Exploring Life & Business with Rachel Duncan and Laura Hicks of Something Borrowed: Wedding and Event Rentals

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Duncan and Laura Hicks. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Rachel and Laura have been best friends for twelve years. They met in college and have been inseparable ever since. In the last two years, Rachel has been a part of five different bridal parties, and Laura and her husband had their own wedding. This sparked the idea of Something Borrowed: Wedding and Event Rentals.

Laura had purchased many wedding items for her own ceremony. Many of Rachel’s friends stated that they “had no idea what to do with all of the wedding decorations after their big day.” This led Rachel and Laura to the idea of renting commonly desired wedding items to the couples of northern Arizona.

Both ladies are Prescott natives and Rachel currently lives in Flagstaff. They knew that northern AZ was a beautiful place for brides to get married, but that the wedding rental companies were underrepresented. The wedding and party industry is a passion for Rachel and Laura. They really wanted to offer a service that could streamline and simplify the wedding planning process.

It is also a strong belief of theirs that many weddings items are only “gently used” after a ceremony. It is a more sustainable and environmentally friendly choice to rent items that can be used repeatedly.

To decide what items they should rent to brides, Rachel and Laura started thinking of trends seen in weddings they had been in recently. They also did online research and conducted a survey of 120 couples at a local bridal expo. This really helped them tailor what brides are looking for. They asked for ideas surrounding wedding trends and colors, popular vendors, venues, and what items brides would be interested in renting.

This led to the choices of offering: wedding signs, artificial floral arrangements, wedding arches, centerpiece items, decor, and miscellaneous items like drink canisters, projectors, yard games, and string lights.

Something Borrowed: Wedding and Event Rentals is a new business, it just came into fruition in late 2021. However, both Laura and Rachel already feel so committed to the business and to working with brides. Collaborations are already starting to build with many venues, photographers, and wedding planners. It has been so fun building the business and doing fun activities such as the inventory photoshoot with Jess Strazzeri of Nettik Photography.

Rachel and Laura are such big supporters of other small businesses. It has been an absolute joy to work with and learn from other businesses that are just as compassionate about the wedding industry.

It has been very exciting for Rachel and Laura to learn about brides, and wedding trends, and to go above and beyond to provide the best service possible. They love delivering to all of northern AZ and Phoenix (upon request) because it allows them to see new and interesting places.

Rachel and Laura have been having so much fun interacting with couples, building customized floral arrangements, and helping to make wedding dreams a reality. They are so excited to see where this journey will take them and can’t wait to build more connections and serve the weddings of northern AZ.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Starting a new business is always a risk and can have challenges. However, Rachel and Laura have had a relatively easy road thus far. It has definitely helped to have a business partnership with your best friend.

They bounce fun ideas off of each other, communicate daily, and go to wedding events as a team. It has been a learning curve figuring out all the nuances of running a business. It definitely took some time to build the website and to research the best possible rental products for brides.

However, it has been a huge confidence booster just knowing that this is something that was built together. It has been a joy and a blessing running Something Borrowed: Wedding and Event Rentals.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
“Something Borrowed” serves northern Arizona wedding and event rental items. The business specializes in renting and creating: wedding signs, arches, artificial floral arrangements, centerpieces, decor, and miscellaneous items.

The company was developed by two best friends who have a passion for the wedding and party industry. The goal is to bring beautiful and unique rental items to couples for their special day. They strongly believe that many wedding items are only “gently used” after a ceremony and that it is not only more economical but environmentally friendly to repeatedly use items.

The owners are both northern AZ natives, and really have a great love for all the beauty that truly makes it a magical place. They strongly believe that it is a stunning area to hold a wedding or event and noticed that rental items were very unrepresented. Therefore, Something Borrowed was born!

Something Borrowed strives to deliver not only great service to the brides of northern AZ, but also provide beautiful elements to make a wedding or event truly unforgettable. They offer customized floral arrangements, gorgeous arches, and trendy decorations to make any gathering special.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Rachel- My favorite childhood memories are going camping and spending time outdoors with my family. My dad was a big fisherman and so he loved taking us all over AZ and to nearby states on fishing trips and to explore nature.

It was always so fun to spend time in the sun, experience the fresh air, play games, and spend that quality time as a family. It really set me up for love and peace with the outdoors for the rest of my life. It is a big reason I chose to live in the mountains today.

Laura- As a child, my family and I lived in the countryside of Oregon. It was absolutely beautiful. We had numerous farm animals like sheep and horses. My family was always taking me on outdoor adventures, whether it was a trip to see waterfalls or a hike alongside the river.

I believe my appreciation of nature and love for animals stemmed from living in Oregon as a child.

Pricing:

• Arches: $80-$120
• Floral Arrangements: $50-$150
• Signs: $10-$50 apiece
• Centerpieces: $25-$40 apiece
• Miscellaneous Items: $20-$100 apiece.

Contact Info:

• Email: somethingborrowednaz@gmail.com
• Website: www.somethingborrowednaz.com
• Instagram: @somethingborrowednaz
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/somethingborrowednaz

Image Credits
Jessie Strazzeri with Nettik Photography