Welcome to the first Sweetface Events Vendor
Spotlight! This is a new series on our blog where we'll be featuring local
wedding vendors in the DC area to serve as inspiration for our readers and
brides. Our first feature is on a lovely creative business based out of
Alexandria, Virginia that shares a similar name (we couldn't resist). Sweetface
social media intern Kate sat down to chat with Rachel Bridgwood and Lauren
Anderson of Sweet Root Village, which focuses on photography and florals.
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| Rachel and Lauren of Sweet Root Village Photo by Sarah Bradshaw Photography |
There's nothing more refreshing than talking to people
who love what they do. For the ladies of Sweet Root Village, their passion for
their work was evident from the beginning of our conversation. I met with Lauren and Rachel on a cold Friday
morning and was immediately ushered into their beautiful studio space with a
warm welcome and the offer of freshly prepared French press coffee. We chatted
about how Sweet Root came to be, their strengths as business partners, and what
they envision for the future.
The Beginning.
Lauren and Rachel met during their college years and
became fast friends. Both were creatively minded, interested in photography,
and had dreams of starting their own creative enterprise. The brainstorming session for the business began,
as all good brainstorming sessions do, over a glass of wine. The name Sweet Root Village was inspired by a blog Lauren and Rachel liked the
sound of - A Cup of Green Ginger. They began writing out words they liked and
seeing what sounded good together. Village was a staple from the beginning, as its
all-encompassing nature seemed to fit the vision they had in mind. Sweet Root
came soon after, and the name was born.
When the two friends started their blog in the summer
of 2010, they really honed in on three facets: florals, photography, coordination.
Both loved florals and photography, and couldn't do without either. Coordination was added as a bonus - a
smaller focus that was mainly for brides who liked Sweet Root's style and asked
them to coordinate their wedding day as well as do their photography and
florals.
The Team.
Lauren and Rachel work
exceptionally well together - it must be related to that instant bond of
kinship that brought them together in the first place. Both women are equally
passionate about florals and photography, though they play
different roles in managing the business.
Lauren has a head for numbers and handles Sweet Root's finance. Rachel studied
graphic design in college and
heads up their online presence and branding. They both spoke to the benefit of having a business partner that they are
completely committed to and open with. They communicate well, and have the
benefit of filling in for the other when one of them is out of the office.
Sweet Root Village's studio
space is housed on the bottom floor of a lovely historic brick building in Old
Town Alexandria. They share the building with other creative business: Alumbra
Photography, UpCircle Studio, Kelley Cannon Events, and Michelle Lindsay
Photography. While this much overlap may cause competition in other studios,
the women at 112 South Patrick use the shared space to their advantage. Being
so close to other creatives leads to wonderful collaborations and a family-like
environment. Lauren and Rachel told of a recent potluck with everyone in the
building, and it was actually Susannah of Alumbra Photography that Lauren and Rachel partnered with to look for a studio space together.
The Business.
When talking with Lauren and Rachel about their proudest moment as business owners, they discussed several significant accomplishments:
moving into their first studio, being featured in The Knot, Washingtonian,
and Mingle Mag all at once, and for non-wedding events, collaborations with West Elm,
Kinfolk, and Anthropologie through partnering with A Daily Something.
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| Sweet Root Village's designs for a wedding at Murray Hill Photos By Sweet Root Village |
Their favorite wedding was
undoubtedly the one at Murray Hill in Leesburg, Virginia. They created hanging
macramé for the florals, loved the vendors, and truly clicked with the bride
and groom. Read more about the Murray Hill
wedding on The Knot, here.
Another stand-out point for Sweet Root Village is their focus on sustainability and their use of locally sourced flowers. From day one, Rachel and Lauren wanted to be sustainably minded. While there are many places to find flowers worldwide, Sweet Root Village prefers to get as much as they can during the local growing seasons from a nearby co-op of Virginia farmers. It's a labor of love as it takes much more coordinating and planning, but it's something they're really passionate about - the opportunity to work with local farmers and see the faces of those who have cultivated their flowers.
The Future.
As for future plans, Rachel and Lauren want to see
where the business takes them. Maybe moving to a warehouse space and hosting
workshops, maybe something else entirely. They are open to whatever the future
brings. The beauty of this is focusing on the present without the constant
pressure planning or readjusting missed goals. Sweet Root Village will
naturally progress, as it has done so far. And based on their past success,
their future must hold quite a lot of promise.
Be sure to check out the blog posts below for more
lovely photography + flowers by Sweet Root Village!
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Here's hoping for a Sweetface and Sweet Root collaboration in the future!
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