wendy is the creative genius behind weswendesign. if you haven't heard of her, you must. in july we sat down with her and picked her brain about wedding invitations. read on to find out how your invitations can make a statement...
1. how did wendy first get started in designing stationery?
it all started in her college dorm room. we've all been there - it's college; you're broke; the holidays roll around and between finals and end-of-year parties, you're supposed to figure out how to pay for christmas! well, wendy pulled out all the stunts and designed (and printed!) her own christmas cards. cards, which she confesses, only a mother would love. but people bought them, and at some point she realized she was on to something!
2. what events does she design stationery for?
tons of fun stuff - weddings, babies, birthdays, holidays. she's even combined stuff (think birth announcement/holiday cards) so everything's fair game, and she dabbles in the corporate stuff too, so if you're in the market for some creative branding, she's your gal.
3. what types of printing process does she use?
wendy specializes in digital and offset printing. offset is more traditional; you pay per ink color. digital is fancy ink on paper, but technology has become so advanced you can barely tell the difference between the two, and she's been able to save her clients big bucks by using the latter. digital printing is so cost effective, and you aren't limited to printing in batches of 25, 50, 100, etc., so if you need exactly 72 of something, you can have it! it's also the perfect medium to get super creative if you're into modern designs.
4. what's the typical design process like?
first there's the consultation. she'll meet with you to find out all about your personality, your event, what ideas you have, and whether you're the traditional or out-of-the-box type. then she'll get busy, and before you know it, you'll have 2 to 3 variations of a design for your event. once you give her some direction on these variations (you know, what you just love, or could probably live without) she'll do some revisions, and also put together the remainder of your stationery suite (for example, if you are getting married, you may also need maps, programs, menus, welcome cards, etc.). and best of all--you get unlimited revisions, so you know it'll be perfect! after everything's finalized, it goes to the printer. wendy will also set you up with envelopes and other finishes, and can even print envelopes for you.
the whole process takes from 6 to 8 weeks, so you should get started as soon as you know you need something. she's also super affordable, but be prepared to budget between $800 and $1,200 for 100 invites. check out these samples:
sure is! you can rest assured that no one else will ever have exactly what you had. you won't have something you picked off a website and then customized with your name.
6. what are the current stationery trends wendy's been noticing?
lots of letterpress. probably because vintage themes are huge right now on the wedding scene, and letterpress gives you that timeless ethereal look. but there's also a huge infusion of non-traditional in the wedding industry - clients are infusing their special moments with unique and playful wording and a sense of their own styles. there's also a trend towards patterns (personally i'm partial to polka dots), and gray seems to be hugely popular right now.
wendy will be your partner in the design process, so put your fears to bed and go the creative route. not only will you have an incredible custom design (i know i did) but you'll have so much fun in the process!
