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While working on styling the Valley of Fire photo shoot in February we received an email from a new vendor letting us know about her vintage dish rental company. It was the most perfect match to our shoot–what excellent timing! We met with Susie, the owner of Dirty Dishes and she graciously contributed chargers, dishes, teacups, stemware and cake stands to our Valley of Fire event. Susie really brings everything to the table (pun intended) with her beautiful pieces. She shops all the best spots in town to have the coolest selections to mix and match. Read below to see pictures from one of her recent weddings and find out more about Dirty Dishes. Photography by D. Tyler Photography.
“Dirty Dishes was born of my desire to open a vintage dishes shop. Las Vegas never seemed to offer the right location for the little quaint farm house setting I envisioned, but the idea of renting the dishes opened up the opportunity to start pursuing the dream of collecting and sharing beautiful vintage dinnerware right here, right now. In March of 2011 I left my career as an interior designer. After a summer of shopping I launched the company the following November. I offer both traditional romance and quirky retro which best describes my personal style as well.”
What are the benefits a bride will experience when using your services?
Renting vintage dishes has several advantages. For a bride that sees her tables adorned with something special, it can save time and money and offer the opportunity to be earth conscious.
Shopping for vintage is a hit and miss adventure that involves early Saturday mornings at garage sales and trips all over the valley to our local thrift stores. I’ve already spent the time picking out the prettiest second-hand offerings. Yes, this sounds like a lot of fun, but there are meetings with coordinators, guest lists, dress fittings and so many other things demanding a bride’s time as she prepares for her big day. Not to mention our busy lifestyles in general.
Renting the dishes saves money as well. My rental prices are less than what you would spend collectively in the thrift stores. Often brides would like to keep some of the place settings. So if they have the time they can collect the service of 8 or so and then let me deal with the other 92 sets that they would have difficulty unloading after the event. Storage of found treasures is also a challenge that renting resolves.
And lastly, you just can’t get much more green. I am literally saving many of the pieces from the landfill. It is a true exercise in “Reuse”. Especially considering that I am combining orphans in place settings that would never have been picked up without other pieces from the set
What are some misconceptions about vintage pieces and antiques that you’d like to address?
Vintage pieces are not necessarily grandma-ware. It’s all about how they are combined with modern textures and in creative color schemes that make them fresh and enjoyed by any generation.
Describe your process of working with a bride.
Ideally the bride has a coordinator to help convey the overall vision. That is always the place to start- the vision, including color scheme and favorite materials (lace, burlap, cotton or glitter) I will then pull and photograph possible candidates and combinations and provide them in a full color presentation (electronic or hard copy). We can then meet with the favored pieces and work together (more like “play” together) to get that just right look.
If the wedding is far enough in advance, I also offer shopping services to expand a collection to meet quantity goals.
Let’s play Loaded Questions with Susie!
What is something you wish you could do every day?
Succeed in taking care of myself mind, body and soul.
What headline do you wish you read in the newspaper this morning?
Greed Completely Exterminated-No Longer A Factor In American Business and Lifestyle
What is something you’re simply not good at?
Flower arranging- I leave this up to the professionals and at home I stick to single stems.
What is the strangest part of your morning or nighttime routine?
My morning and night routines would only be considered strange to people who do not know and love cats.
What would you rather be doing today?
Waking up to the sound of a mountain creek rambling by my window.
Check out the Dirty Dishes website or call (702) 505-5838 to chat all things vintage dish ware!
In January 2011 we had our first opportunity to work with Flowers of the Field. At our first introduction, we were sold on their gorgeous floral, warm personality and awesome business cards (the cards can be planted and grow into flowers, genius). Rob & Cheryl are the owners of Flowers of the Field and about as cool a couple as you can imagine. When we met, they were dating, they’ve since become engaged and we are beyond thrilled to be working with them on their wedding next year! We know you will love Rob, Cheryl and their entire team for any wedding, event or daily floral!
“At Flowers of the Field we create a unique and individual experience for each customer. Whether you are walking in to pick up an arrangement on your way home from work or you are planning your dream wedding, we truly believe in creating a personalized experience and piece of art for you to enjoy. We pride ourselves on customer service and believe with Flowers of the Field it is more than just flowers in a vase; it’s a vision, a creation, an art.”
Where do receive inspiration?
We not only take in the inspiration from the natural beauty of each flower, but also from the details of architecture, the brush strokes of an artists hand when creating paintings and the positive and negative space of movement.
What are the benefits a bride will experience when using your services?
Personalized attention – whether through an in store consultation, emails or floral demonstrations we strive to create an unforgettable experience. We take your ideas/visions and make them into reality. After a consultation we can clearly understand what each couple is looking for. Each color palette and flower choice represents the couple’s story, which allows us to convey that story through our floral designs. This helps us develop lifelong relationships and friendships with our customers.
What is something we should know about your business?
We continually educate ourselves on current trends, not only in floral design, but fashion, architecture, color choices, interior design, and technology. This helps us stand out by expanding our knowledge on our industry and relating industries. 
What are some misconceptions about the floral industry you’d like to address?
Every flower you find on the internet is not available year round or in every color of the rainbow. We bring in the freshest seasonal flowers from all over the world. Most flowers are only available in a few colors and have a short growing season. We are available 7 days a week for our customers to answer your questions!
Let’s play Loaded Questions with Cheryl & Rob!
What did you do last night?
Flew back from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We attended a Gallery opening for local artists, as well as Gallery night in their thriving downtown art district. We also met with local wedding vendors who travel worldwide and shared emerging ideas.
What is the best thing you have spent money on recently?
Doggy manner classes. We have a two year old Yorkie (Miss Raisin). She has us trained, but we need her trained. She likes to let everyone know she is the boss/CEO of Flowers of the Field.
What was your first real paying job?
Cheryl stems from a long line of work in the arts. As a classically trained dancer since the age of 5, with a degree in Fine Arts, she then took to the stage as a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall in New York, New York. Cheryl is a diverse, creative individual. Directly following her departure from the Rockettes she was schooled in Horticulture and relocated to the West Coast. Upon her relocation to Las Vegas, Nevada, she worked with hotels on the strip such as MGM and Aria arranging flowers for events, conventions and front desk lobbies in thriving Sin City. Working with the hotels and absorbing their tropical, new-age and contemporary flower designs, Cheryl was inspired to open her own shop.
You can call, email or visit Flowers of the Field 7 days a week. Check out their website for more information!
We first met Jodi Anne at our first birthday party and fell in love with her kindness and spunky personality. She then came into one of our vendor days and we joked, laughed and talked about Bravo for over an hour. She is just so fun to be around and we know you will love her too. Just read below to see what we are talking about! Thank you Jodi for everything you have done for us!
“J. Anne Photography is a Las Vegas based wedding photography company which consists of just me, Jodi Anne. I often get the question about whether or not I will actually be the person showing up to shoot the wedding, or if I will send an assistant/associate photographer. It will definitely be me. My company, aka: me, prides itself in not only documenting your day, but becoming an integral part of your wedding… and hopefully becoming a staple in your life as husband and wife.”
List 3 blogs or website you use for inspiration
Only three!! Um… okay, top three would be:
1. Jasmine Star (duh, uber fab)!!
2. Justin & Mary Marantz… so inspirational plus beautiful images!!
3. Toss up between Green Wedding Shoes and Style Me Pretty. I love both because I get my daily dose of details along with gorgeous photography inspiration. Double whammy!
What advantages do you have when working with a coordinator?
Pure bliss!! A wedding that enlists the help of a coordinator runs divinely smooth. Like butter baby, like butter. Ha ha ha!
When there isn’t a coordinator I end up barking at people like a photo/timeline nazi. This makes me sad.
What do you want a bride to know about your business?
Of course, the big day is about documenting your wedding, but at the end of that big day you have a marriage. Lucky for you; you get to be married to your best friend… but even still, the marriage is work. I don’t base my business around booking a client, photographing her day, and then bouncing on to the next bride. I base my business on you, on your soon to be husband, and on your marriage. During the planning process we get to be BFF’s… and I like to continue that. I’ve been a bride once, and now I’m a wife… and also a mom. I’ve travelled the road you’re about to travel, and I want to be there, not as your wedding photographer, but as your friend. xo.
Describe your process of working with a bride.
I guess this process is kinda different for every bride… but in general:
1. Bride hears about me from a friend/coworker/cousin/waitress at a diner, etc…
2. Bride checks out my website and figures that I’m pretty cool…
3. Bride contacts me via email, phone call, or Facebook…
4. We meet for lunch, coffee, or… maybe even a cocktail…
5. I fall in love with Bride.
6. Bride falls in love with me.
7. And we live happily ever after. The end.
8. Ha ha ha… kidding (toss out #7)
9. During our initial meeting we talk about EVERYTHING. Some brides (depending on personality) book during that meeting, some need to chat it over with their fiancé, mom, best friend who lives in Japan… or whomever…
10. After a bride books we plan an engagement shoot.
11. We have a BLAST on the engagement shoot.
12. Then we pine for one another for a few months… chatting via email, Facebook, or any other form of communication available.
13. About six weeks out we sit down again… gossip about everything in our lives… and then make sure that we have all of the details lined out for the big day.
14. I photograph the wedding.
15. Depending on the collection purchased by the bride I then provide the images on the web for all of their friends and family to view. If they have purchased the image files then they are given the opportunity to download the images straight to their computer… All products are delivered (if possible) or shipped.
16. …And then we all live happily ever after. Please refer back to the previous question to know what “happily ever after” looks like in my world.
Let’s play Loaded Questions with Jodi Anne!
What are some of your hobbies outside the wedding industry?
I’m gonna sound like one of those crazy ladies whose life revolves around her kids… but seriously, my days are packed full of birthday parties and play dates. I’ve got two of the cutest boys on the planet, trust me; I don’t even have on mommy goggles. And, I’ve got another little nugget growing in the tummy right now. I think that we’re done after this baby boy arrives in June… so don’t think that I’m gonna give the Duggars a run for their money or anything. Other than being the president of Mommyville; my husband and I often get addicted to watching trashy reality tv. So, our nights are often spent cuddled up in bed with a good dose of Bravo. We also love to travel, but who has time for that anymore??
What headline do you wish you read in the newspaper this morning?
Tupac is Alive!! (…and coming out with a new album)
What is the best thing you’ve spent money on recently?
Alltime favorite thing… Volcano scented candle from Anthropologie. It makes me feel like my house is clean, even though it is usually lying to me.
What food do you think should have its own category on the food guide pyramid?
My usual answer would be Diet Dr. Pepper, but I just quit. Cold turkey. Runnerup answer: Little Debbie snack cakes.
What would you rather be doing today?
Oddly, I find this to be kind of fun… in a ‘narcissistic, only talk about myself’ sort of way. My job and life are pretty awesome, so unless we’re talking about throwing in a daily 80 minute massage… I wouldn’t change a thing.
Working and hanging out with Jodi Anne is always a pleasure. You are sure to be laughing all of the time. Check out her super cute website here! You’ll fall in love with her, we promise.
Meeting up with Suzanne from SHE PAPERIE blossomed out of a series of emails loving each others work. Our first meeting was over Golden Spoon Yogurt (you know us…any excuse for some food and we’re good to go!). We talked for hours and went home fast friends. Over the next few months we bonded over love of paper, parties and people. She was so sweet to design our Holiday cards this year–we love how she adds an extra dash of ‘special’ in every piece she creates! Read on to learn about Suzanne and SHE PAPERIE!
SHE PAPERIE + design boutique is a full service design studio specializing in custom graphic design and print projects for life’s occasions big and small. From unique party invitations to wedding invitation ensembles, birth announcements, holiday cards, and even logo design, we bring new meaning to the phrase pushing the envelope. We love pairing beautiful papers with gorgeous typography and often times incorporate unique touches such as fabric, wax seals or even elements of nature into our designs. We believe each custom design project should be tailored to suit your own personal style and that the end result should always be a direct expression of you. We have had the privilege of working with clients around the globe for the past 9 years and it’s pretty safe to say that we’re passionate about celebrating life through paper.
List 3 blogs or website you use for inspiration:
I love being inspired by the work of other creative types who are not necessarily graphic designers. With that being said…
I love the overall approach to design found in the work of food and prop stylist Paul Lowe
I could spend hours drooling over any image taken by photographer Jose Villa
And Kate Spade never disappoints when it comes to being inspired by the fashion industry
What are the benefits a bride will experience when using your services?
We want each and every client to have an exceptional experience from start to finish. Emails are answered promptly, numerous design options are always presented, proofs are created in a timely manner, and even our orders are thoughtfully packaged. After all, we believe that love is in the details! We strive to make each step of the design process fun and feel that wedding stationery should be as unique as the two individuals being celebrated. We strive to create original, one of a kind designs so that no two wedding invitation ensembles will ever be the same. We want the design experience to be one that is both special and memorable and feel that repeat business is always a good indication of us executing our job with reliability and finesse.
What makes your work stand out?
At SHE PAPERIE + design boutique, you will find our work to be original, inspired and anything but cookie cutter. Invitations found in a book or online are lacking in expression and often times limited in design. We feel that color options should be endless, font selections should not have to be made from a short list, and that the sky should be the limit when it comes to choosing the type of paper, envelope, and printing method you envision for your design. Our passion for what we do shines through in every single detail.
Let’s play Loaded Questions with Suzanne!
What are some of your hobbies outside the wedding industry?
I am a fan of cooking, interior decorating, and styling parties. Oh, and trying new restaurants. Does that count as a hobby?
What is something you wish you could do every day?
Sleep in! Having an hour to spend on Pinterest or reading other blogs would be awesome too. However, with just turned 2 year old twins, having personal time or more than 5 hours of sleep just isn’t in the cards for me right now.
What is the best thing you’ve spent money on recently?
Attending ALT – was pretty awesome and super inspiring. I hope to go again next year!
What is the strangest part of your morning or nighttime routine?
Before going to bed, these 3 things must take place: my kitchen sink must be sparkling clean (I can’t wake up to a sink full of dirty dishes!), I have to wash my feet (TMI?) and I must crack my back, fingers and toes before settling in (or I can forget about falling asleep)!
Paper products don’t get much better than this, folks! And you’ll have a divine experience working with Suzanne. Click here to see her oh so cute blog. Contact her for any of your stationery needs!
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