Owner: Emily McCarthy

Business: emma j design

Years in Business: 5

Website: www.emmajdesign.com

Short description of your services:

custom invitation and stationery design, couture paper and wedding paper styling

General price range for services:

$5-$12.00 per invitation ensemble depending on method of printing.

How does the process work?

I work one-on-one with each couple to discuss their vision for their paper products, wedding theme and overall look and feel for their wedding day. In discussing this, I develop a my vision for their wedding wardrobe. Wedding wardrobes include invitations, save the dates, programs, menu/table cards, escort/placecards, thank you notes and more). I then work on completing rough drafts of a couple of ideas and send them to the bride and groom. Once we finalize an overall 'look', I carry out the design details in other aspects of their wedding from the remaining paper products, lighting on the dance floor, cakes, favors, etc while working with their wedding planner and stylist. It's important for all of these pieces to be cohesive and represent you as a couple. With my years of experience in the paper industry, I have many resources for design elements and printing techniques that are important and unique. Using these resources help create a lasting impression on your guests.

Have you had an extraordinary requests? What were they?

I tend to think all couples like something a little unique because each couple is so different. I've combined the design elements of a bride's brown spode china with a vintage monogram accented with quails. Sounds crazy but it's one of the most beautiful designs I've done in my opinion. I think the struggle for most couples is that they don't know how to collaborate their ideas into one cohesive look - that's what I'm here for!

What should a couple take into account when thinking about doing their invites and picking a stationer?

There are a lot of things to think about, experience is importance and the ability to create original looks and artwork without just copying designs. I think a good designer doesn't need to copy other artwork, but instead, create something that's even better and more unique for the bride and groom. A lot of DIY brides are getting creative these days too. While doing your paper products yourself might sound like a great idea, it can sometimes turn into a big headache and cause a lot of unnecessary stress. Sometimes it's easier to pay a professional instead of braving it yourself.

Why working with a stationer over picking them out of a book at or online?

Working with a stationer is nice because you can customize your invitations to be truly your own. Ordering from books don't give you the ability to make design details. For instance, I had one particular bride and groom who wanted to add initials to a beautiful crown engraved invitation. The company couldn't make these changes so they came to me. We created a wedding crest including a similar crown and vintage monogram. The bride and groom ended up loving these much better because it was truly unique. Ordering online is also hard because you can't feel the papers and you don't get the one-on-one attention that you do with a stationer.

How long would you need to complete the invites?

The design process can vary depending on printing techniques. For flat printing, the design and printing techniques can run up to 2-3 weeks. For letterpress, more like 4-5 weeks.