The death of a loved one taught Sandy and Kate Daugherty the precious worth of a photograph. Now they are expanding the business they began in 2010 to include an even bigger moment in a couple’s life — their wedding.
After losing her husband to a massive heart attack in 2009, Sandy Daugherty and her daughter Kate moved from Lafayette, Louisiana back home to Owensboro where they opened Studio 929, a photography studio. The name pays homage to her husband’s birthday, September 29.
Through the years, Sandy, the primary photographer, and Kate, the photo editor, have met and become involved in the lives of many clients. The focus of their photography has centered around lifestyle sessions and weddings.
But now, these two entrepreneurs are taking on a new and exciting business venture. In 2016, when submitting a Studio 929 wedding photo shoot to Kentucky Bride magazine, Kate happened to notice that the magazine was for sale. After realizing the sale notice was a couple of months old, Kate assumed the publication must have already been sold — but she sent an email inquiry anyway.
Kate discovered the magazine was still available, and in Nov. 2016, she and Sandy became the new owners. Kate saw this as an opportunity to combine her English degree with her and her mother’s mutual knowledge of the wedding industry.
“After much prayer and thought, we jumped into the publication industry headfirst,” Kate said.
Sandy and Kate run the magazine themselves with help of local contributing writers, such as Sandra Mendez of Gene’s Health Food and Bryant Hawkins of Dixie Reserve who also uses his graphic design skills to assist with the layout of the magazine. Brides-to-be and those involved in the wedding business submit styled photo shoots to the magazine.
Sandy and Kate look for photos that feature a variety of budgets and unique details that can offer ideas for other brides to add a special flair to their own nuptials.
As for running two businesses, “It’s not for the faint of heart,” according to Kate. However, the mother-daughter duo has quickly found that the highs and lows of the two businesses offset each other.
“Honestly, we just couldn’t do what we do without each other,” Kate said. “We work well together and the best thing in the world is knowing that your partner always has your back.”
While, in the past, the magazine has featured many submissions from the larger cities in Kentucky, Kate said, “We always get excited when we receive Owensboro weddings and Western Kentucky weddings and wish that we could see more!”
The goal of Kentucky Bride is to provide inspiration for brides as they are planning their weddings, but not just Kentucky brides. The magazine is shipped all over the country biannually every April and October and it is sold throughout Kentucky and its bordering states. Sandy and Kate hope that the magazine continues to reach and motivate brides in Kentucky and beyond.
“Brides in other states are discovering our magazine and choosing to have their weddings in Kentucky,” Kate said. “We’re really proud that we can showcase our state in such a beautiful way and we hope that it continues for a really long time.”
