During the decade that Tracy Stolese operated Arabesque, a gift and stationery shop in Shelburne, she heard a lot of wedding-related stories and recognized a common phenomenon: Colleagues in Vermont's wedding industry often convened with prenuptial couples at coffee shops; they had nowhere else to talk about vows, flower preferences or buffet options. "There's a lot of people out there working at home in the wedding business, and they would tell me how they have meetings at Starbucks or are meeting a bride at Panera," Stolese says. That sounded like an opportunity. Stolese, 51, closed Arabesque last May. In October, she launched two related ventures in a space farther north on Shelburne Road: Shelburne Gift Company and the Vermont Wedding Studio. The first is an order-only operation that maintains no retail inventory. The second is a coworking space that Stolese shares with other wedding professionals. At her Shelburne Gift Company, Stolese sees customers by appointment for invitations and other stationery products, as well as customized gift bags, baskets and boxes. Currently, two other wedding professionals rent space in the studio for $300 per month. "I worked in my living room and then my basement for several years, and then was meeting people in Starbucks, New Moon [Café], Speeder & Earl's [Coffee]," says Lorin Holmes. She operates the online directory vermontweddings.com and recently joined the Vermont Wedding Studio. Holmes says she previously tried another coworking space, but it lacked the sense of community she enjoys when working with others in the wedding field. "The collaboration part of it is the part that really drew me in," she says. Collaboration is key in the wedding world, in which the pros thrive on sharing customers. A florist might recommend a hairstylist to a bridal customer; a caterer will suggest a photographer — and each expects referrals in return. That's why Stolese has restricted her studio to matrimonial pursuits, rather than opening it up to tech entrepreneurs, graphic designers or others who typically use coworking environments. Carmen George, a justice of the peace who officiates weddings and also offers florist and photography services, didn't know Stolese before inquiring about space in the wedding studio. Now settled in, she's already seeing the collaborative potential: After scheduling to marry a couple this summer at the Inn at Shelburne Farms, George directed them to Stolese for their invitations. "We can also ask each other, when you…
During the decade that Tracy Stolese operated Arabesque, a gift and stationery shop in Shelburne, she heard a lot of wedding-related stories and recognized a common phenomenon: Colleagues in Vermont's wedding industry often convened with prenuptial couples at coffee shops; they had nowhere else to talk about vows, flower preferences or buffet options. "There's a lot of people out there working at home in the wedding business, and they would tell me how they have meetings at Starbucks or are meeting a bride at Panera," Stolese says. That sounded like an opportunity. Stolese, 51, closed Arabesque last May. In October, she launched two related ventures in a space farther north on Shelburne Road: Shelburne Gift Company and the Vermont Wedding Studio. The first is an order-only operation that maintains no retail inventory. The second is a coworking space that Stolese shares with other wedding professionals. At her Shelburne Gift Company, Stolese sees customers by appointment for invitations and other stationery products, as well as customized gift bags, baskets and boxes. Currently, two other wedding professionals rent space in the studio for $300 per month. "I worked in my living room and then my basement for several years, and then was meeting people in Starbucks, New Moon [Café], Speeder & Earl's [Coffee]," says Lorin Holmes. She operates the online directory vermontweddings.com and recently joined the Vermont Wedding Studio. Holmes says she previously tried another coworking space, but it lacked the sense of community she enjoys when working with others in the wedding field. "The collaboration part of it is the part that really drew me in," she says. Collaboration is key in the wedding world, in which the pros thrive on sharing customers. A florist might recommend a hairstylist to a bridal customer; a caterer will suggest a photographer — and each expects referrals in return. That's why Stolese has restricted her studio to matrimonial pursuits, rather than opening it up to tech entrepreneurs, graphic designers or others who typically use coworking environments. Carmen George, a justice of the peace who officiates weddings and also offers florist and photography services, didn't know Stolese before inquiring about space in the wedding studio. Now settled in, she's already seeing the collaborative potential: After scheduling to marry a couple this summer at the Inn at Shelburne Farms, George directed them to Stolese for their invitations. "We can also ask each other, when you…