Seeking Incredible, Custom Wedding Stationery? You MUST Meet Southall Eden Paperie!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Ashley said something recently that has stuck with me since hearing it, "Your invitations are the first thing your guests see and will determine how great your wedding will be, or if your wedding will suck." I'm paraphrasing, of course but she has a point. And I may be old-fashioned when I say this but I like paper invitations and when you see the work of Southall Eden Paperie, you will agree that these invites will excite your wedding guests and give them a taste of what's to come!
Our Wedding Specialist Spotlight: Southall Eden Paperie:
Contact Info
Name: Southall Eden Paperie
Main Contact: Shannon O'Kelley
Phone Number: 615-775-4080
Email Address: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Twitter: http://twitter.com/southalleden
Facebook: Southall Eden Paperie fan page
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Number of Years in the Business: 7
How did you get started in weddings?
I had been freelancing as a commercial graphic designer for a couple of years, doing mostly music industry and medical related design as well as logos, baby announcments and the occasional party invitation. I was intimidated by the Bridezilla stereotype and said I would never do weddings. Then a sweet couple saw my website and asked me to do their invitations, and I decided to give it a try. It turned out that I absolutely LOVED everything about the job. I was hooked, and have been doing weddings ever since. Eventually time constraints forced me to give up commercial design altogether, and wedding stationery is pretty much all I do.
What do you like most about weddings?
Can I have two answers? The first is the creativity that is involved. I love meeting with a couple and hearing about their lives and their vision for their big day, and then combinging everything I have learned into something that can be put in an envelope (or box) and mailed! My other favorite thing is seeing the look on the couple's face when I reveal their proof. Its so gratifying to see someone get so excited over something you have created for them. If I can get a groom to tear up a little bit, that's the ultimate compliment ;)
What’s your favorite wedding pic/video and why? I love this pic of custom event signage we did recently because it shows how cute signage can really add such a personal touch and also help to tie together all the elements of your big day.
Image courtesy of Souder Photography
What is your service philosophy?
It's such an honor to be asked to create something to announce the biggest day of someone's life! We strive to give each of our clients top-notch personalized service and ensure that they walk away from the experience feeling like they got morethan their money's worth.
What are your strengths compared to others in your category? / Why should a bride hire you?
All of our designs are exclusive to the Southall Eden line, meaning that you will not see them everywhere else. It also gives us the flexibility to customize to a bride's exact specifications. We do all of our own designing, printing, die cutting, and assembly in-house, which gives us complete control over the design and quality of the finished product. Each of our clients is able to see (and touch!) an exact physical proof of her invitation prior to ordering, so that any necessary changes can be made and the end product will be EXACTLY what she wants and expects!
What do you read/watch regularly to stay on top of wedding/event trends?
Stationery Trends Magazine, Martha Stewart Weddings, Bride and Bloom,
What are your favorite wedding websites? / Neatest wedding find? (links and pics)
Well ABG of course! I also love Once Wed, Style Me Pretty, 100 Layer Cake, Oh So Beautiful Paper, Southern Weddings, and Grace Ormonde. But I also get inspiration from non-wedding blogs like Design Work Life and Design Sponge.
Does your company do anything special that a green bride might want to know?
Yes! We are very eco-conscious and are happy to accommodate similar-minded brides. Our standard white invitation paper is 100% cotton that is made from the byproducts of textile mills, by a company that utilizes wind power. We also work with several lines of recycled papers and envelopes, including a new seeded paper that can actually be planted to grow wild flowers. We are adamant recyclers in our studio and frequently donate paper scraps to pre-schools.
What is the biggest misconception about your industry?
Often times brides think that «custom» is synonymous with «unaffordable». That's not necessarily the case. Just as invitations from a catalog in a store come in all price ranges, so do custom invitations. A good custom designer can also start with the bride's budget in mind and work backwards.
Note: In addition to our custom invitations, Southall Eden also has a new retail line available at You're Invited in Belle Meade and Williamson County Weddings in Franklin.
For more samples of Southall Eden Paperie's work, visit SouthallEden.com.
Images courtesy of Jonathon Campbell Photography.
About the Author:
Tabitha
Blogging is something I’ve enjoyed doing for years. My interests lie mostly in lifestyle related topics like fashion, style, design, food and weddings. When I heard Ashley was looking to bring on new members to the ABG team, I jumped at the opportunity - I can’t think of a better way to stay involved in weddings than to write about them and to stay in touch with the trends and new ideas. Lucky for me, Ashley likes my blog and trusts my experience to bring me on and so far, it’s been a blast.
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Posted on February 21, 2011 |
Filed under: Invitations & Paper Goods, Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds
