I was really excited when Chantelle contacted me a couple of weeks ago to do invitations for her organization. This is my first corporate set of invites, and they were really fun to do!
Their organization, the Sarnia Lambton Economic Partnership, hosts a banquet each year. It was important to them to send out invitations this year that felt that little bit extra special, while keeping with their colour scheme.
Leave a Comment
Brooke is one of my favourite clients and photographers. Because she clearly loves what she does. And because she trusts me to do my thing. I love pleasantly surprising my clients – creative licence makes me happy.
I went a different route this time around with her gift certificates, and have created something personal, and Brooke-like and sweet. I pulled some of my favourite pics from her site, and used a font inspired by her logo for the text.
Leave a Comment
2 Comments so far
Here is a sneak peak at Jer’s business cards. We still have to order the plate for the reverse side, but I am really happy with these, and wanted to share now, rather than wait two weeks to post.
Jer is an exceptional photographer. He is driven to perfection in everything he does, and does not settle for anything less. He pushes himself to be new, and relevant and creative every time. His laid back, personable approach to life and weddings makes him an easy choice for brides. Check out his weekly updates – www.jerwilcocksphotography.com
Leave a Comment
2 Comments so far
-
Angela says:
-
I’m excited. More than a little bit excited really. Brad has put a tremendous amount of TLC into our press, and we spent the last day of his vacation getting our business cards done. The really great thing is that this is also the “reveal” of our new logo….
Brad designed the logo, including freehanding the quill. We have a freelance designer in the mix, who helped with the laying out the rest of the business card. Rey, who is one of the coolest people I have had the privilege to get to know online, is a Sr. Art Director at ESPN, and will be doing much of our design work.
We chose to go with a silver ink for what we had thought to do with a blind hit (no ink). Metallic inks do not dry shiny on uncoated papers – which is what is typically used on letterpress. The look is still there, but not the sheen. The great thing about this being our press though, we can change it up any time we feel like it. We cranked out about 300 business cards yesterday afternoon, and will probably play around with them again before my upcoming bridal show in Windsor. The second hit is navy – I have agonized over what colors do our logo/blogsite, and having played around with numerous options think we have honed in on silver and navy. At least for the time being.
Part of my enthusiasm is knowing that we are providing something for clients from Windsor and Chatham, to Sarnia, and London that has not been available to them before, a local letterpress printer. And with the coming of our second press in a couple of weeks, and a hydraulic cutter in the next few months, we are excited to be able to address all sorts of requests….
Leave a Comment
6 Comments so far
-
-
-
Amber says:
-
-
-
Poor Jenny. I scheduled out first consultation in the evening. The kids were all supposed to be in bed. Brad was supposed to be home to help me get them ready for bed. The dogs were supposed to be good… But no. She walks in the door, just after Brad had left for a fire call. Just after the younger two were dealing with a meltdown. Just after my potty-training (now potty trained) puppy peed in the middle of the living room. Awesome. That’ll build confidence in your invitationer, won’t it??
After a rocky start we got onto the same page. And the end results were beautiful! Jenny got married out at Bogey’s Inn, just outside of Sombra. Maryanne was her hardworking, talented planner, who helped create a beautiful ambiance for her.
I was helping Maryanne with the setup yesterday when Jenny stopped in to see how the room looked. Her reaction was enough to make me want to be there every time a bride sees her room decked out for the first time! She was glowing, and it certainly makes my job that much more wonderful.
Leave a Comment
1 Comment so far
Jodi is a breath of fresh air. She’s giggly, and fun, and sweet. I love working with her. These invitations were fun to do; I had done something similar for Missy a few weeks ago. Both these, and the thank you cards for Heather’s shower all use photographs printed on photo paper, and the result is personalized simplicity.
Jodi’s photographer is Ryan Farr of Proper Photography. Ryan has second shot with J.R. Clubb of Barefeet Projects, and Jer Wilcocks in the past couple of years, and has recently branched into shooting his own weddings.
Heather’s wedding is fast approaching as well. She asked me to create some thank you cards for her bridal showers, along with all of her wedding day paper details (seating chart, programs, menus, etc.) I used Plike paper, which has an unusual silky texture, and is one of my favourite stocks to work with. Heather has been a laid back and sensible client. She’s a romantic too though; she’s mailing all of her thank yous out on her honeymoon, from Paris!
Heather’s photographer is the incredibly sweet and creative Stephanie Ouellette. I know Stephanie is going to be a very busy girl in the Sarnia area in the next couple of years!
Leave a Comment
7 Comments so far
I have been married for ten years now. And I can not believe how different weddings are since then. Honestly. I mean, the elements are the same – flowers, invitations, photographer, dress, bridal party…. But the way everything is presented is different. And I don’t think it is just because styles have changed. I honestly think post modernism, and our societal mindset has a lot to do with it.
EVERYTHING is customized. And personalized. And specific to each bridal party. I obviously do not object to this too much – I run my business around making something unique every time. But, I think it ought to impact a bride’s decision to pick a vendor more than it does.
I think there are some questions that brides do not realize they could be asking, or ought to be asking to get the best use out of their vendors.
1. Ask a vendor you trust: ”Who do you recommend?” Do not be shy, and do not assume a bridal shop does not know any limo services. They can let you know who will provide the best service. The wedding industry looks different on this side of the fence. Much smaller. I used to think a drive to London was a day trip – now I have it in my head that the vendors I meet regularly service all of South Western Ontario. You would be surprised I think, as a bride, to know how many of us either know your other vendors, or at the very least have heard of them or about them. This is good for you though. The best example of this is asking your photographer which d.j. they would suggest. Just think, the photographers have been to wedding, after wedding, after wedding. And they know who you want to party with.
2. Ask: “Is this socially acceptable?” Obviously, it is your wedding day. BUT, be willing to give and take a little bit. Sometimes the decisions brides make are something I think may offend their guests. And can be done in a more subtle or diplomatic way. Be willing to ask your vendor if there is another way to get your desired results, without being offensive or tacky. Because, I know you do not want to be offensive or tacky.
3. Ask: “Is this portfolio indicative of what you love to do?” You’re trying to pick a florist. Or a decorator. Or a photographer. And you’re thumbing through their albums, and something catches your eye. Or, you bring in an idea from a magazine, and you ask the vendor to recreate it. Now, your reasons for picking your vendor are multitudinous. Budget plays a part, recommendations play a part, chemistry with them plays a part. BUT, if you expect them to recreate something they are not passionate about, you will not get the same out of them. I am not saying your vendor does not work as hard as they can for each and every bride. I am saying that they may go above and beyond for you if they are EXCITED to work with you. My example is not wedding related, but it is client/vendor related – I got an incredible tattoo on my arm because the artist got carried away with my idea, and free handed what should have been a three hour sitting and turned it into six and a half hours. Because she loved the concept. It feels less like work if we enjoy what we are doing – and we enjoy what we are doing when we get excited about your concepts.
4. Ask: “Describe yourself and your work in three words.” Cliche? Maybe a little. And it sounds like a job interview. It is. The more you can relate to your vendor before the big day, the smoother things will go. You are paying for a service. But you are essentially hiring the person behind it. If you picked your decorator based on a few pics online, but they describe themselves as modern, fresh and bold; when you want soft, elegant and romantic – you may not have a perfect fit. AGAIN, it is not that they can not carry out your vision. Hiring a competent vendor means they can carry out a range of ideas and concepts. But this ties in with the last point. A vendor that is excited about your vision and naturally falls in with it is always a better choice.
5. Ask: “Do you love what you do?” There are a lot of passionate vendors, who go above and beyond what you ask of them. Because they are passionate about their jobs. You want these people to work with you. Maryanne is the first person who comes to mind. As a bridal shop owner she is wonderful. As a wedding planner, she is exceptional. Because your vision is important. Because she wants you to celebrate a flawless I do. Because she loves weddings. It makes a difference. I have a bride right now walking away from her photography deposit because she knew after their engagement session that the photog simply did not want to be there that day. And the resulting images reflected that.
6. Ask: “How many pictures will I get back?” NOOOOOO. This is an interesting one. You want to be sure your photographer snaps a picture of everything important to you. All of it. You do not want them to miss a single moment. You hope that somehow you can control this outcome, by making sure they take thousands of images. But, it is a little bit like comparing a fancy french restaurant with the Golden Corral. Quantity DOES NOT guarantee quality. You have to pick your photographer carefully. And then you have to trust in their abilities. Getting back 900 images should not be your measuring stick for how well your photographer can perform. Any more than knowing you will walk away from an all-you-can-eat buffet full guarantees the food was fabulous. Ten years out, I can promise you, I would rather 40 stunning images than 600 average ones. Give your photographer a bit of a break on this one. Let them take the time to set up that epic shot. You will not regret it.
I love, love, love the wedding industry. I love the people I work with. I love being involved in assisting photographers when I can. I love helping decorate a hall. I love the idea of being there the day-of, helping coordinate. And, I just want you, as a bride, to be able to get as much out of the vendors you choose as you possibly can.
Leave a Comment
3 Comments so far
-
August 19, 2010 at 9:07 am -
Nicole this is a wonderful post. You have really nailed down the wedding industry that is for sure. As a photographer I love what you wrote in number 6
and wished more and more brides would look at the photographers images and not at the pricing. This is a very special day for the bride and groom and should be captured by a professional and not by Uncle Joe with a camera. One other thing I would add to it would be to make sure you have a connection with your photographer and that you can have fun with him/her on your wedding day. This is very important as you will be spending more time with them than most of your guests on your special day -
-
Amanda says:
Older Posts »
They are beautiful!
It does help that the baby is so pretty…
thank you, I was really pleased with how they turned out.