Vendor Feature – Good Ol’ Fashioned Party
Today we’re highlighting Colorado Vendor, Good ‘Ol Fashioned Party.
Good ‘ol Fashioned Party is run by the mother/daughter team of Kelly and Heather and they specialize in vintage wedding planning and rentals for creative brides, photographers, and party planners.
We worked with them on our 1920’s Shoot in 2015 (ignore the old logo!), where they provided the amazing furniture, accessories, and chandelier. And we’ve teamed up ay real weddings several times since!
Read more about their business philosophies and history below, then head over to their site to check out their awesome collection of vintage inventory!
How long have you been in business?
Our website went live in September 2012, but we began working on our business plan early in 2012. So many times when working on a project,the planning becomes tedious and mundane and you can’t wait to finish the planning and get started already. But I have to say that from the minute we conceived the idea of doing this, throughout the research, the networking, the meetings, and the creating it was a joyful process. And our excitement and love for this business has only increased with each and every and every event that we have been involved with.
What made you start Good ‘Ol Fashioned Party?
Kelly, my daughter, got engaged early in 2012. Kelly and Jed had a very clear idea of what they wanted for their wedding and it involved a very vintage look. Therefore, we began early that year to haunt estate sales, vintage stores, and auctions. As our amazing collection grew, we knew that the items that Kelly needed to make her dream wedding come true would be perfect for other people wanting that vintage, shabby-chic feel for an event. My 20 year sales and marketing career with Warner Bros. was winding down and I had always dreamed of owning my own business. So, you might say it was in the cards to launch Good Ol’ Fashioned Party. We had the time, the desire, the creative spirit, and some perfect inventory items to start our business. And the rest is history!
What is your favorite part of owning your own business?
Honestly, what I love most about owning my own business is the industry itself. We have met so many amazing vendors, clients, venues, and other business owners. The event industry in Colorado is a very welcoming, helpful, and friendly group, and we have gotten some really helpful advice and support from so many people. Far and away, though, we have loved the families, couples, and corporations that we have worked for. Our 2013 events were all amazing and perfect, and the people that we met will always be a part of our business—they live on our website!
Since there are two of you, what are your primary roles in the business?
Although we have quirky titles, I think that our roles are very well defined, and Kelly and I work incredibly well together. Kelly is Director of All Thing Creative—she has the vision. Kelly will take a very abstract idea from a client and in a short amount of time expand it to every element of an event. My title is CEO—Chief Event Organizer. Drawing from my corporate event experience, I do the detail work of flawlessly pulling off the event. What has been interesting for both Kelly and I is learning how to work together as mother and daughter, and how her creativity rubs off on me and how Kelly has developed a great eye for organization and attention to detail, so our responsibilities are really interchangeable.
Who is your ideal client? Who inspires you in your design?
Our ideal client is someone who has a vision for their special day—that vision may be just a hint of an idea or a full-blown plan—and is looking for some help to pull it all together. We use our experience and creativity to make every aspect, every detail, a special and unique element a part of the whole. We are quirky and whimsical and our inventory for the most part is vintage, but we have worked with just about every style imaginable. We are inspired as our clients tell their stories, plus we’re constantly using Pinterest as a repository for ideas and visions.
Describe the process of working with you. How would a couple interact with you from start to finish?
We usually start with a phone call and a discussion of what services they are interested in—and many times even the couple isn’t quite sure yet. Next, we will arrange an informal coffee meeting to get to know the couple, what their vision is, and how we can fit into their special day. Many times in that meeting we will share vendor suggestions, as in most instances we are one of the first contacts after securing a venue. (We’ve also done Day Of services with a 2 week notice, so this process can be very flexible.) We will be as involved as our clients want us to be, including helping with DIY projects, creating event timelines, running rehearsals, creating sitting areas, connecting with all vendors, and working with the wedding party. We are Girl Fridays when it comes to events.
What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Kelly had the Coaches Scoop ice cream truck at her wedding—it was her husband’s one request—so I’d have to say 30 flavors.
Where would you most like to travel?
A better question might be, “Where would we not want to travel??” My daughter inherited my wanderlust. My husband and I recently went on a tour of Spain, which included my friend’s wedding in the hills above Malaga, and Kelly and Jed took their extended honeymoon in the fall to Paris, where they spent 2 glorious weeks immersed in the culture and spirit of Paris. We are planning Italy and Greece for next year and in between a historical trip to Savannah and Charleston.
