I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I LOVE love stories! And being in the wedding industry, I hear some of the BEST love stories! Stories of two people, meeting, falling in love, and saying “yes” to the rest of their lives together.
But, there’s a different kind of love story, that doesn’t get told as often. The story of the people that make those wedding dreams come true. The story of how we all fell in love with our businesses. Whether it’s creating beautiful floral arrangements, designing the perfect wedding invitation, planning an epic event, baking a work of art, being THE place to get married, or beautifying a bride, we do it because we love it. And I’m here to tell those stories!
Part 2: Love Letter Paper Co.
Meet Kate of Love Letter Paper Co. Classy, genuine, and oh so talented! Kate is an artist through and through, and creates the most stunning wedding invitation suites. Each piece is unique, and customized to her client’s big day. Her hand painted renderings of venues, hand drawn maps, and custom letter pressed invitations that will make your heart skip a beat.
Kate doesn’t just design wedding invitations. She creates works of art. And it all started 3 years ago. This is her story…
“While planning our wedding back in 2016, I decided to design our wedding invitations myself. I was an art teacher at the time and had always loved designing and creating, so I thought, ‘why not design our wedding invitations’?! Little did I know how much work this would be, but I loved it. I had bought a $50 ‘L Letterpress Machine’ off of Craigslist and spent hours and hours Googling and reading the depths of the comment sections (comment section of what?) to figure out how I could make this happen in my garage – ha. My now-husband, an engineer, found this very entertaining and was helpful in figuring out how to get the right combination of pressure, ink, impression, etc.! It certainly is a challenge, but I knew right then and there that I loved the art of letterpress.”
“The short answer is — I didn’t! I always knew that art was my passion, but I also knew that I (as instructed by my father 🙂 ) needed a profession or a means to pay the bills. So, before I started my own business, I had worked in several creative fields: marketing/advertising, teaching art, etc. It was on our honeymoon that my husband and I really started discussing the possibility of making a business of designing wedding invitations. We scratched out some version of a ‘business plan’ while we were on a train from Italy to Switzerland, and the rest is history!”
“I fell in love with the process — all of it. From meeting with a couple for the first time and figuring out how we will tell their story to create a sentimental and meaningful first impression for their guests — all the way to the end, feeding each piece of paper into the press, truly creating a one-of-a-kind piece to be treasured as a family heirloom.”
“When I first started designing invitations, I was very inspired by Momental Designs and the way that her invitations were so art-inspired. I loved looking at the work of designers who were creating non-traditional stationery. When I discovered handmade paper, then I really fell in love with the idea of a one-of-a-kind invitation — the opposite of something mass-produced.
Now that I am a few years into my business, I am most inspired by things outside of the stationery world: nature, old books, a beautifully-curated boutique, vintage paper ephemera, etc. If I can think of the most inspired I’ve felt in the past year, it would be while shopping at a street vendor in Croatia selling thousands of pieces of vintage photographs, booklets, books, papers. I stood there in the pouring down rain going through his goods feeling like I had struck gold! I love the old world fonts, papers, you name it.”
“My ideal client has an appreciation for art and heirlooms, and wants their wedding day to be a personal and thoughtful experience for both them and their guests.”
“After a new potential client contacts me, we schedule a time for a design consultation (either in person or via phone). During the consultation, we discuss the paper, printing, and collection options that I offer and later send them a personalized quote. If the client is ready to book after receiving the quote, we then move forward and into the booking process so that we can jump right into the real fun – the design process!”
1. This past November, I brought home my 2,000 pound letterpress, Clementine!
2. My husband and I spent the last year living in Germany, and I will be forever be inspired by the architecture, landscape, and way of life in Europe.
3. This is totally random — but I have realized lately that I like to watch movies that feature main characters who are artists in some capacity. I think that I was drawn to those movies because I loved seeing the lifestyle and studio of these creatives. A few examples: In Because I Said So, Mandy Moore owns her own bakery, in Seven Pounds, Rosario Dawson is a letterpress invitation designer, any Nancy Meyers movie — they always have the best interiors! I believe it’s so telling to really look at the things you are drawn to — and look for patterns!
Brides! Your wedding stationary/invitation suite is the first glimpse your guests have at your wedding day. This may not seem like a big deal, but those little details, add up to one big picture that tells your story. You need a Kate on your team, to bring your vision to life!
Check out more from my St. Louis Wedding Vendor Love series:
Part 1: Roses and Mint
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