Two years ago, one of my all time fave past Brides contacted me and mentioned she was looking at getting into event coordination and design.
Unhappy with her current job, Jodi was taking a break from work and looking for a direction that included her passion for vintage props and furniture. She was thinking about decor and planning for baby showers and birthday parties, but I had other ideas….
Once upon a time, many moons ago, I photographed a really cutting edge wedding that was so ahead of it’s time in Rochester NY that it took about a decade before the wedding style became a trend.
Jodi and Jeremy loved movies while dating and so they decided to have a vintage movie themed wedding in Rochester’s oldest neighborhood Cinema and the wedding reception at the historic German House.
Wedding guests came in period costumes, there was a vintage photo booth shipped in from New Jersey, and the entire thing was DIY and low-key. Their wedding was so awesome that I even won an International Photo-Journalism Award from one of their images.
I mentioned to Jodi that I’m an excellent event planner due to my 14 years as a wedding photographer and was in need of a quality lighting assistant. So I asked her if she was interested in working weddings with me and learning the real life reality of wedding chaos from behind the scenes.
Jodi said yes and that’s when we slowly planned and plotted the journey to Revival Vintage Rentals while she was my pack mule at McKay’s Photography. After all, she is taller than me and can drive a stick shift… two of my main requirements for a great photo assistant!
A case study in small business consulting: Revival Vintage Rentals.
During the Summer and Fall she assisted me at many Rochester weddings and we talked more about her career goals and ideas.
Through this process, I was able to mold, guide and inspire her for more as well as build a game plan for earning referrals and confidence along the way.
As a woman small business owner myself, I’ve gone through all of the early years of not knowing what to charge, not having enough confidence in my vision, and having to learn how to build a business from scratch.
During these summers, we also started photographing her inventory of antique china, silver platters, vintage cake plates and building demand with my current clients for a few styled engagement photos, like Austin and Jacqueline’s glamping engagement pics.
When I realized that she had an extensive vintage prop collection, I let her know in no uncertain terms that the best course of action would be to start renting the items as she shored up her design and coordination portfolio.
This is how Revival Vintage Rentals launched on the scene in early 2016 and led to our collaboration at The Grand in the South Wedge Neighborhood.
She was then in need of guidance connecting to the wedding and event planning industry in Rochester. Since I love love love connecting people, I gave her a list of names and information on where to begin, set up her Instagram account and followed all the right people in Rochester’s wedding scene there.
Right as we sealed the deal on the collaborative vintage space called The Grand, I embarked on my bucket list adventure to Africa and the rest was left to her.
Upon my return we busted our tails to open The Grand before wedding season was in full force.
For me, it was a film photo studio and meeting space. For Revival Rentals, a gorgeous showroom set in the heart of the historic South Wedge and we shared the space with a vintage clothing store.
Coming up next is our stunning vintage inspired wedding styled photo shoot at the Arbor Loft! Here is a sneak peek...
Vintage Furniture Rentals in Rochester NY
Are you interested in creating a unique vintage lounge seating area at your next event or wedding? Let Jodi hand select the perfect items just for your event. She has a new warehouse and much of her inventory can be found on the Revival Rental website. Give her a call and let her know that Heather sent you!
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