We caught up with Jess Levin, the founder behind the brilliant and quickly growing wedding inspiration and planning siteĂ‚Â Carats & Cake. Ă‚Â The website features photos fromĂ‚Â recent weddingsĂ‚Â and all the vendors involved, so brides can easily connect what inspires them with the talentĂ‚Â behind it – whether it’s the photographer, the florist or the venue. And then, of course, they can view more of that vendor’s work and connect with them directly.
Brilliant, right? We asked Jess, who lives and works here in New York City, to tell us a bit more about her company.
What inspired you to develop Carats & Cake?
Jess Levin: We wanted to simplify the planning process by solving the information problem. Right now, the market is flooded with inspiration but going beyond that (finding the right local vendor to execute on your vision) can be challenging and overwhelming. With Carats & Cake we wanted to create a platform that would allow recently married couples to share their weddings and their experiences while simultaneously providing those in the planning process with real actionable information.
How do vendors get onto Carats & Cake?
JL: Vendors can create a profile on Carats & Cake by following this link.
Has anything surprised you about how vendors or brides experience the site since its launch?
JL: I think the single biggest surprise has been how open the wedding industry has been to embracing Carats & Cake. So much of our success and growth can be attributed to the support of the overall industry.
You started out by showcasing U.S. weddings, but it seems thatĂ‚Â you’ve quickly grown well beyond the border?Ă‚Â
JL: Currently we have over 8,000 local vendors on Carats & Cake in over 60 geographic locations including destinations like the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe, which has become a more popular destination choice as of late.
Do you have a favorite wedding trend happening now?
JL: I am really into the non-white wedding dress trend, especially the blush tones and Monique Lhuillier just showed hints of sea foam green on the runway.
What should we expect to see from Carats & Cake in the coming months/year?
JL: Lots! We are focused on changing the way the wedding industry does business and we just got started.
