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Here at A Savvy Event we are in love with all things pretty, so today we are thrilled to share Frances Lane with you. Frances Lane is an event rental studio based in San Francisco that carries beautiful tabletop items. Lindsay Jernegan, the owner and founder of Frances Lane, was nice enough to sit down with us and share more about her lovely company.

ASE: How did you get started in event rentals? 

FL: Frances Lane started after my husband Bobby and I had sourced vintage dinnerware and bud vases for our own wedding in 2012 (with immense help from my mother-in-law, who lives on the real Frances Lane in Wisconsin). Our wedding was a very laid back affair, but for some reason I felt very strongly about the tabletop decor! That is where most of my creative energy went, and after the wedding I was inspired to put the pieces we’d sourced to further use and started Frances Lane. It’s been an amazing, dizzying journey growing as quickly as we have, and most definitely not for the faint of heart, but I just fall in love with it more and more each day.

What’s the best advice you’ve received? 

I’m lucky to be surrounded by brilliant, supportive, savvy people and have leaned heavily on all of them as Frances Lane has grown. I would say the piece of advice I fall back on the most is the importance of recognizing my strengths and enlisting help in areas I’m not so hot in. So often we as small business owners forget we don’t have to be masters of All The Things. Frances Lane will be it’s most successful when I’m focused on our clients and collections and not in charge of the book keeping and legal work!

What is your favorite tabletop look right now? 

I always joke that my favorite collection changes by the day, but that is so the truth! Today my favorite tabletop look is very loose, very eclectic. I love the idea of having an assortment of different place settings; a variety of cohesive-yet-unique chargers/plates/glassware combos. It brings a stylish yet boho-house-party vibe to the tabletop and I can’t get enough of it.

What looks do you think will stand the test of time? 

Our Cut Crystal collection of glassware and White dinnerware collection, for sure. They’re classics, and so versatile. I love the color and bling of our other collections, and they’ll be around a long, long time, but these two specifically offer the perfect balance of texture and elegance to a tabletop without competing directly with other design elements.

What are your tricks for setting yourself apart from other rental companies?

I don’t know that I’d call it a trick, but when building collections I strive to balance what I’ve personally fallen in love with and want to offer as a collection with what is in demand and what I see as having longevity. I aim for our collections to be diverse enough to appeal to different tastes and styles while also keeping our expanding inventory unique and of a very high quality. It’s the balance of those two that make us successful and differentiate us from other big-box companies.

Do you have any tips for brides planning their weddings?

1. See things in person! It requires a bit more time and effort, but I can’t over-emphasize how helpful it is to do mock ups of your various design elements, especially (and this is probably because I’m biased) with your tabletop decor. You can only get so far referencing Pinterest and your imagination! Most vendors are more than happy to set up a design meeting with you, often as a part of their services or for a small additional fee.

2. When determining your tabletop needs, keep in mind the courses you’ll be serving, the drinks you plan on offering, and the type of service you will have (Plated? Family style? Buffet?). Those factors will help determine the quantity and type of plates and flatware you’ll need as well as the variety of glassware you’ll want to have at each setting.

3. My advice to those who are considering hiring a boutique rental company such as Frances Lane is to weigh the overall impact having a thoughtfully curated tabletop will have on the atmosphere of your event (and if such a thing is important to you) and where that impact falls in relation to your budget. The meal is often where we spend a good chunk of our time during a wedding celebration, and I find it’s where the design details can often be most apparent to, and experienced by, your guests. They hold and interact with each piece! If you want more than just basic function, if you see value in bringing in unique pieces for your tabletop that enhance the rest of your design details, then that is a worthy direction to invest some of your budget.

Thank you Lindsay for taking the time to speak with us! Lindsay’s headshot by Sergio Mottola, all other photos by Frances Lane.