Your marriage is one of a kind. So, who’s to say your wedding rings shouldn’t be too? Kendra of Kendra Renee Jewelry offers just that. With the perfect combination of elegance + charm, her uniquely handcrafted wedding rings will leave you with your jaw on the floor! Kendra is not only a brilliant jewelry designer and metalsmith, she’s dedicated to finding each client the perfect ring. We had so much fun hanging with Kendra at The Big Fake Wedding San Francisco, that we just had to share some more about her in today’s Vendor Highlight!
Tell us a little bit about the story of Kendra Renee Jewelry.
I am a jewelry designer and metalsmith. I lovingly handcraft wedding bands in my rustic, modern style that are comfortable as an old friend, durable enough to weather any storm, and adventurous as the journey of marriage. I work closely with my clients to educate them about their jewelry purchase and guide them through the process of creating their perfect wedding band.
I believe your wedding ring, the symbol of your marriage, should be as unique, expressive, and beautifully imperfect as your relationship. Choosing it should be a fun, relaxed, personal experience.
I knew I wanted to be a jeweler since I was 18 years old. I was working in a craft gallery and learning about the artists whose work we sold. When I learned about one young artist who had managed to make a full time job out of making and selling her jewelry, I was struck with an incredibly intense wave of jealousy like nothing else I’ve experienced. I thought that was a pretty strong indicator I should start taking some metalsmithing classes.
What is the best part of your job?
It’s hard to choose just one, so here are my top three:
+ I get to meet incredibly nice people at a magical time in their life.
+ Every piece I make has love as its reason for existence.
+ I get to play with wax, metal and fire all day.
Describe a highlight or pivotal moment in your career.
I offer workshops where my clients can cast their wedding bands with me and my casting artist. They get to alloy and melt the gold, break the mold and hold their newly formed wedding bands for the first time. One of the first couples that came in for the workshop was incredibly sweet – I could see in their eyes how much it meant to them to get to experience the creation of their wedding bands. There was so much love and happiness between them, and so much excitement and respect for my craft. It was incredibly moving. I feel so blessed that I can provide an experience like this for my clients.
What advice would you give to aspiring small business owners?
Have patience. See it through. I am an incredibly impatient person – I constantly want to improve everything about my business, and I want to do it quickly. Even with all my hustle, it still took me nearly 7 years to feel like to had found my groove with my business. Everyone told me it would take that long, but I didn’t let that stop me from feeling like I was doing something wrong or underachieving in all the years I was getting my business off the ground. It turns out, being so hard on yourself doesn’t really help at all.
What is your favorite part of The Big Fake Wedding experience?
I love meeting the other vendors – it’s so nice to get to know other people in our industry. It’s rare that an event actually prioritizes making real connections between vendors, and I am grateful that The BFW has this as one of its primary goals. I’m a big fan of the “rising tide lifts all ships” principle – I think there is more than enough business to go around, and we all benefit from helping one another out.
Photo Credits:
Kate’s Captures (1)
More from Kendra Renee Jewelry:
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guys! We’ve been on a summer sabbatical.
