The Prop Factory – Supplier Love
The Prop Factory is a fabulous company providing a wide range of handmade items to hire for weddings and events. We have had the pleasure of working together on a number of styled photo shoots at the hotel. These have included the 1920s shoot in January 2018 and our English Tea Party shoot in June with UpArt Photography (photos to be revealed shortly!).
The Prop Factory have a wonderful variety of items available. These range from beautiful chairs, light-up letters, fairground props and unique signage to giant flowers, circus props – and everything in between! With a warehouse filled with treasures, you’re sure to find everything you need to totally transform your special day.
We caught up with Carys and Carmen to find out all about their business.
When did you first realise there was a gap in the market? What was your inspiration for The Prop Factory?
Carmen had the idea of The Prop Factory as a university project which then became a reality after she had a few paying customers. The Prop Factory grew mainly from Carmen’s love of props and her drive to create amazingly unique items from recycled materials.
What makes The Prop Factory so unique?
We make everything from recycled materials and so we never know for sure what the product is going to look like. This adds excitement and 100% uniqueness! Some prop ideas are created from Carmen’s amazingly creative imagination and some are influenced by furniture we have the chance to restore and provide a new life.
For all of our engaged couples, please tell us about the services you provide.
We are a dry hire company so the props couples hire out are delivered but we don’t offer a set-up or styling service. Instead we offer advice for couples on themes on what looks good together and help choose the props, including a look around the warehouse. When delivered, all of our props come with simple set-up instructions if needed.
We have a minimum spend of £300 for free delivery within a 30-mile radius, which works well for local couples. Also, we’re very flexible with hire time. We don’t want couples to be rushing to set up and pack down a wedding quickly. So we hire out at the same cost for 3 days.
We are happy to create proposals for couples needing help to choose the right decoration. As we’ve been lucky to have worked in many venues in Devon and Cornwall, we often know the space and style that will give the wow factor. You can now book visits on our website too, which I recommended, as we have so much to see!
How do you decide which items to make, do you follow trends, customer feedback?
Carmen has ideas for new props everyday which she draws up and has wonderful ideas for! Laura then makes a concept into reality using the recycled resources we have collected here at the warehouse. The final result, though, is always a beautiful surprise as the idea can change a lot through its making. We are known for our originality and have become trend setters within the props industry.
Do you have a favourite set up / collection of props?
Our favourite and growing collection of props at the moment are our Wonderland inspired ones. We have recently made: Giant Flowers, Enchanted Vine, Mad Hatters Chair, Queen of Hearts Chair, Giant Potion Bottle, Caterpillar Poof, Wonderland Rabbit Hole Arch, Giant Keyhole, Flamingo Crochet and lots lots more! Check out our website for all the new builds!
How important is sustainability as part of your business?
Sustainability is our ethos! Using recycled, unwanted, rescued materials and furniture is what makes us so unique and planet friendly! We also gain originality from this as we don’t just buy the correct woods, etc off the shelf. Each product has a story behind it, which you can read about under description on the website.
Do you have any exciting plans for the future?
Our exciting plans at the moment are just growing our amazing Prop collection and keeping The Prop Factory a lovely place to work. We have a great process when a new item is born! Carmen creates the concept and draws the idea. Laura makes the prop with her amazing skills. I take on a photo shoot for styling and photographing. Tricia puts the image and details on the website. Adam hires the props to new customers. And Jim makes sure the prop arrives with the customer safely… A fabulous team of six!
Is there anything else you think we should know?
Just a reminder that as well as creative fun props and games we do lots and lots of furniture! We have a lovely collection of sofas and armchairs, as well as tables and chairs!
If you think that The Prop Factory would be a great addition to your wedding, visit their website for a full list of their props. If there are any products that you have in mind that are not on their website, please do contact Carys or Carmen. They are always looking to add to their ever-expanding collection.