Kristen Becker of
Five Dot Design, Marti Heard of
Marti’s Floral Designs, Kelly Ledford of
Cinci Makeup, Jacalyn Mains of
JMM Photography and Julie Schmidt of
Cincy Event Planning started out as a group of wedding vendors who were looking for office space to accommodate themselves and all of their stuff. But the ladies of
915 Monmouth knew it needed to be eclectic, just like them.
Heard initially found the space on Monmouth Street in Newport. It wasn’t much to look at, but after six months of renovations, the space is now a mix of contemporary and reclaimed pieces that reflect who the women are.
915 Monmouth officially opened in October 2011, and it’s not just used as an office for wedding consultations and makeup trials. It’s also a space that members of the community can rent for weddings and receptions, baby showers, bridal showers, luncheons and personal parties.
The women of 915 Monmouth have also hosted three Junk in the Trunk events, which serve as a flea market for brides-to-be. Before the event, former brides are invited to drop off ceremony or reception decorations they no longer want, and then future brides can come and shop.
“We don’t want to be cookie-cutter or like other wedding vendors,” says Becker. “And although it’s not a new concept to have multiple vendors under one roof, it’s different to have all of us working in the studio and not just taking up one corner of the studio.”
And just because a bride books one of the women for her wedding doesn’t mean she has to book all five vendors. “There’s no pressure or competition,” says Schmidt.
915 Monmouth was featured in the before and after section of
Design*Sponge, a Brooklyn-based design blog.
By Caitlin Koenig
Follow Caitlin on Twitter
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