We had the good fortune of connecting with James & Leeann Espinoza and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James & Leeann, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
It all started when we decided to start our own wedding planning journey. We both had these great ideas in putting together our dream wedding. We had our minds set on what we wanted to plan and design for the big day. The problem we ran into was the lack of flexibility by rental companies. Time and again,  we ran into companies, both big and small, that couldn’t fulfil our vision. Once we did find a company, they only provided  “minimum rates” that we had to exceed before they would even consider helping us. For instance, to rent one farm table, we had to meet a dollar minimum of $3500 in order to use this company. We also ran into delivery issues. We needed items picked up the next day and many companies wanted to tack on an astronomical fee just for a Sunday pickup. This became frustrating to not only the process but to our wedding budget. After some time had passed, we sat and had a heart to heart discussion of how difficult it had been to find someone who understood us and could help with our wedding needs. In the midst of it all, a light bulb lit up. We came up with the bright idea of starting our own wedding company (Gracefully Vintaged) knowing that we could provide this customer service to other couples that we were unable to find. As the weeks passed by, our passion for designing events and our desire to help others had only grew stronger. Our ideas ran wild and our inventory quickly built up. We were so nervous to start this crazy, yet exciting idea, but ever since we have, we feel so thankful in being able to work as a husband and wife team and befriending all the beautiful couples we have met along the way. It’s our way of showing the world what we have to offer as a small business, without clients having to break the bank, and it was so worth the risk.

What should our readers know about your business?

James and I both suffered losses due to COVID. My father passed in 2020 and James’ beloved grandmother passed a year later. We wanted to make them proud and knew they were with us in the process of launching this business. We both come from a Construction Project Management background and didn’t really know the first thing about renting out lounge areas but we took a shot in the dark and have made a very successful company that we named after our daughter “Grace”. It’s been so overwhelmingly gratifying to meet such wonderful people who are trusting you to make their day magical in every way and we nail it every time! This is why we do this! We never leave an event without a high five and a kiss and words of affirmation for one another. We are blessed to run a company and share 24-7 together.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

We would definitely take our friends for a drive along the coast. Drive in to Huntington or Newport to enjoy the beautiful ocean. We would then take them for a stroll in San Juan Capistrano to listen to some live music. There is a great place called T Spoons there as well. They offer a great cooking class. Once everyone is done preparing their own meals, you sit at a big family style farmhouse table and get to know one another, sharing stories. We would also have them experience the Capt’n Crunch french toast at Hennessy’s Grill in Seal Beach. I hear they make a great Bloody Mary. We would be sure to shoot over to Downtown Long Beach and enjoy an evening of Brushstrokes and Beverages. It’s a fun evening of painting and meeting new people. If we had time before they left, we would treat them to a evening of Roscoes Chicken and Waffles in Anaheim, then possibly catching a Ducks game at Honda Stadium.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

We always like to thank our clients and also our competition in this industry. It definitely keeps us humble. Our company is not like other coordinating and design companies. We don’t offer “flat rates.” We know that each and every couple needs something different from us. Our pricing is designed specifically for each individual that contacts us. It helps us not only to stay competitive but allows us to form relationships and trust with our clients by working with their budgets. We are honest and fair and this has allowed our calendar to remain quite booked for both 2023 and 2024.

Website: www.gracefullyvintagedrentals.com

Instagram: @gracefullyvintagedrentals

Yelp: Gracefully Vintaged Rentals

Other: Thumbtack: Gracefully Vintaged Rentals & Coordinating

Image Credits
@lejuanyruly

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.