Letterpress
Invitations
Professionals
Seating Charts
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.
I gotta admit, for someone who hates crying, I teared up when Chris sent me these images earlier this afternoon. I loved creating this special project, and it is so incredibly cool to see that the moment was caught on camera by their photographer.
Chris came to me a few weeks before the wedding, wanting to know if we could recreate an email from about three years ago that he had written for Lisa when she had been away from him for a spell. It is incredibly sweet, and thoughtful, and romantic, and who doesn’t want that for a gift from their groom?
I had hoped to letterpress this. I set rows and rows of type, before realizing my job case was not full enough, and there were not enough spacing to be able to lay the whole project out. So I went to plan B – which was to silk screen the email. A long process, and hard to get right, especially with that much text, but it turned out beautifully. I used white ink on black paper, to co ordinate with their theme, and also to create some drama. I custom made an over-sized envelope to match, and wax sealed the letter; and I do believe they were both thrilled with the results.
I have gone from dreading doing seating charts (the learning curve the first time around was incredible!) to finding them one of the most enjoyable things to work on. I think it’s a whole lotta fun to unroll them when they come back from the printer – and see the vision in super sized form.
I know the programs done as fans are a huge blessing to guests – whether at an outdoor ceremony (since every Saturday this season seems to be super hot and muggy!) or indoors in an un-airconditioned church…
Congratulations Michelle and Rob on your wedding day!!
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Leslie (who, by the way, I would highly recommend if you need a decorator in the Sarnia/Lambton area) referred Marlo to me a couple of months back. Marlo is one of the most interesting people I’ve met. She is so very, very no nonsense. Blunt, direct and strong. She is very take-it-or-leave-it; and personally, I was thrilled to work with her. The interesting thing about working with people who know exactly what they want is they can be the most rewarding clients to work for. Because when you’ve pleased them, they’re thrilled. No lackadaisical approach here. And, because Marlo was able to clearly articulate her vision, the whole process was easy and enjoyable.
Most brides comment on my “fairy tales” invitation. It has become, unintentionally, a bit of a trade mark for me. But Marlo is the first client who has actually go ahead with it. The end result, in her bold red, black and white colour scheme is dramatic and classy.
Congratulations Marlo and Doug!!
Sandy is an exceptionally talented graphic designer, who brought us her vision for invitations that are a wedding gift to her brother and future sister in law. She designed everything herself, so the kudos to the design work go to her. She is a very trusting soul – with a tight time line on getting these out, she still wanted us to see what we could do with her invitations. She knew when she contacted us that there was some risk – we had no product out yet that met our standards, and the amount of variables with a press from 1910 is tremendous. When things don’t ink evenly is it the height of the rollers? The depth of the packing? The plate itself? Too much ink? Too little? Hours and hours of set up trying to figure out what minor tweaking needs to happen, in order to make a perfect sample.
I do not know how I ever thought I could do this on my own. I married an engineer. Who is a perfectionist, and meticulous in all he does. He is patient, and intelligent. And all sorts of things I am not, that seem necessary to getting these projects out the door. He did the vast majority of the work – but I got to feed the press. Which, if you are a sucker for history, and tactile experiences, and the smell of ink and paper, and the whirl and clink of an old machine is pretty heavenly. Throw in having something to share with your better half, and I get goosebumps at the idea of doing this for a living.
I wish I could drive these around to everyone. We are that excited. I wish I had a better camera at least – these really are that wonderful…. There were two hits – the first is a blind hit – the pattern in the background has no ink. The second is (obviously) a dark chocolatey ink – the whole invitation has this sort of Victorian, classic elegance about it. Sandy had actually purchased the paper ahead of time – and had chosen what is our house paper – Crane Lettra in pearl white, 110 lbs. Which means 100% cotton paper that feels fluffy to the touch, and takes a deep impression really well.
With the first project under our belts, I can’t wait to get to all the business card orders we have lined up. And the weddings that I know are going to follow. I am SO excited!!
