Two years ago, with the coronavirus pandemic canceling events and shutting down businesses, Summer Aldridge and Allyson Sanders decided to start a business that depended on crowds.
They called it Something Borrowed.
It was geared toward weddings and other big events.
“We survived because of all the community support here and in surrounding counties,” Sanders said.
Both women have full-time jobs that they enjoy.
But Something Borrowed is fun, they say.
Aldridge is senior director of alumni relations & career exploration at Kentucky Wesleyan College.
Sanders is industry program coordinator at Owensboro Community & Technical College.
“We were talking about things that Owensboro needed,” Sanders said of the start of the business. “Summer came up with the name Something Borrowed, because you don’t need to buy it if you can borrow it or rent it. That says what we are.”
She said, “We have unique items that you can’t find anywhere else around here.”
Things like peacock chairs, a digital photo booth named Pearl that can add graphics, parlor chairs, modern chairs, a boxwood wall, backdrops, arches and arbors and a champagne wall to put champagne glasses on.
“We have a lot of cool unique items,” Aldridge said. “We also have great partnerships where we can rent things we don’t have.”
They use Meadow House Flowers and Gifts for floral arrangements and Idyllwood on Veach for outdoor weddings.
“We have a lot of great resources,” Sanders said.
She said, “They can even borrow our experience in making everything just right. We can connect the dots for them.”
Aldridge said, “Our day jobs are in nonprofits. We offer discounts to nonprofits.”
Sanders said, “We’re increasing our inventory. We don’t believe in limits.”
She also owns The Party Space Place on Wildcat Way, the shopping center east of the Walmart on Frederica Street, with family members.
The storefront can hold 80 people standing and 65 to 75 seated.
And Sanders is expanding into space next door which will be able to seat up to 150 people.
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