Vintage Rentals- Our Interview with Maggpie Vintage Rentals

We love working with other great vendors in the wedding industry. It not only makes our job more fun, it makes it easy when we know we can recommend brides to other vendors and they'll be in good hands. One of those vendors is Maggpie Vintage Rentals. Over the past few years, we have been sending more and more of our brides Maggpie's way to add that little extra something to their wedding decor.

We finally had the chance to sit down with owners Maggie and Jason in their warehouse to discuss all things wedding and vintage rentals so we could get some insider tips from the experts and learn a little more about their company we love so much.

The company, which first started out of Northeastern PA a few years ago, quickly spread across the area and then relocated to Philly just last June. Their new home takes up two floors of a Northeast Philly warehouse. And it's not only home to their business, Maggie and Jason live in the warehouse too, along with their two golden retrievers. 
Maggpie's Favorites
From a Sweetwater Farm barn wedding to a black tie Union League wedding, vintage rentals can be a great addition to any wedding theme and style, say Maggie and Jason, all when used the right way. 

Some of Maggpie's most popular items and our favorites are their signature farm tables and their mismatched chairs. The farm tables are the perfect clean slate, easily decorated to match your wedding design. So many brides have been requesting them that Jason is working on building more this fall to keep up with the demand upping their collection to 45 tables. Yes, Jason makes all the farm tables by hand in his personal workshop!
Originally an idea for their own wedding, Maggie and Jason began collecting mismatched chairs early on in their rental business. They soon realized that they never wanted a bride to contact them for a 150 person wedding and not have enough chairs, so now there's a full collection of white chairs and a full collection of brown chairs to choose from. 
Vintage Lounges
At first, Maggie admitted that brides didn't really understand the concept of vintage lounges, but they have quickly taken off and been a key element in several of our weddings in the past few years. 

Here's a list of essentials for every vintage lounge according to Maggie: 
-1 couch or settee 
-2 side chairs
-1 or 2 side tables
-1 coffee table

It's not just about the furniture though, it's also about accessorizing and decoration your vintage lounge. Whether you rent some of their smaller decor items or bring your own from home, a little accessorizing goes a long way. 

"I think accessorizing it gives it more character," Maggie says. "I think it's a good idea to get your florist involved to help decorate the lounges. Flowers make everything come alive at a wedding."

The Not So Obvious
Besides the obvious table, chair, and lounge rental, Maggpie has a great collection of other rental items that might not be so obvious. From entire bars and china cabinets to smaller items like candlesticks, there are so many beautiful pieces you can incorporate into your wedding design. Take this fireplace mantle, which could be perfect as a ceremony altar piece or for displaying your memory photos at your reception. 
For Jason, it's all about getting your planner and caterer involved in the design, since many of their items can be used for catering purposes, not just decor. Like putting the wedding cake on a vanity Maggie says. There's also large bookshelves that can be used to display dessert and hold other decor items like picture frames and flowers. 

Their smaller decor items include candlesticks, cake stands, lamps, pillows, china, suitcases, and more are a great way to make your displays different from other brides who may have used similar furniture. 
Rental Budget
If vintage rentals are what you want, there is no excuse that it can't fit into your budget. Brides can spend as low as $50 on renting a table to display escort cards or water before the ceremony, and as much as $5,000 on renting farm tables, ceremony chairs, and other decor. 

"If you want a memorable piece for your desserts, you can literally get it for under $100," Maggie says. 
Designing Your Wedding Rentals
Maggie and Jason are happy to be as involved in the design process as you want. They've certainly had brides who just tell them what style they like and what their color is and they leave it up to Maggie and Jason to put a unique display together for them, and that's exactly what they'll do. 

"You kind of know the client that is right for that and can just let go and say 'do whatever'," Maggie says. "It's my favorite thing to do."

Maggie thought immediately of one of our couples, Dara and Sal, who let Maggie work her magic at their wedding last June at Front and Palmer. If you want to see our blog post about their wedding, you can go here

What's to Come
Let's face it, there's a reason Maggpie is called Maggpie Vintage Rentals, they have one of the best collections of vintage rental items around, but don't let their name fool you, Maggie and Jason have bigger plans up their sleeves. Down the line, they don't want to just be vintage and rustic rentals. 

"Everybody now just wants something different at their wedding," Maggie says. "We are going to get more involved in unique rentals, not just vintage."

Recently they have started gathering items in their new collection, The Wandering Maggpie, a line of boho inspired rentals that could work for both weddings and non-wedding events. 
Stay tuned for the unveiling of their new industrial tables coming this fall. Think wooden farm tables with metal legs! And they're adding lots of newly upholstered chairs and couches. 

"Whether you're having a modern wedding, rustic, or vintage, I think we can hit all those points with our upholstery," Maggie said. 

Rent From Maggpie
The Maggpie website is really straightforward and allows brides to see all that Maggpie has to offer, which is why 90% of brides order Maggpie rentals by looking online or emailing the Maggpie team. But if you're the type that likes to see things in person, Maggie welcomes any brides to come visit their warehouse to see the rentals for themselves. 

"If they have already picked things out online, we will set it up for them when they come here," Maggie says. 

Their biggest warning to brides, is to use other brides photos only for inspiration. For Maggie, she doesn't want every bride coming in and ordering the same exact things. 

For wedding and general design inspiration, check out Maggie's new Mag, an online magazine, she began releasing monthly. 

-Caitlin

Teaser Tuesday

Thursday was a wonderful day and Brooke and David took full advantage of the sunshine for their wedding at Curtis Hall Arboretum! Beauty dream team Meghan Cahill and Nina from Cheekadee were there early to make the ladies look lovely, then Joe and Rebecca from JPG Photography arrived to capture the rest of the day's fun! We started with photos at the hotel, then we headed over to the venue for the first look. The Wedding Pastor, Andy Mahaney, conducted a special wedding ceremony for the couple, then everyone celebrated at their reception, catered by the awesome team at Joshua's Catering. The bride DIY'd centerpieces with the help of wine bottles and florals from Wegmans, and we put together the rest of the decor to bring their 20's themed event to life! Sean J. Kennedy Band kicked the reception off with 20's jazz, then Anthony from Pocketsquare Productions took over by DJing some dance tracks to a floor full of partiers! There were tons of guests in flapper and gangster attire- everyone had so much fun with the theme! Guests loaded up on favors from the candy buffet on their way out, and Brooke and David have tons of memories of the day to last a lifetime! Congrats to Brooke and David! -Erin

Beth and Tim's Wedding

Beth and Tim's was our last wedding of 2013 and what a great wedding it was! This couple was so loved by their family and friends which made their big day even more memorable. A fun fact about this couple is that Beth is not only a twin but Tim is also a twin- so cool! Our very own Nicole was a bridesmaid in their wedding and we had the honor of coordinating Beth's twin sister's, Laura, wedding in 2012- we knew everyone really well which makes the big day even more fun! Beth and her bridesmaids spent the morning being pampered with hair and makeup before getting dressed. The bridesmaids were able to choose their own dresses in navy blue and Beth's Matron of Honor wore a lighter blue to stand out. Beth's gown was a beautiful lace sleeveless dress and she completed her look by wearing her sister's veil. Such a wonderful and personal touch! Tim first saw his bride as she made her way down the aisle of the church. Their ceremony was a traditional Catholic with a lot of personal touches that made for happy tears from the couple and their guests. After the ceremony, they went out for photos with their bridal party, who were troopers since getting photos taken outside in December isn't the easiest thing to do! Meanwhile we were busy adding the finishing touches to their classic wedding! Pinecones were used as escort cards and set up on a table with framed photos and cute wooden signs. Tables were topped with low floral arrangements in shades of blue and we used our mercury glass votives to surround the centerpieces and add a glow to the tables. Menus were placed at each place setting for guests to take a look at while they were getting settled at their tables. The simple cake was topped with Tim's parent's cake topper to add a personal and vintage touch. After an amazing dinner prepared by Starr Events, guests cut loose on the dance floor and had a blast dancing to the music being spun! A great couple, fantastic wedding, and wonderful night to end our 2013 wedding season!

Congratulations Beth and Tim!

Reception: Arts Ballroom 
Catering: Starr Events
Photography: Inna Spivakova for Tyler Boye Photography
Videography: Martin's Video
Entertainment: No Macarena 
Coordinators: Erin and Laura