goodies and small details. For this shoot, I filled many of the slots with handmade and handwritten escort cards. Old clocks, skeleton keys and a few owls from our collection—along with single stems of tulips and ranunculus—add interest to the vignette and make it even more photogenic. The possibilities for this piece are endless: Use it as a ceremony backdrop, a way to showcase cupcakes at the dessert table and on and on. For the shoot, I placed it atop our Gray Day Table, which serves as a welcome table to guide guests to their seats at the reception. Our Spools and Spindles wrapped in ribbon and adorned with glittery letters set the “Let’s Party” tone for the evening.
ABG: Which Nashville wedding venues do you feel are a good complement for vintage brides?
Elizabeth:
~ Marathon Village: I love everything about Marathon Village, from The Bang Candy Company to Marathon Music Works, the latter of which Stockroom Vintage will be styling with vintage props galore for the Porter Flea independent handmade market on June 16. And the event space at Marathon Village is just as covetable, with the exposed brick, loft-like feel and industrial vibe. Vintage pieces with a more feminine look, like curved leg tables and tufted sofas, really pop in a space like that.
~ Houston Station: I love the warehouse at Houston Station for the same reasons. You just can’t beat hardwood floors, exposed brick and all of those gorgeous wood beams. It has so much warmth and beauty that it wouldn’t take too many unique props and vintage additions to really set it off.
~ Carnton Plantation: As much as I love industrial spaces, there is something to be said for beautiful gardens filled with trees that have been there for hundreds of years. The sense of history here is amazing, and it’s a perfect complement to vintage pieces because they all share a common sense of soul. And posing and snuggling with your hubby on a vintage sofa in the middle of an open field? It doesn’t get more romantic than that!
~ Rose Mont Mansion: This mansion in Gallatin also has that sense of history that I gravitate toward and a big photogenic porch to boot. Plus, it’s super affordable, which is even more of a reason to love it.
ABG: You take such pride in your wonderfully curated, eclectic collection. What is the newest addition that gives your heart a pause?
Elizabeth: Like a proud mama, I’ll say these pieces are like my children and I love them all equally. But I’m particularly fond of a 19th-century wooden Cobbler’s Rack that is everything I want a great, unique vintage piece to be: worn to perfection, fully functioning (with its original rolling casters!), and ready to be repurposed. When I first spotted it, I instantly envisioned about 10 different ways to use it at a wedding or event. That’s how I know I’m inspired! With all of its shelving, which is made of wooden slats, I can see it being used behind the bar or at a buffet to hold heirloom china and glassware. It would also make for unique storage for guests’ gifts. Or, my personal favorite, as a one-of-kind dessert buffet, where the shelves could be used to store and display cakes, pies, and all sorts of pretty confections.
Elizabeth's newest and favorite rental addition - antique cobbler's rack
Vintage loving brides, you are sure to love Elizabeth, her collection and her delicious vintage blog, which you should certainly add to your list for daily wedding inspiration.
