{Images via A Backyard Wedding}
I have thought about it & thought about it some more. I started to research rentals & thought about it again. After a long car ride to Maine & back this weekend the decision was made. We are going to thrift our dinner & dessert plates...& possibly the glasses. Cutlery is still up in the air. The decision was made for a few reasons
1. Aesthetically speaking, we like the vintage, I just-pulled-this-out-of-cupboard, nothing quite matches look.
2. Our wedding reception is most likely going to be held under a tent. Tents are pricey & so is everything that needs to go under it. If we stick to the plan of only purchasing items that are less then renting them, we are in business. Plus, after the wedding we can resell what we no longer want. Cannot do that with a rental...
3. It is sustainable. Granted rentals are too, but these will have some character!
4. Rich & I love any reason to visit the many Salvation Armies in the area. Plus it is almost yard/garage sale season. Perfect!
{Images of Lena Corwin's wedding via MS Weddings}
This is going to take some work, we fully understand. Free moments will be spent searching for plates. Days will be spent taking off price stickers & washing them. It is going to take some thought to figure out what plates will go on what table. Clean up will be a bit tricky...but can be done. As you can tell by the photos, other couples have done the same including Lena Corwin, A Backyard Wedding, & Big Sur Wedding.
So. We are going for it!
Yippee! I am so glad. I cannot wait to see how it works.
Posted by: chelsea | 04/14/2009 at 04:30 PM
Sarah, I love this plan. Good luck and I can't wait to see what all you find!
Posted by: elise | 04/14/2009 at 10:19 PM
yay! i wanted to do this, but wimped out. good luck... can't wait to see how it turns out. we'll keep you in mind when we're yard-sale-ing this spring :)
Posted by: meg | 04/15/2009 at 09:06 AM
That is what we are doing too. I was able to buy up LOTS of old china plates, saucers, and really cool silverware over the last few months.
We'll be selling everything after the wedding on May 2nd.
Posted by: Carla | 04/15/2009 at 03:01 PM
Carla - where do you live? Perhaps we can buy yours?
Posted by: Rich | 04/15/2009 at 04:03 PM
This is the best idea ever. I can't wait to see pics!
Posted by: Amanda | 04/16/2009 at 01:15 PM
Does anyone know if there is a website where you can buy and sell used wedding items, such as a collection of vintage plates, center piece containers/vases, etc.?
Posted by: Meryl | 04/16/2009 at 01:37 PM
I love this idea-- not that anyone should ever *need* an excuse to go thrifting, but it never hurts :) Can't wait to see the collection you come up with!
Posted by: Abbey | 04/16/2009 at 04:31 PM
I really want to do this for our wedding also but it has proven to be difficult since I am planning an east coast wedding from the west. I found beautiful, inexpensive vintage plates on EBay but the seller sent them to the wrong address so now I have to spend MORE $$ to ship them east. I think I may just give into renting. But at least now we don't have to register for plates!
Posted by: Emilia K. | 06/18/2009 at 04:26 PM
OMG...I. have totally been toying with this same idea but was afraid it would end up giving a sloppy/trashy vibe instead of the look I had in mind but the fact that you are doing it and others have pulled it off give me the confidence to go for it. You totally rock!
Posted by: Lisa | 09/13/2010 at 08:52 PM