On a cold January morning in 2022, I woke up in Rome to an email from a bride to be I'd been chatting with following her order of a sample pack a couple of months prior.
Ida had explained she was getting married in the striking Óran Mòr, Glasgow, and had spotted one of my collections that would be cohesive with the rich colours of the bold and totally unique venue decor (seriously, take a look at the decor!)
Photography: Clickybox Photography | Venue: Óran Mòr, Glasgow
Paper Patootie had only gone live a few months prior to this, so for Ida to want everything from save the dates, to invitations and on the day stationery, all the way through to thank you cards was a huge compliment for me, and confirmed that yes, I was doing something right!
I should have waited until I got home to respond - I was on a city break after all - but nope; my excitement wouldn't allow it. So I laid in a kingsize bed in a hotel in Italy's capital (a gorgeous modern yet traditional room with wooden beams and chandeliers above me - just to paint you a picture), told my husband not to talk to me for the next five minutes, and wrote back to confirm I could happily provide everything she needed.
Ida wasn't my first client, but she felt like my first 'journey.' Yes, you'll find some 'journeys,' 'vibes' and 'extras' in this post! Sorry about that.
Stationery & photography: Paper Patootie
When it was time to start designing Ida (and Sam’s, I must remember there were two people involved in this wedding!) save the dates, she decided to opt for a different design than originally planned; The Miss Grace. With its velvety silk paper and the bride and grooms names in a bouji gold foil, it was right up her street. Ida decided that she’d keep the blue of Óran Mòr’s decor linked by choosing to change the main text from black, to a vibrant navy and by switching up the background of some pieces to the same colour.
Stationery & photography: Paper Patootie
This is the theme that would run through the rest of the stationery, which included, from start to finish:
- Save the dates
- Day invitations
- Evening invitations
- Envelope stickers
- Welcome sign
- Table plan sign
- Table numbers
- Place cards
- Cake flavours sign
- ‘In loving memory’ sign
- Guest book sign
- Gift and cards sign
- Thank you cards
Full disclosure, foil is not easy to photograph, so it was lucky that Ida had decided to order some samples so she could see it’s shine in all it’s glory!
Stationery & photography: Paper Patootie
Ida added her own little touch to her invites by having me print a small tag for her wedding website password which she assembled with the cutest little gold paper clips she found online. Her wedding website enabled her to add even more information, saving the need for RSVP and guest information cards.
In between being taught some Scottish lingo (Banais Taighe, ‘Are ye dancing?’ and ‘Aye do!’ - please see the gooooorgeous envelope stickers above) there were many mouth-watering conversations about cake flavours, and of course, a few design drafts were sent here and there.
Stationery: Paper Patootie | Photography: Clickybox Photography | Venue: Óran Mòr, Glasgow
Ida’s ‘on the day’ stationery was also created for her based on the Miss Grace design. There was even a collaboration with ‘Etsy lady’ as we called her, but I now know them as Charlotte and Tom from Another Loop who were just amazing. It just goes to show that even though I mainly deal with paper products, that nothing is impossible when it comes to creativity between two artists and a bride with an imagination!
Signage: Paper Patootie & Another Loop | Photography: Clickybox Photography | Venue: Óran Mòr, Glasgow
But, such is life, and let’s be real; not everything went exactly to plan. An issue with the foil on some of the place cards and table numbers called for an emergency re-print job. It was cutting it fine. It was fast approaching the wedding and Ida had already left to travel to the venue. It relied on me working quickly, getting my printers to do an extra speedy job, adding extra packaging to avoid damage, and Ida’s very kind Maid of Honour, Catriona coming to the rescue! The new prints arrived with Catriona the day before the wedding (I told you it was cutting it fine), in perfect condition. Phew! Ida, being the ray of sunshine she is, never complained and only told me she knew I’d pull it out of the bag, and how Cat commented on everything looking so ‘fancy and professional that she regretted DIYing her own invites a few years ago!’
Stationery: Paper Patootie | Photography: Clickybox Photography | Venue: Óran Mòr, Glasgow
So, what were the main things for me that stood out about Ida and Sam’s wedding stationery and the journey we went on?
1. Contrast. Visually, between the deep, rich blue and the shine of the gold foil. Secondly, between the utter class of the stationery with just the right amount of Ida and Sam’s personalities injected! You can see this from the wording on the invites, not to mention the palpable joy in the pictures Ida very kindly sent to me!
2. Ida trusted me. She knew that from our video calls, email chats and Instagram comments that I knew her vibe, what she was all about and what she wanted to be reflected in her wedding day. She didn’t give me the nickname ‘Welsh Stationery Wizard’ for nothing!
3. The relationship built between a stationer and a client over the mutual excitement about Ida’s big day! Yes, a lot of design work and drafts back and forth took place to get things just perfect. But in between that, there was looking forward to finding out what part of the planning Ida had smashed that weekend! There were reassurances that nothing could ever be ‘too extra’ for a wedding. And did I mention talking about cake flavours?
Stationery & photography: Paper Patootie
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the ultimate compliment is when a client asks you for more stationery. Ida had plenty of time to choose to get her thank you cards elsewhere, but came back to create these beauties.
As much as I love that my website now offers an easy online checkout for pre-designed collections, all of the above is why I’ll always offer bespoke designs. Yes, it’s for the end product and making your big day your own, but it’s also for the journey.
To see more of the stationery and Ida and Sam’s fairytale in all it’s glory you can head over to my Instagram page.
Thanks lots,
Vikki x
And extra special thanks to Mrs Ida MacLeod for bringing so much shine and sparkle through my letterbox!