Name - Kesha Monk
 
Company- ChocolateBrides.Com
 

Crème Magazine: What inspired you to create Chocolatebrides.com?

Kesha Monk: I wanted to see brown models with various body types in wedding gowns. I wanted to see some examples of bridal hairstyles with my type of hair. Among thousands of pages in the wedding magazines there was nothing that spoke directly to the 'Chocolate Bride.' It was almost as if Black women didn't get married. Three months after our wedding, we felt compelled to fill this void.

 
Crème Magazine: How has your business model blossomed since the launch of the site?

KM: Primarily we launched as a resource for brides, but because the girls value the importance of community and the positive camaraderie on our website, we have attracted all women - regardless of marital status. Weddings are the pulse of our brand, but we position ourselves as a lifestyle and relationship website. Not only do we have a responsibility to uplift, encourage, spotlight and promote positive black marriages, but we want to help build friendships by supporting one another through the highs and lows of life. Chocolate Brides is a movement!

Crème Magazine: Who are some of your great supporters of the site other than the brides?

KM: Our supporters are comprised of wives, mothers, single women, divorced women, entrepreneurs, husbands and beyond. 

 
Crème Magazine: How many brides are connected to your website, and how often do they come back to share their wedding stories?

KM: Actual brides? It really is impossible to say because so many brides remain on the site beyond the wedding. Among the 20,000+ registered users, supporters on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, there's a little bit of everyone connected to the movement, including men. 99 percent of our brides come back to share details of their wedding day.

Crème Magazine:  With the stigma out there with people thinking that Black women getting married is a rarity, in what ways has this site helped to change that view or opinion?

KM: Simply put, positive Black marriages aren't shown in the media very often. The Cosby Show ended in 1992 and we haven't seen many positive marriages portrayed in the media since. With literally thousands of brides journeying their wedding and marriage experiences through words, pictures and video, - we are undeniably showing the world that beautiful, healthy, happy Black marriages exist. This is truly what makes Chocolate Brides so special. It's the real thing.

 
Crème Magazine: What are some other avenues you plan to take in the future to expand the Chocolate Brides movement?

KM: We will definitely expand the movement by launching related websites that will embrace other facets of positive black relationships. Television is definitely in our future as well. We have developed Black wedding programming that will take the world by storm. Traveling down Oprah Avenue will indeed expand the movement too.

 
Crème Magazine: We know you've been invited to lots of weddings; how many have you been invited to?

KM: Whew!  Probably over 500! My husband and I obviously haven't been able to attend all of them. But of the Chocolate Bride weddings that I have attended, I've rarely been "just a guest." I have been an usher, a hostess, rendered musical selections, read poems, MC'ed wedding receptions and even officiated Chocolate Brides weddings - all out of love and appreciation for brides who have supported the Chocolate Brides vision. 

 
Crème Magazine: What's the most challenging aspect of your job or running the site at times?

KM: My husband is an educator and I am a radio personality. Neither one of us have a lick of technical knowledge with regards to running [a website]. Although we've gained a ton of "on-the-job" experience, it is rather frustrating when the website experiences a technical snafu and we can't personally rectify the situation immediately.

Kesha and Eugene

Crème Magazine:  So leave us with a great Chocolate Bride wedding story that was either shared on the site or that you know of, because we know you have at least one that sticks out like a sore thumb?

KM: In 2007, my husband and I developed Chocolate Brides Magazine and decided to renew our vows in celebration of its launch. Nearly 750 Chocolate Brides from all over the world, many of which had never met face to face, traveled to New York for our wedding. CBs from The Netherlands, California, The Bahamas, Chicago, Texas and beyond witnessed the ceremony.

It was absolutely amazing. It was important to us to renew our vows in conjunction with the magazine launch party with the very people who made ChocolateBrides.com a tremendous success. It was a celebration that we will never, ever forget.