A Loft that Lifts the Wedding Community

A collaborative space for wedding professionals, couples, and the community. A Wedding Loft has everything from studio space to office space to a podcasting studio — and even event space!

YOUR BUSINESS

A Wedding Loft

How long have you been in business?

Open almost one year

What areas do you serve?

DMV, but specifically Loudoun County, Virginia

Why did you decide to start your own business?

After years of working in the wedding industry, and mulling this idea (that is now AWL) over and over in my head, I realized one solid thing: Our industry needs this. I had heard of collectives- online and studio based. I even joined a fantastic one (A Little Wedding Studio – check it out! The ladies are super talented and basically rock stars. I’m honored that they had let me join). And I watched and admired as The Rising Tide Society blew the whole “Community over Competition” out of the water!

I felt like all of those incredible resources were onto something we, as women and professionals needed to navigate this really tough and sometimes emotional industry. But for me, it still wasn’t enough. I needed to go somewhere to feel the support and encouragement, and not have to spend $$$ to travel to a yearly conference or whatever. I needed something here, local and I couldn’t figure out what was missing until, I had to sell my house. We had taken out a personal loan, and thanks to my family who helped put in the sweat and blood to finish the basement into my own stationery studio. It was incredible and inspiring and all mine. I was proud of it. But then as life sometimes does, things got hard. On the personal side. And I had to sell the house, and the basement, and the studio, and the dreams I had of building my wedding stationery business from there. I had to take about 10 steps back and work out of a tiny little room in a rented townhouse, while I was raising 2 babies, working full time for a suit, and trying not to collapse into myself from a really awful divorce.

But you know what they say about plans… So I was back to the drawing board, in a new town, with an entirely new group of local vendors. But then I hit a creativity low. I was working from home, and as a stationery/ graphic designer, I rarely ever went to the weddings I designed for. I was missing the spark that comes from being around other creatives. Over the last 2 years, I have met with so many vendors, small biz owners, creatives and just women with a dream. We've held focus groups, think tanks, surveys, etc.. We've taken startup classes and met with the Small Business Association. We've also had the incredible opportunity to have a Score Business Coach. If I had had a place to go when I started my stationery business 12+ years ago, it would have really helped with the learning processes, networking, and hard lessons (mistakes) that go into launching and growing a business.

What's the coolest thing about owning your own business?

Being able to show my daughters that you can create a life on your own, if you want it badly enough and hard enough. When doors shut in your face, you take that rejection and work that much harder. Plus being able to design and craft the concept into what I think will work based on response and numbers. We aren't a franchise (yet!) so being able to create our own rules is both a blessing and a curse. There aren't really other business models to go off of for our business concept, so it's been a huge trial and error experience.

What is a topic that you feel you could offer a unique perspective in — either to engaged couples or wedding professionals?

We offer a physical location for wedding professionals to operate and grow their business. Rent by the hour consultation/tasting areas to meet with clients Rent by the hour beauty stations for hair and makeup artists to perform beauty trials instead of traveling to clients (strangers) houses, walking into a potential unsafe situation, same with if you invite a couple into your house if you operate out of your home.

A Wedding Loft provides vendors with professional and beautiful location for their businesses (we also have a 95% conversion rate for bookings regarding consultations held inside our walls. it just gives vendors that extra professional appearance - to have a business location on south king street in downtown Leesburg in Loudoun County.

We also have rent by the hour podcast studios, conference rooms, and photography studios, workshop space, event space We offer educational workshops called "level up series" - we've had industry specific educators and experts. Lawyers, copy writers (Taylor with Lemon Tree Editorial!!), insurance, taxes.

We have a membership with almost 60 local female entrepreneurs, but you can also rent spaces a la carte. For Couples - we are a one stop shop for all of their wedding vendors. We offer consulting services as well to pair them with vendors that we feel will work best based on their budget, date, location, style, etc. Couples can meet their vendors at A Wedding Loft for in-person consultations, cake tastings, beauty trails.

What insight would you like to offer about this topic?

Everything that goes into the walls of A Wedding Loft already exists, but what’s so cool about this concept is, it’s basically a one-stop-shop for both the small business owners and their clients. At its core, A Wedding Loft is truly a unique collaborative concept. We are providing a safe, supportive space for wedding and creative professionals to grow their business with all of the tools they might need.

When I was in the research phase of forming this concept, I met with women of all different stages their careers. I met with Makeup artists, pastry chefs, wedding planners, photographers, videographers… you name it. And I would ask them 2 questions. Question 1: Tell me about the biggest challenge you have running your business… And then I would explain the concept of A Wedding Loft. Then I would ask the 2nd question: Now that you understand the vision, how can this concept fix that problem… From there, I was able to pin point what each creative category needed to operate better. For example, Hair & makeup artists struggle to find a clean, private location to perform their bridal trials. They would have to either hold the trial in their house, go to the clients house, which both situations can be inconvenient or even potentially dangerous! So boom, let’s fix that by offering rent by the hour consultations areas, but just make them so much prettier than a regular co-working space. And the planners, bakers, and photographers faced the same problem. They all need a use as needed location to hold their consultations and appointments!

So what sets AWL apart from other collectives or collaborations is the actual physical location. It’s a collaborative destination for local wedding professionals. But really… it’s so much more than that. A Wedding loft is a place where small business owners can come to learn, and grow and expand their business. The most important thing we want your listeners to know is that AWL is a positive place, with kind people, who are encouraging of others and focused on promoting growth through community.

FUN BUSINESS INFO

What challenges have you had to overcome?

nope. I can't even begin to list... because this concept, in it's entirety doesn't exist anywhere else, putting all the pieces together, find an online scheduling system that works for our concept, putting a price tag to rates, making sure we keep our membership true to our mission, then trying to advertise the "everything that it is". FML. seriously.

I don’t claim to have all of the answers with A Wedding Loft. But I do know there are some things that can only come from experience and by weathering the storms. I wish there was a place like this when I was just starting out, because I could have REALLY used it. I’ve lost so many nights of sleep agonizing over a client. I’ve only cried 2x over difficult clients, but came really close, like 1000+ times.

But then came experience and I matured into my business, ultimately realizing that as hard as I try, some things are just out of my control. The sun will rise again after a bad review, a financial blow, or a missed timeline. And we take those lessons and carry them with us, making us better for the next battle.

Any funny stories to share?!

Our name - it's a marketing trick. MOBs, Brides, etc. walk in thinking we are either a boutique, venue, or planner and we get to talking and i ask them what they need for their wedding, and usually member or venue referrals occur! "You. should change your name, it's confusing b/c of what you really are" says the dad, always. Me: It got you up here, didn't it? - said with a wink and a smile.

Have something else to share? A funny story? Something crazy that happened? Let's Dish!

I get hit up for free things (event space mostly) all the time and i'm told over and over that the exposure will help with business (followers, views, etc.) i've learned very quickly to say "i love that you love our creative home so much that you want to host your event here, however... likes and followers can't be cashed at the bank".

SOCIAL MEDIA

Instagram Handle: @awedding loft

Facebook: A Wedding Loft

Pinterest: A Wedding Loft

Website: A Wedding Loft