What a Chocolate Bar Can Tell You About Your Wedding Invitations

I recently opened a Raspberry Dark Chocolate bar of Chocolove. Aside from being fair trade, organic and just generally delicious, these bars also all come with a love poem tucked into the wrapper - a sentimental treat for you to discover upon opening. And as I sat there, savoring my chocolate bar and chewing on this poem, it had me thinking about its parallels with wedding stationery.

There is of course the surprise and delight factor - something I have practiced for years in customer service. The element of the unexpected woven into the packaging, something that catches your eye, slows you down, invites you to savor. It transforms something ordinary and every day, like opening a chocolate bar or a wedding invitation, into a magical experience for the senses. And who doesn’t want that?

But beyond the surprise and delight element, including a poem inside a chocolate bar (or inside your wedding invitation) taps into something deeper in us. It reaches beyond the taste and sensibility of a bar of chocolate - tasting good and coming from a just origin - and it touches our heartstrings. That human part inside of us that is hungry to connect, make meaning, and tell stories. I also believe that this is the part of us that makes memories, and is why I always reach for this brand every time I am hungry for rich chocolatey indulgence. Any bar of chocolate can taste good and have good ingredients, but does it include a special something that is going to stop me in the middle of my day and make me feel something? Only Chocolove can do that.

Similarly, any wedding invitation can be both beautiful and informative. But can it reach that third thing? Can it touch your guests’ heart strings? Can it communicate a personal detail, a shared memory, or a heartfelt sentiment? Can it make people feel something? That is the kind of wedding stationery I strive to create with my clients.

So, consider this your invitation, to reimagine what your wedding invitations - and your wedding itself! - can be. Reaching beyond beauty and information, let’s touch the heartstrings of your guests through personal illustrations and poetic wording. Let’s invite them to slow down, savor your love story, and feel something.

Why You Should Approach Your Wedding Planning Process Like You’re Hunting for Vintage Finds

Okay. Hear me out. As a wedding stationery designer who wore a vintage wedding dress to her wedding, I think certain parts of this process can be applied to your planning journey - to make it feel more unique, more timeless, more you. There can be so much pressure to follow trends and check things off your bridal to-do-list. But you’re not like every other bride, so let’s make your planning process one-of-a-kind! Here’s why you should consider this approach:

1. Rather than following trends and finding a dress online that anyone else could have, bringing this approach means you are focusing on things being one-of-a-kind. My dress had these beautiful lace eyelet flower details on the shoulder, and a sage green layer underneath that literally made it look like the ocean. It wasn’t a “traditional” wedding dress but it was so me, and I loved that. It’s less about the knee-jerk, cookie-cutter approach to weddings - where you are just doing what everyone else is doing and getting things to get them -and more about what feels like it is meant for you. While this can apply to how you find your dress, this can also apply to how you make decisions, how you source your goodie bag items, etc. Be unique not just for the sake of being unique - but because your love story is unique too, and it deserves to be celebrated in its own unique way.

2. The process. While you can certainly approach looking for your dress and planning your wedding in the traditional way - scouring Pinterest and bridal sites for the perfect fit - there is nothing like the thrill of the hunt in a Vintage, thrift or consignment shop. It gets you into your body, it’s tactile, you get to touch and feel and relate to things. It’s delightful! What if you brought this tactile, slow, natural approach to your planning? What if you sourced photos for your moodboard from the real world, like your favorite restaurants and art museums and decor stores, rather than scrolling on Pinterest for hours? What if you got vendor recommendations from that friend of a friend who also got married in Newport a few years ago, rather than reaching out to random people on Wedding Wire? What if you took your time, trusted the process, and let inspiration arrive into your life, rather than searching so hard for it?

3. A focus on storytelling. I loved my vintage wedding dress because it came with a story - not just in how I found it, but also in the life it lived before me, and even the life it lived on my wedding day. Yes, it ripped! But that’s now woven into the story of the dress, that I will always remember, and my guests will, too. Similarly, you have imperfect and ancient parts of your story that you can weave into your wedding that make it feel like yours. You could put family heirlooms on every table, or tell the story of how you met at your ceremony, or play your father’s favorite song as you walk down the aisle, instead of stressing over following bridal trends and aesthetics. You could be your one-of-a-kind self, instead of the bride you think you are supposed to be. You could be yourself, not only on your wedding day, but all along the way.

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!

5 Reasons You Should Invest in Wedding Invitations (in the Age of Digital E-vites and Minted.com)

My therapist recently asked me, with nothing but good intentions, why I would be starting a business designing wedding invitations when so many people are opting to send digital invites. While it caught me off guard at first, upon further consideration, it is a valid question in this digital world, and I’m sure you’re considering this yourself. Why spend a decent chunk of your precious wedding budget on personalized paper invitations when you could just send them online, or design one yourself from a template? Well, here’s my two cents, as a wedding stationery designer, snail mail enthusiast and thank you note writer extraordinaire.

1. Wedding invitations, aside from being a timeless tradition in the history of people getting married, serve as a physical reminder to your guests. To RSVP. To get that flight booked. To check the wedding website. To book the hotel. And with so many emails these days filling up our inbox, a digitally sent invitation could simply get lost in the mix, or filed into the folder in our brains that says “I’ll deal with this later.” But a paper invitation sent straight to your door? That you can hold in your hands? And put on your fridge? That reminder simply has a whole different weight to it, that a digital invite simply can’t compete with.

2. Designing your invites with an artist/stationer helps you think about the design and vibe you want to create for your wedding day. Since invitations often get mailed out way before you start thinking about your floral design, what rental items you are going to order, or what color palette you want your bridesmaids to wear, a lot of the design work you do with your wedding stationer can feed into the rest of these elements. The moodboard, inspiration photos and color palette you create together can be sent to your other vendors, getting incorporated into the day’s design so that everything aligns.

3. Wedding invites give your guests a feel for the vibe of your wedding - and your love. They get your guests excited, help them envision what to wear and what to bring, and basically make them feel like an exclusive member of your “love club.” Hint - they are!

4. It’s an opportunity to add a personal, heartfelt touch - weaving in elements from your unique love story and personal history so that people can really feel who you are as a couple. This, in my opinion, is what weddings are all about!

5. Wedding invitations are an emblem of a time-honored tradition - the love letter. While traditional wedding stationery in your mind might evoke an image of boring calligraphy and black borders, I like to think of it as a love letter sent out to all of your favorite people, echoing of a time when we could only communicate via the mail, sending our love across oceans sealed in envelopes. There is something ancient about it, something analogue and tactile, that speaks to the romantic in us all. It’s a way, upon opening the envelope, to literally open the hearts of your guests, inviting them in to the look and feel of your unique love.

Journal Prompts for Couples Getting Married in 2025

Photo by Georgie Morley Photography

Welcome! It is officially your wedding year, and your big day feels like it is almost here. The impending excitement is often paired with a lot of unnecessary stress and pressure, so here are a few prompts to help you and your partner stay centered as you enter this new season of your lives. I like to think of your wedding as not just one day, but as a journey including the entire planning process leading up to it, and of course the whole marriage after! Taking moments to be intentional about how you are navigating this journey together can make all the difference.

While we often use this new year time to reflect on our personal goals, use this as an opportunity to reflect as a couple on how you want to show up together in this big year in your relationship. Remember - you get to write your own story!

I invite you to sit down together, light a candle or share your favorite sweet treat, and journal on the following prompts, making sure to share your responses together! The goal is to help you go into your wedding year as a team, showing up as the couple that you want to be.

1. What are you most enjoying about the planning process so far? How can you make this a priority moving forward?

2. What support do you need? What would make the process feel smoother for you?

3. What is something you are learning in this process about yourself or your relationship? What are you grateful for?

4. How do you want to feel on your wedding day?

5. What are some things you can do to feel that way throughout the planning process as much as possible?

Share any insights with your partner and loved ones so that you can go into your wedding year with the best mindset possible! And, share below for inspiration - I would love to hear how you are approaching your wedding journey this year!

How to Make Your Wedding Planning As Enjoyable As Your Wedding

PC: Georgie Morley Photography

When you’re planning a wedding, it can be so easy to put so much energy into perfecting this one big day, that you forget that your wedding is comprised of so much more than that. It’s all the days leading up to it - it’s the meetings with your planner, how you show up to conversations with your partner, it’s the dress shopping and the seating plan deciding.

When I was planning my own wedding I got really clear on wanting to enjoy THAT process, as much (as possible) as the wedding day itself. Because at the end of the day, it’s all about celebrating this great love story, so why would I want to take away from that for a second?

Of course stress will come, but here are some things I focused on to stay anchored in a positive, playful perspective while I was wedding planning, making the whole experience * almost * as enjoyable as the wedding day itself.

1. I journaled nearly every morning on how I wanted the experience to go - but in the past tense, as if it had already happened. This looked like “Our planning process has been full of ease and enjoyment, our wedding day went so smoothly and felt so us, I love getting to plan our wedding,” etc. This allowed me to reset the overwhelm, the stress, and the urgency that can often come with planning a large and incredibly meaningful event, and to step into the feeling that I wanted to be embodying during that time. It also means that I have a journal of spells that I can look back on with pride, knowing that I made that thing happen!

2. Whenever things got stressful or tense (and I’m human so they did) I stepped away. Took a break. Turned the computer off. Went for a walk. Did something else. I tried to make sure that when I was in an active state of wedding planning (making calls or working on a spreadsheet or talking with family) that I was in a good headspace. And if I ever found myself forcing something or worrying, I would step away from that thing until I was in a better space. Basic human psychology here, but somehow when you are involved in the planning of what is supposed to be the best day of your life, all that pressure can make our basic human psychology practices run right out the door.

3. I turned to the parts of the planning process that I enjoyed. I am not a spreadsheet girl, but I love a handmade gift. A piece of art. A thoughtful touch. So, making our stationery was such a joy for me, as was putting together our goodie bags (and making sure they wouldn’t just get thrown out or left in someone’s hotel room) as was making our signage. Find the thing that feels good to you, and carry it through the whole process.

4. On the wedding day, I really let myself let it all go. The plan for the day, my expectations, hell, even my dress’s integrity. I let them all go, and surrendered to what the day became, knowing that I had an amazing team behind me to steer the ship. It rained, our reception location flip flopped, my dress ripped at the end of the night, but because I had been practicing my perspective leading up to the wedding day, I was able to roll with it all, and truly have the best day of my life, with my favorite people and my now husband by my side. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

How to Make Your Wedding Feel Personal

When my husband and I were planning our wedding, while we wanted everything to look and feel beautiful, we most importantly wanted it to feel like us. We've all been to those weddings - where you could nearly swap the bride and groom out for a different couple, and no one would notice. But, as artists ourselves and people who have both walked the path less traveled in life, it was super important that our wedding reflected our personalities and love story. I like to think we were pretty successful in doing so, and here are a few approaches I'd suggest if you are of a similar mindset.

1. Focus on storytelling over aesthetics.

A lot of the decisions you make around your wedding will seem to center around how everything looks - from the florals to the tablescapes to the bridesmaids' dresses. And while the aesthetics are obviously important (I do a design wedding stationery after all), if you want your wedding to feel personal, you have to focus more on how things feel and less on how things look, and a great way to do that is through storytelling.

Use every opportunity you can to tell the story of who you each are - as individuals and as a couple. This will immediately make your wedding yours and yours alone. This can look like getting personalized stationery with imagery you are known for, turning the first text your partner ever sent you into custom cocktail napkins, or simply having your officiant tell the story of how you met.

2. Choose vendors you connect with.

This may seem obvious, but when you go to pick your vendors, there can be so much pressure to lock someone in who comes highly recommended, and to do it yesterday. Just make sure to check in with yourself - Do I vibe with this person? Do they seem to understand me and my partner?

While it's important to focus on the product they deliver (their photos, their florals, etc) it's also important to focus on how they are delivering it, who they are and how you connect with them. Because, at the end of the day, your vendors are going to be holding the torch for how you want your wedding to go, and witnessing you in some very intimate moments. You want to feel comfortable with them and you want to know that they get you!

(We did an AMAZING job at this with our wedding and if you are getting married on Nantucket and need incredible vendor recs I'm you girl)

3. Carry a creative thread throughout your planning process.

You don't have to be an artist to add your signature touch to your wedding day. Whether you want to hand paint the place cards or make all the ceramics or coordinate a surprise flash mob during the reception, find one thing you want to DIY on your wedding day, and use it as a creative outlet throughout your planning process. It will help your guests feel the YOU in your wedding, and it will also be a great respite to return to when you inevitably get tired of looking at spreadsheets.

What are you doing to add a personal touch on your wedding day? Leave a comment below!