Future brides, if you have some really awesome ideas for your wedding but just can’t seem to find the right stuff to carry out your vision, you might want to check out A La Crate Vintage Rentals in Monona. I have been in to the store several times to rent props for photoshoots, and I love it. I love everything from their concept, to their products, to their lovely owner Sarah Mullins and her super creative and helpful suggestions. Seriously check this place out!!
I emailed Sarah with some interview questions about her business and here are her and husband Jeff’s thoughts:
1. What was the process of forming A La Crate? Date opened? Vision?
We created A LA CRATE after our own wedding. We spent hours upon hours creating and collecting unique pieces to give our day the ambiance that we dreamed of. Mission accomplished, but dog tired, we started to sell our handiwork afterward and met numerous couples in a similar boat. This is when the idea started to grow.
We walked by a garage for rent just a few blocks away from our house every morning with our dog, Gracie, and one day it hit us. Let’s check out the inside and see what the space is like!
Though there was a lot of work to be done, we saw the potential of the space and thought it would be perfect for our dream business.
Months of hard work later, we were thrilled to open our doors for business on December 1, 2011!
2. What is the process of renting items from your store?
There are a few ways to approach rentals. If you live in the Madison area, come on in! We are open Tuesday and Thursdays from 1-6pm (odd hours, we know!). Since it is just Jeff and I, we do not staff the warehouse around the clock, but try to be incredibly flexible if another day or time would work better for you. Just shoot us an email to
info@alacratevintage.com and we can set up a better time to meet.
Otherwise, if you know what you are interested in, send us an email to the above address with your name, date of event and what you are interested in renting and we will send you a quote back!
From there, if you would like to turn the quote into a reservation, we ask for a 50% non-refundable deposit to hold those items for your date and ask that you read and sign our rental agreement. We can arrange custom pick up and drop off times from there or discuss delivery options!
3. Where do you guys get all of your stuff?
Flea markets, rummage sales, antique malls, you name it. We have amazing friends and family members keeping their eyes peeled for collections that we are growing as well. Sarah’s dad is a rockstar at finding unique pieces for our collection too! Between him and her grandfather we know where Sarah gets her keen eye from.
We try to buy locally when possible, but also like to purchase inventory on road trips and while traveling. With our deliveries this summer, we can’t wait to explore more towns!
4. Describe the concept for A La Crate
A La Crate is a vintage, reclaimed and custom rental warehouse. Our goal is to alleviate the legwork of finding and selling vintage items for one-time use. We want to promote a culture of do-it-yourself (D.I.Y.) creativity that appreciates the quality and value of the past, breaking the cycle of buy-use-waste.
5. What kind of things do you carry?
Our warehouse is chock full of large collections and one-of-a-kind props. You can always find the most up-to-date inventory and pricing on our website at:
http://alacratevintage.com/menu6. What do most people rent things from you for?
Mainly events. But those events are all across the board! Weddings, trade show booth displays, photo shoots, birthday parties, bridal or baby showers, class reunions, corporate events, fundraisers and design projects so far!
Below is an image from a photo shoot that my husband and I had last week. We rented the silk vintage umbrella from A La Crate.
Photo by Todd
To see a few more samples of how we used A La Crate’s rentals check this POST.
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.jpg "MADISON, WI ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER")
.jpg "Maggie and Jeremy (13)")
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