Vendor Spotlight: Birch & Brass
For this week’s vendor spotlight we had the honor of interviewing Brittany, founder of Birch & Brass. Birch & Brass is one of our favorite rental companies in Austin, Texas as they carry a variety of modern, contemporary & unique one-of-a-kind vintage pieces that our couples and corporate clients are always drawn to. Thank you to the Birch & Brass team for always being so amazing to work with & for helping our designs come to life! We’ve pulled photos from some of our favorite Wild Sky Event designs to feature Birch and Brass pieces. Please enjoy our interview with Brittany below!
Q - Were you in the events industry before you began Birch & Brass?
Brittany - “I've worked in the events industry for over 15 years now, but Birch & Brass was my first time working with weddings. I worked in event marketing for many large profile companies and event production.”
Q - Why did you decide to open up a rental company?
B - “When I was planning my own wedding, I was having trouble finding anything that really matched my own style. At the time, everything was very rustic and shabby chic, while I gravitated toward more modern silhouettes.
I've always collected furniture from a very young age, so I had an abundance of pieces in storage. By abundance, I mean many, many storage units full. I decided that I would use those for my own wedding. I heard great feedback along the way from other friends who were getting married and struggling to find pieces that they liked, and they expressed an interest in renting my furniture. From there, Birch & Brass was born!”
Q - How long have you owned Birch & Brass?
B - “Almost 6 years.”
Q - How do you decide to add furniture to your inventory?
B - “I base my purchases off a combination of two things: pieces that I gravitate toward that I know aren't being offered in Austin and pieces that we're regularly receiving requests for from clients. Now that our inventory is so large, we've truly run out of room in our 15,000 square foot warehouses, so we're often selling off the pieces that don't rent as often in order to make room for some newer pieces.
Q - Are you constantly adding to your inventory?
B - “Absolutely. Clients don't want their events to feel like another that already took place before theirs, and we enjoy providing a variety of pieces that truly create an ambience at an event. Everyone has their own unique style and we do our best to honor that within our offerings, so our pieces range from vintage to modern to contemporary.”
Q - How many of each item do you usually carry?
B - “Our vintage pieces are one-of-a-kind, so we have only a single pair of chairs or one sofa. With our modern selections, we typically carry higher quantities. We have many sets of sofas and higher quantities of chairs to provide seating for stage panels or the head table at a wedding.”
Q - When should couples ideally book rentals for their event?
B - “We typically recommend at least 6 months in advance. We already have some very full dates for Spring 2021 though, so realistically, the sooner the better. As a company, we're limited by the number of orders we can accommodate in a single date, since all of the pickup's typically fall at precisely the same time. So, we do cap the number of deliveries we can provide in a single day, as we never want to over promise and under deliver.”
Q - Is there anything couples should do before hiring rentals for their wedding?
B - “It's really helpful when a client has an idea of the direction they want to go for their design. We're often approached really early in the planning process, sometimes even before a venue has been selected, and it's not realistic to build out a proposal at this time.
We instead love when clients ask about our availability on certain dates or look into approximate pricing by submitting a wishlist, so they have an idea of what their rentals could cost.
It's nearly impossible for us to design something from scratch that our brides will love, until they provide us with a few pieces they're drawn to and a color palette. We absolutely love to custom design lounge groupings for our couples, but a bit of direction goes such a long way in bringing those visions to life!”
That time we took the San Jacinto Ballroom at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, TX and turned it into an emerald NYE vintage lounge complete with a fireplace! One of our favorite Wild Sky Event weddings!
Q - What are rental design elements clients should think about when booking rentals?
B - “Rentals can add up quickly, so I always encourage clients that don't have the budget for all of our tableware to select a key item. Whether it's a colorful goblet that makes a bold statement, a velvet napkin folded into a lovely knot, or some awesome modern flatware, you can still make a serious statement.
Also, we've never seen a sofa with too many throw pillows! People often underestimate how much of a statement you can make with them.”
Q - What happens if something is damaged at an event? Are most pieces able to be fixed?
B - “We have a 10% rental protection plan. Clients pay this non-refundable fee which covers any and all damages on an order, up to the amount they paid. This allows us to fix the items and our clients never even know something happened at their wedding! There's nothing I dislike more than writing to a bride after their special day and sending them a bill for damages. This rental protection plan nearly always ensures that won't happen.
Whether it's deep scratches, stains, spills, small items missing (tableware loves to disappear!), the reality is that our rentals get a bit battered and bruised on-site at events. Once they're returned, we get them sanitized, professionally cleaned, and work on getting them as good as new again.
Of course, occasionally a guest spills red wine on a white piece and we have to charge the client for reupholstery. Thankfully though, this is very, very rare!”
SXSW Activation Event at Container Bar
Q - Trends you’re noticing for 2021?
B - “Because of the uncertain climate right now, most of our clients have significantly reduced their guest counts. Intimate weddings have been the bulk of our new inquiries lately, and thankfully, it allows us to get more creative with our designs. Smaller guest counts enable the budget to stretch further, so we're really excited to work through some ideas with our 2021 brides.
Corporate Conference Event at Brazos Hall WSE x Birch and Brass
As far for colors, we're seeing a lot of cinnamon, terracotta, and dusty rose.”
Q - Any rental design tips for corporate events?
B - “Can I just say that I'm so glad corporate clients finally realized matching pleather sofas are a thing of the past... and it should stay that way.
Also, don't be afraid to use pieces that aren't matchy-matchy, because there's always a way to tie together different color palettes or fabrics in a beautiful and unique way. We can use five different colors and we can mix velvet, linen, and leathers together to create a cohesive aesthetic. Don't be afraid to get creative, because those events are typically the most memorable!”
Q - What is one major lesson you have learned since opening your business?
B - “It's really easy to get lost in a world of comparison, so I learned very early on that I run my business far more successfully if I don't get caught up in what other specialty rental companies are doing. As the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy.
I stopped following other rental companies on social media many, many years ago & it was the best decision we ever made. We have wonderful relationships with all of our fellow rental companies here in town and many throughout the country. Yet, I love the fact that any ideas we have or products we bring into our inventory are exclusively our own, rather than being influenced by what our peers are doing.”
Q - How are you pivoting while events are postponed?
B - “Just prior to the shelter-in-place, we launched our home staging sector. While it wasn't ideal timing to make this announcement as people prepared to stay indoors, it had been in the works for months and months.
We'd been working behind-the-scenes to expand our offerings, since home stagings require completely different rentals than events. We now have a large warehouse jam-packed with furniture specifically for homes. We're really excited about this new venture and have had a great response so far!”
Q - Any new procedures or plans in place for due to the Covid-19 situation?
B - “To keep our clients and our staff as safe as possible, we've put a few policies in place. Currently, we're only allowing contactless curbside pickups and contactless deliveries. Our team is wearing gloves and a mask at all times when handling our furniture. We're sanitizing our trucks after use and we have always sanitized our furniture items while on-site and once we return to the warehouse, so that will continue. All pieces are being covered in plastic immediately after being cleaned, as well.
We've also made the decision to not rent items back-to-back for clients once events are allowed. Because the virus can live on surfaces, we're only allowing an item to go out once every five days.”
Thank you to all the photographers who always make sure to capture every detail or our wedding designs (photos included in this blog post)! Feather and Twine Photography, Carolina Lima Photography, Jerry Hayes Photography, Jenny DeMarco Photography, and Sophie Epton Photography!