I had the opportunity this past weekend to meet Brianna Pisani, owner of Pretty Little Vintage Co. and see her warehouse in Adams Center, NY, full of amazing vintage pieces (furniture, centerpieces, arches, literally anything you can think of!). It was INCREDIBLE, and being a lover of vintage style myself, I was in VINTAGE HEAVEN!! Pretty Little Vintage Co. is a rental company offering specialty & vintage wedding and event rentals in Upstate, NY. Brianna is such a sweetheart and I loved learning more about her adorable and successful business!
Rebecca: So Pretty Little Vintage Co. is still a relatively new business that's already super successful. That's amazing! What did you do before PLV?
Brianna: Before PLV, I went to college for Hospitality & Tourism at Niagara University (where I met my husband). During college I had the opportunity to work at many different resorts doing weddings, events & catering. Some of those places included Disney World, Cape Cod, and Lake George. I got my first job in Buffalo NY and then my husband and I moved to Alabama where he was stationed in the Army. I couldn't find a job in Alabama so that's when I started my Etsy shop, The Beeze Knees. I also helped start a wedding venue in North Carolina. Then, my Etsy shop started doing so well that I was able to do that full time.
Rebecca: How did you get started with PLV?
Brianna: It all started when my husband and I were trying to plan our wedding in Upstate, NY from North Carolina, where we were living at the time. My husband is in the army so we moved around a lot but we're both originally from Upstate NY. So we were planning for our wedding at Hayloft On the Arch in Vernon Center, NY and I couldn't find the specialty and vintage rentals that I was looking for. We literally ended up bringing a 20 foot Uhaul to our wedding filled with decor that I had found and collected on my own. This made me realize that there was a need for this type of business in Upstate, NY so that is what inspired me to start it.
Rebecca: What inspires you?
Brianna: I get inspired from pretty much everything. There are so many things in the world that you can find inspiration fun. I just love weddings in general. I love looking at wedding magazines and wedding Instagram accounts to see what everyone is up to in the wedding industry. I have a bunch of vintage rental friends from all over the country. We have a Facebook group and we have an annual retreat where we all get together. It's really nice to be able to talk to other people in the industry that can relate to you.
Rebecca: That sounds like a great community. What services and products do you have to offer brides?
Brianna: We are a vintage rental company in Upstate, NY offering vintage furniture and specialty rentals for weddings and events. We offer styling and design for your wedding decor including styling custom lounges for your wedding. We are a boutique style business meaning we offer things that other companies don't and we really take the time to get to know our brides and to personalize each wedding. I'll ask my brides to send me their Pinterest pages so that I can really get a feel for their style and create the perfect look around them.
Rebecca: That's awesome that you work so closely with your brides! So, your warehouse is amazing and full of so many beautiful vintage pieces! Where do you find your beautiful furniture and pieces?
Brianna: I find stuff all over the place. I love going to antique shops, estate stales, and I travel a lot so we're always looking. I have family and friends constantly sending me photos of stuff they find and I love it. My dad also builds a lot of stuff for us which is so helpful. He builds the tables, benches and he's working on a bar for us. He loves to do it, which makes it even better. We name all of our couches because it helps us to keep track of them. Some of them are named after the person that gave them to us or the person who previously owned them. If there's a really good story behind where the couch came from or if someone tells us "This was my mom's couch and she really loved it", then we'll name it after that persons mom. It just gives it more meaning and makes them feel better about having to get rid of it.
Rebecca: I love how you name the couches! What is your best advice for engaged couples in the process of wedding planning and on their wedding day?
Brianna: If you're in the process of planning your wedding, take your time and enjoy it! It's so much fun! Don't stress and if you have the right vendors it should be easy! As far as on your wedding day, just soak it all in and have the BEST DAY EVER!
Rebecca: When do you recommend that couples book their rentals with you?
Brianna: I would recommend they start booking their rentals as soon as they have a venue or date set, because the pieces are very unique and we only have about one or two of each item.
Rebecca: What is your favorite part about working in the wedding industry?
Brianna: I know it sounds cliche but I just love weddings and I love, love. It's so much fun to be apart of the happiest day of people's lives and to help make it special.
Rebecca: What do you like to do on your free time?
Brianna: When I'm not working on stuff for PLV, I like to run my Etsy shop (The Beeze Knees), travel with my husband, go antiquing, and take our dog places.
Rebecca: What are your future goals and plans for PLV?
Brianna: We're still so new. We just want to do a lot of weddings, grow our collection and see where it takes us. Hopefully I'll be able to do it full time and I'd really love to get our warehouse finished with some nice white walls.
Rebecca: Awesome, well you've come so far already... I'm sure that you will do all of that and more! For those of us who would like to follow you and your work, where can we find Pretty Little Vintage Co.?
Brianna: You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, my website (www.prettylittlevintageco.com), blog, and Pinterest.
Be sure to follow @prettylittlevintageco and @rspweddings on Instagram for a Pretty Little Vintage Co. GIVEAWAY coming later tonight!
