I’ll be honest, I feel like I have known Melissa forever! She came to me in 2015, because stationery was a priority for her, and she wanted to make sure she got the right person for the job. Can I say dream client?!  Melissa and Kyle live in the Bahamas, but were married in Charleston. They wanted a playful invitation that married Old South charm with the Old Bahamian style. Melissa’s only initial request was that we incorporate antlers into their wedding seal, because Kyle loves to hunt. So the first order of business was creating a wedding seal that incorporated all the symbolism that would set the tone for the rest of their suite.

Caroline and Jared’s wedding was to be held at her family farm, surrounded by the beautiful countryside, planned by Chelsey from Gather Together. She regularly makes event magic happen, so I knew from the start it was going to be good. Caroline had a really unique style, so I was immediately inspired by what she was thinking. We both loved copper, and since they were having a fall wedding, we knew that dark, moody accents were the way to go.

Every once in awhile, a project that is a little personal to me comes across my desk. I’ve known Kate and Drake for years - Drake and my husband, David, lived together in college! Drake and Kate started dating around the same time that David and I did, and let me tell you, we had a lot of fun together in their apartment, that was largely unfurnished except for an elaborate tiki bar and large plant that David’s previous roommate had left behind!

The number one reason I love what I do is the challenge of taking someone else’s ideas, and vision for their wedding, and creating something that is even better than what I could have dreamed up on my own. Translating a feeling into the medium I love the most can be such a joyous process, and it’s a special day when you meet someone who moves you creatively.

Sometimes you have to make tough choices when it comes to your stationery, and it’s hard to know where to splurge and where to save. My goal is that no matter what your budget (within reason, I cannot make 100 amazing invitation sets for $50, try as I might) you will have beautiful invitations that perfectly reflect your event. But what you decide to purchase with your budget can be tricky. Do you need letterpress? Is a wax seal worth the money? As always, I am here to help!

Frances and Ralph were such a fun couple to work with! Frances came to me over a year before her wedding, and was honestly one of the most organized people I have ever worked with - she had a vision, and I was so excited to help her realize it.

When Kelly came to us last year, she had a strong vision for her wedding. She was getting married on the Fourth of July, at the Merrimon-Wynne house in downtown Raleigh, and she did not want something themed, but she did want something hand lettered, fun, and with a hint of that southern classic charm. Her colors were fuchsia, with touches of gold and grey.

I do a lot of repetitive tasks for my job - stuffing and sealing invitation, intricate illustrations, hundreds of wax seals… things that take hours and not a lot of brain power. It is super hard for me to stay focused, which means these tasks can take even longer than they already do because of all the breaks I take. Planning a wedding often involves a lot of these repetitive tasks, so I thought I’d share my trick for powering through - it is called watching old episodes of tv shows. You know the show you used to love, and watch every time you come across an old episode on TV? For me, it’s Gilmore Girls. I put on an episode of Gilmore Girls, and it is amazing how long I can sit in the same place, doing the same boring task over and over again.

I did not always know I wanted to be a stationer. In fact, when I was in early high school, I thought my true passion was ballet. I then thought maybe I’d be a journalist… or an artist… or a graphic designer at a corporate firm… or maybe a freelance web designer… basically it’s been a journey, and one I thought I’d share today!

My husband and I recently celebrated our one year anniversary! I loved being a bride, and I especially loved the insight it gave me into the process as a wedding vendor. I feel like I learned so much in the planning process, so I thought today I’d share a few things that really stuck with me after the wedding was over.