Custom Aisle Runners » featured vendor

Featured Vendor Friday

customizedwed — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:16 +0000

I was happy to have “met” my latest Featured Vendor on, you guessed it, Twitter! Kristi Crosson is a photographer out of the Colorado Springs, CO area. So, if you’re in the Colorado Springs area, be sure to check her out on her website or on Twitter.

What inspired you to start your company?

I was married in 2005 and did not have a professional photographer. At the time I was a hobbyist photographer, and I loved the art of creating a beautiful image. I soon realized the importance that professional photographers truly have in capturing important events and moments. In 2006, my sister bought a digital SLR camera, and my passion for photography exploded. In 2007, I unofficially photographed a friends wedding, and I loved it! Since then I decided I wanted to own a photography business.

What wedding trends are you currently loving?

I love the trends of brides really incorporating themselves into the wedding. It seemed for so long that people just chose color schemes and wedding pieces because they should. But I love how brides are really looking to create those personal touches.

What wedding planning advice would you give to engaged couples?

Find a professional photographer you love for your wedding. It may seem like a unnecessary expense, but the value of having high quality images will far outweigh the cost you will pay. If having them all day at your wedding is too much for your budget, see if they offer partial day coverage at a price you can afford.

What do you love most about your job?

I love creating and capturing emotions. I love when a bride looks at her images and can truly say she looks and feels beautiful.

What are your favorite wedding websites and/or blogs?

I love the show “Say Yes to the Dress” on TLC, so their website is definitely a fave. http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/say-yes-dress/say-yes-dress.html

I like The Barefoot Bride website as well. http://the-barefoot-bride.com/

Featured Vendor Friday: Just Wenderful

customizedwed — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:03:27 +0000

I’m happy to introduce you to Wendy from Just Wenderful, a new Twitter friend who does Day of Coordinating to full wedding planning and design. She also has an Etsy shop with handmade paper goods and offer anything from candy to popcorn buffets. She isbased out of Los Angeles but travels all over. You can find her on her website, blog, Twitter, and Etsy shop. Be sure to check her out!

Tags from the Etsy Shop

What inspired you to start your company?

My wedding inspired me to start my company. I had always helped planned friends’ events, but when I went through my wedding process I fell in love with all things wedding! There were a couple things that went wrong during my wedding and I know if I would’ve hired a Day of Coordinator everything would have gone by flawlessly.

What wedding trends are you currently loving?

I’m loving all things vintage but a trend that I’ve seen and actually offer my clients are the candy buffets. I think it’s one of the best favors for guests. Who doesn’t like candy? Plus, I have the hugest sweet tooth! Truth be told, I’d love to be the west coast Amy Atlas someday!

What wedding planning advice would you give to engaged couples?

If you’re planning a wedding, spend accordingly. Everything is pretty much possible even within a budget. Also, personalizing your wedding doesn’t mean spending lots of money. It just means placing special touches that convey who you and you’re fiancee are.

What do you love most about your job?

Making couples happy! Knowing that when they look back at their wedding day, everything went exacty like they wanted it to go.

What are your favorite wedding websites and/or blogs?

So many! My top three would have to be Weddingbee, Snippet and Ink, and 100 Layer Cake. I have a long blog roll on my blog, check it out!

Featured Vendor Friday – Lasso’d Moon Designs

customizedwed — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:38 +0000

Lasso’d Moon Designs is a small Vermont based company, located in Brandon, Vermont. They design custom invitation suites (coordinating paper goodies from save the dates to invitations to reception goodies) with a “modern style and vintage flair.” Be sure to visit Lasso’d Moon Designs website and blog or follow Carey on Twitter.

What inspired you to start your company?

I started my company after helping my best friend create her save the dates, invitations and shower invitations. Besides being her matron of honor, it was so much fun to be a part of the wedding in a very different, personal way.

What wedding trends are you currently loving?

I love all of the vintage touches that are coming into weddings – flowers in Ball jars, painted wooden signs, old fashioned graphics and fonts, and just that couples are celebrating their day in ways that mean something to them.

What wedding planning advice would you give to engaged couples?

Enjoy the process and don’t stress about what might go wrong. Something will, just be prepared and continue to work together as a couple. Your wedding will be beautiful no matter what.

What do you love most about your job?

When a bride sees her invitations for the first time. They always look a little nervous, then break out into a smile. It’s the point when seeing it in print makes it all that much more real.

What are your favorite wedding websites and/or blogs?

I love Style Me Pretty, Brenda’s Wedding Blog, Ruffled Blog, and the Perfect Palette. Each provide inspiration in their own way.

Featured Vendor Friday: Invitation Consultants

customizedwed — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:00:40 +0000

We’ve had the pleasure to recently “meet” Brittany from Invitation Consultants through my favorite social media machine, Twitter. Brittany then put us in touch with Allison De Meulder, CEO of Invitation Consultants who was gracious enough to take part in today’s Featured Vendor Friday blog post. Be sure to check out Invitation Consultants website. They’re very excited about their new line of wedding invitations, Preston Bailey for Invitation Consultants!

What inspired you to start your company?

A love of paper. I was working on my MBA when I met another student who had a stationery business on the side. She focused only on stationery, but I soon found that my interest was invitations. I probably knew this all along because I was always so involved in choosing my birthday invitations as a child.

What wedding trends are you currently loving?

Color, vibrance and risk. I love that brides and grooms are not afraid to mix bold colors together or even patterns. Really anything goes these days and we are embracing this freshness as a fun creative challenge and really thinking outside the box.

What wedding planning advice would you give to engaged couples?

Plan early. Don’t wait for the last minute because it only stresses you and your vendors out. Also follow your personal styles, don’t be swayed by what others want. Your wedding is a representation of you both.

What do you love most about your job?

I love seeing what our customers order, their invite choice and font and ink color choice as well. We get tons of ideas from the combinations our customers choose. The final product is like a gift and a reward to us!

What are your favorite wedding websites and/or blogs?

http://junebugweddings.com/blogs/what_junebug_loves/
http://www.stylemepretty.com/
http://100layercake.com/blog/

Featured Vendor Friday

customizedwed — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:00:23 +0000

Featured Vendor: Astrid Mueller of Champagne Promises

Astrid

"Anne and Peter" Design

Fully Personalized Invitation "Celine and Armin"

Astrid specializes in wedding illustrations for the bride who is looking for a unique way to personalize her wedding. She creates a unique image for the bride and groom, which can consist of a stylized illustration of the bride and groom, of their wedding location or of several illustrations that reflect their own unique love story…. she can also create further products which all feature their design – from stationery to cake toppers, favors, drink coasters for a bridal party or even luggage tags– the sky is the limit. Champagne Promises is based in the US, and works with vendors in NYC, as well as other notable areas. Our quality-control/distribution center is based on the East Coast, while the headquarters is based on the West Coast. Be sure to visit Astrid’s website and follow her on Twitter.

What inspired you to start your company?

I am inspired by the female elegance, and have been designing for international women’s magazines for several years now, with my Swiss-based company, PotatoMammaDesign.com. A designer colleague in Switzerland once asked me to illustrate a wedding invitation of one of her clients. This led me to meet the wedding planner of this client – and from there a continuous collaboration evolved – she has been referring numerous couples to me since then. I love designing for brides! It is great fun for me to get to know the couples and hear about their love story, then develop a unique design for them. So, when I was looking at growing my business, my business coach recommended that I should take this passion to a new level and start a separate company, focusing on wedding illustrations.

What wedding trends are you currently loving?

I’m seeing a lot of longing for new unique ideas by the brides – and a need for personalization – every bride wants her day to be special and uniquely “them”. It seems while some years ago, weddings in the US were mostly traditional, now brides dare to add some new, modern touches. I just love to consult them on this – through my network of high-end wedding professionals and product manufacturers, I can recommend unique accessories to the bride (all featuring their wedding illustration by Champagne Promises), product ideas and materials that match their dream wedding story – hearing a bride’s happy and surprised outburst when being presented with such an idea makes me very happy in return! For example, I just had a client that used a celebrity name for them in their wedding – this had to be explained to the guests. The bride wasn’t sure how to do it, and I suggested that a wedding poet that I work with could create a poem for them, which would be reflected in the wedding favor tags that I was creating for them. She was thrilled!

What wedding planning advice would you give to engaged couples?

I’m not a wedding planner, so I won’t go out on a limb with this one – but from my heart I’m giving this advice: Don’t try to do everything that everyone tells you to do. Instead, do what makes YOU happy – this is your special day, and you want to remember it as your own unique celebration of love.

What do you love most about your job?

When I can make brides happy! The other day a couple told me that they still admire their wedding cake topper, which I had made for them, with their illustration. Now it adorns a special place in their living room and reminds them of their wedding day whenever they look at it.

What are your favorite wedding websites and/or blogs?

http://itsajaimething.com/
All things beautiful http://mcscanzano.blogspot.com/
http://weddingchicks.com/
http://bklynbrideonline.com/
http://www.thebrokeassbride.com/
http://orangeandblossom.com/
http://www.bridaltweet.com/
And many more….

Featured Vendor Friday

customizedwed — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:00:26 +0000

Featured Vendor Friday: Kristy Rice of Momental Designs

Kristy Rice of Momental Designs

Momental Designs Stationery

More Momental Designs Stationery

If you haven’t seen her work already in print and online, then you’re in for a real treat. Kristy Rice of Momental Designs creates some of the most beautiful and detailed wedding stationery I’ve seen on the market. Be sure to visit her website, blog, and follow her on Twitter!

What inspired you to start your company?

I have a degree in Art Eduction and absolutely love working with people. My passion for creating things pushed me to find a way to combine my social nature with my love creating art. After my own wedding, I realized that I also loved paper and stationery so creating wedding invitations for a living seemed like a perfect fit!

What wedding trends are you currently loving?

The trends I love the most reflect couples who are breaking the “rules” of wedding planning and turning tradition on its head in respectful ways. A great example of a traditional turning trend is french fry and slider station instead of family style meals – too fun!

What wedding planning advice would you give to engaged couples?

Be yourself…try (although it may be difficut) to listen to as few opinions as possible. Trust your instincts when making planning decisions and don’t labor over decisions for too long.

What do you love most about your job?

I love that I am able to paint and sketch nearly every day and that each day is always different from the last!

What are your favorite wedding websites and/or blogs?

Oh this is a tough one!
http://blog.karentran.com/ Gorgeous floral eye candy!
http://www.dvbphoto.com Stunning, straightforward photography
http://greenweddingshoes.blogspot.com/ Vintage wedding style with an artistic flair!
http://www.unruly-things.com/ Musings on just about anything visual!

Featured Vendor Friday

customizedwed — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:00:23 +0000

Katrina McCullum – Made of Honor Weddings

I had the pleasure of “meeting” Katrina of Made of Honor Weddings when she asked us to donate a custom aisle runner for a wedding contest she was hosting. The wedding is this Sunday and we can’t wait to see pictures! You can visit her website here, read her blog here, and follow her on Twitter here.

What inspired you to start your company?

I have always enjoyed playing from small parties to school events. I used to plan mock weddings when a teenager, I created a different wedding each month. But it never occurred to me I could do it for a living. . I was helping a friend plan her wedding in Winston-Salem,NC. I noticed there weren’t many wedding coordinators in my area. So I started my company for the stylish, modern brides.

What wedding trends are you currently loving?

LOL, I love the custom aisle runners and banners and the logos. I also love lighting.

What wedding planning advice would you give to engaged couples?

Besides hire a planner… Hire professional vendors. They are there to help you, not trick you. Professional vendors are available in all budgets, so if you find one that is out of your budget…keep looking. Mostly make sure your style and personality is in your wedding. You are celebrating your lives together.

What do you love most about your job?

To see the joy and happiness I helped create. To know that I was a part of one of the most special days of someone’s life. To see the actual day come together and the outcome of a couples reaction is priceless.

What are your favorite wedding websites and/or blogs?

Besides my own . I love Southern Weddings Blog, Style Me Pretty, & Precious Nuptials & Destinations

Featured Vendor Friday

customizedwed — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:00:07 +0000

Lindsey Maurath – Fresh Lime Events

I’ve been following Lindsey on Twitter for a while now and have fallen in love with her work. The Fresh Lime Events planning team has put together some amazing events some of which can be seen on her website and her blog.

What inspired you to start your company?

Ever since I can remember I have been a planner, an organizer and a list maker – even as a kid. I was always the one getting assignments done early, making sure things were color-coded and in place. At the same time, I found myself getting a little more creative year after year and I started to really take an interest in flowers. I love flowers! I was living in Baltimore and working in marketing for large corporations and new it just wasn’t for me. I thought about how I could marry my logistical skills with my creative side and looked at event planning! I started working for one of Maryland’s great wedding planners and loved every minute of it. I worked for her until we moved to Connecticut in January of 2008. It was the perfect time to break off on my own and as they say, the rest is history. I now have Fresh LiME Events and love every minute of it.

What wedding trends are you currently loving?
I absolutely love the fact that we’re seeing dresses come off the runways and into main stream. Alexander McQueen designed this amazing (!) feather wedding dress and it is to die for. Feathers are also another one of my big things right now. The fact that you can use them in anything makes them really versatile. Hopefully it’s not a trend [because trends usually die], but I love that couples are making their wedding days to be more about the guests’ experience as well. Destination weddings are great for incorporating several different events into the week or weekend of the wedding. And they’re so much fun.

What wedding planning advice would you give to engaged couples?

First, know your budget. It’s really easy to go overboard, but knowing your budget up front should really help drive the decisions you make. Secondly, hire a wedding planner. Even if you don’t think you need one, a wedding planner will inevitably make your big day amazing. As a bride or groom you want to be a guest at your own wedding, not running around wondering why the catering is behind schedule? Let someone else take the reigns for the day. And if someone tells you to ask one of your bridesmaid to take some of burden off of you, they’ve got to be kidding. Your family and friends are there to support you and help celebrate, not become an impromptu planner. A planner will definitely be worth the investment.

What do you love most about your job?

Seeing a father whisper something to his daughter right before we open the doors and they walk down the aisle. There’s something so special about that. And the groom’s face as he see his bride makes anyone believe in love.

What are your favorite wedding websites and/or blog?

There are SO many, but I can’t get enough of AdventuresofWedhead.com, the latest from Marcy Blum. She can tell it like no one else. I wish Marcy wrote every day! Other good reads are StyleMePretty, Green Wedding Shoes and Fabu-luxe.

I like to look around at other non-wedding specific blogs too like Design Sponge and Vincente Wolfe. Fantastic!

Featured Vendor Friday

customizedwed — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:00:05 +0000

Having a beach themed wedding or party? Quality Shells is a wonderful website that specializes in all different types of shells. Be sure to check them out today.

1. What inspired you to start your company?

I’ve always had a love for the beach and the ocean and I’ve collected seashells, from as far back as I can remember from various beaches around the globe. My love for seashells turned into a passion to start my own online business in 2004. I realized that working with something you’ve loved all your life would be an enjoyable business venture, and I was right.

2. What wedding trends are you currently loving?

With how expensive wedding planning can be these days, I’ve found many individuals are resorting to do-it-yourself favor creations to conserve money. Our collection of shells are really popular as wedding favors, especially during the summer months. With our selection of shells, I’ve heard my customers have their names and wedding dates engraved in them as guest favors, or even take our smaller selection of shells to use as accents at their guests dinner table. There’s no limit as to how versatile and limitless seashells can be.

3. What wedding planning advice would you give to engaged couples?

The best advice I can give to engaged couples is try your best to enjoy the planning process for your big day. We all know how overwhelming it can be, but if you take a little bit at a time, you’ll actually have a great time. I also suggest both working together on how you envision your wedding day. You want to bring elements from your personalities into the day and be able to look back on all the time spent together to make your day a success.

4. What do you love most about your job?

I enjoy being able to run my own online business with products I love. I also love the satisfaction of knowing a good volume of my products are going toward the creation of someones wedding day.

5. What are your favorite wedding websites and/or blogs?

Some of our top picks are: Offbeat Bride, Wedding Bee and The Knot

Featured Vendor Friday

customizedwed — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:00:20 +0000

Featured Vendor Friday – Ten 23 Design Studio – Custom Vinyl Dance Floor Monograms & Wall Decals

Out of Jacksonville, FL, Lauren of TEN 23 Design Studio creates custom monograms and logos for her clients and then turns them into wonderful works of art. Her art becomes the floor or walls of weddings and events – the art being custom vinyl dance floor monograms and wall decals. Be sure to check out her blog and also follow her on Twitter.

1. What inspired you to start your company?

I started my company after my own wedding. I had a few photos of my big day go around & people began to ask me where I bought some of the items. When I told them I made them, I began to get orders. And with that, ten23 Designs was born.

2. What wedding trends are you currently loving?

I love the bright colors that came around this summer. Yellow & Dark Pink, Turquiose & Orange, Bright Blue & Lime, etc.

3. What wedding planning advice would you give to engaged couples?

Search carefully for a color combination & start from there. It is hard to switch color palates half way through planning.

4. What do you love most about your job?

I love that my whole family gets involved with each project. It is truly a family business.

5. What are your favorite wedding websites and/or blogs?

I think http://www.brendasweddingblog.com/ is a great resource for brides. She also does a lot of great giveaways which really help the budget brides out. I think that www.weddingbee.com is also a great resource for DIY brides. They have a lot of creative minds working together.