How I Come Up With My Designs
PC: Kelsie Frasca
I recently had the pleasure of attending Happily Ever Expo in Quincy this month. It was an opportunity to not only connect with other vendors in the industry, but to also connect with engaged couples (like you!) in the midst of the planning process. And there was one question that I kept hearing from them as they peered over my stationery samples - how do you come up with your designs? Perhaps you’ve been having the same question, so I thought I would answer it here!
To put it simply, my design process is an incredibly collaborative one. I take information in from my clients in the form of a questionnaire that I send out upon starting our work together. From this, I learn not only about my clients’ wedding vision, but also how they met, what they like to do together, and cute stories from their relationship that almost always make me tear up. I learn about their style (think things in their home, favorite artwork and flowers) and their favorite love songs. I take all of this information in, talk it through with them on a design call, and let it inform the creative direction.
While I certainly take cues from my clients, and some designs are directed by them (i.e. they really want a portrait of their pets on their cocktail menu), I try to source ideas for my designs just as much from my own inspiration. For every project, I create a visual moodboard that pulls images from Pinterest - featuring artwork from the wedding region, iconography, and images that speak to the vibe of this project and this couple. I try to take inspiration less from other wedding stationery or wedding related imagery, and more from the couple, the place, and whatever else strikes my fancy. Sometimes ideas come to me on a walk in nature, or at the end of a nap (this happened recently!) and I roll with them, incorporating something one-of-a-kind into every design.
Together, we talk through all of these ideas on our design call, where I share some sketches along with the moodboard to conceptualize my vision. Once we’ve agreed on the direction, I dive into my studio, where I go through a three-part design process from start to finish. I get feedback from my clients throughout the process making sure we are getting everything just right, and hopefully end up with something that feels like it could only be made for these two people at this meaningful moment in time.
Interested in getting the conversation started? Book a free call with me here to see if I might be the right stationery designer for you!
Why you should think of your wedding invitations like a love poem.
Poetry is a beautiful art form that has been shared between lovers for centuries. Its sonorous, highly specific yet simultaneously simplistic qualities can often hit straight to the heart, connecting with a reader in a way that other art forms cannot. So, why wouldn’t you think about your wedding invitations - which literally communicate a commitment of love between two people - like a love poem?
There are a few components that, in my mind (as a spoken word poet turned wedding stationery artist), make up a good poem. A good poem has beautiful, song-like language that just sounds good, yes. But it’s more than that! It should contain intimate, specific details that end up communicating so much more than if they were generic or overarching (the hit of “I love you” vs. “I love the way your feet twitch when you get excited”). A good poem also has an economy of words, where each word is carefully chosen to be included - or not included! And, it often has a sense of transformation or alchemization - where tragedy is turned to triumph, and the ugly is made beautiful in the telling.
If you want wedding invites that feel poignantly personal, that maybe bring your guests to tears, and that tell the story of your love (which you’ll need to practice for your actual wedding day), here’s how these elements of poetry can play into your invitations.
Beautiful, songlike language - This can look like alliteration or rhyme. Metaphor or simile. Painting a picture with words. Anything other than the usual “so and so requests the honor of your presence.” You are likely spending a lot of money making the invitation look beautiful - so shouldn’t it sound beautiful, too?
Specific details - While this can certainly come from the illustrations and artwork your designer includes, the actual words you choose can get personal as well. Think - quotes pulled from love letters or favorite phrases shared throughout your relationship. Nicknames you have for one another. Details about the venue you’ve chosen or the items you’ve added to the menu. Lyrics from your song. These details will connect to the heart of your guests, helping them feel who you are and how you want to tell you love story. And, if done right, it will also help them connect to their own love stories.
Economy of words - Keep it simple! You don’t want to cram up the page with a bunch of fluff, especially if you are working with a talented stationery artist whose work you want to showcase. Choose words that hold weight, and don’t worry so much about tradition. All you really need to tell people is who the wedding is for, where to be and when, and how to RSVP. The rest is up to your poetic genius!
Transformation - I don’t know about you, but to me, a good love story involves a beginning, middle and end, where the couple has to go through something together to emerge stronger and more united. Okay, I just described the story arc of every rom com ever - but really. While you don’t need to air out your dirty laundry on your wedding invitations (I highly suggest you don’t) there is beauty in sharing the journey you’ve been on together, in big or small ways. Perhaps this is something you save for your wedding day, or more so something that you think about it general (i.e. you don’t have to only share the rosy parts), but if there is a detail that alludes to the journey you’ve been on, know that it is certainly allowed to live in your wedding invitations. Which are, after all, little love poems sent out to all the people you care about, inviting them to celebrate your greatest work of art yet - your marriage.