Fox 8 Hotlist is back – and we need your votes!
March 17, 2010 | Filed Under studio news and happenings | Leave a Comment
Once again, we have been noimated for the ”Best Invitations” category in the Akron/Canton Fox 8 Hotlist. We have won this competition the previous two years…and we need your help NOW more than ever to keep our title! Voting only takes a second…and I PROMISE you, Fox 8 will not spam you. I have an email address that I set up just for voting 3 years ago and have never received a single email…not from Fox 8 and not from anyone. For the duration of the contest, you can only vote one time PER email address. So please be sure to tell your friends….we need all the votes we can get!! Thanks guys! Help keep us #1 – Click Here to Vote!!!
Real Brides: Jill and Paul
March 12, 2010 | Filed Under custom invitations, posts with pics, real brides | Leave a Comment
Jillian and Paul came to us as a referral from The Sheraton Suites. And you know how much we love our Sheraton brides! By the first time we met with Jill she had an all-star lineup of vendors and quite a few unique ideas for her fall wedding (my favorite being the large tree with hanging escort cards). Meeting with her and her mom Rebecca was always such a pleasure….not only because we had great conversations (they always made me laugh…) but also because we stayed on task and accomplished so much!! We truly enjoyed providing the invitations, escort cards, ceremony programs, memory cards, table numbers and thank you cards for this amazingly beautiful wedding.
What part of the wedding planning was the most fun?
Honestly, I can’t pick! I had an amazing time during the entire wedding planning process. I truly felt like our vendors became friends (i.e. Stacy and Stephanie) and due to all of their hard work, our wedding day was beyond perfect. Our wedding was a dream come true and a wonderful start to a new life with my new husband!
What part of the wedding planning was the least fun?
I had fun during the entire process. Who doesn’t have fun planning their dream wedding to the perfect man???
Did you receive comments from your guests regarding the invitations and accessories?
The feedback from our guests was overwhelming in its praise of our invitations and accessories. Words used by our guests included: beautiful, brilliant, creative, elegant and classy. Our wedding invitation truly set the tone of our wedding and there is nothing I would have changed.
Please list anything you would like to include regarding your experience with Paper Persuasions:
Working with Paper Persuasions was truly a remarkable and quite memorable experience. Stacy and Stephanie provided the total package. They walked us through the entire process from the initial consultation, to the drafts, to the end product. We are so grateful to have found Paper Persuasions and to have had the opportunity to work with them. We look forward to planning another big event where we can use their creative services once again!
Do you have any advice for the bride-to-be currently planning her wedding?
Before you get overwhelmed, take a deep breath. Enjoy your wedding planning…I promise, it can be lots of fun! I believe a successful bride and groom do not plan their wedding alone – they get help, and lots of it! One of the best ways to have a successful wedding is to be organized and begin planning your event as soon as possible. The earlier you begin preparing the better your chances of getting the vendors that you want.
Here is Jill and Paul’s vendor list!
Ceremony: Pilgrim Church
Reception: Sheraton Suites – Cuyahoga Falls
Bride’s Apparel: Steven Yearick from Henri’s Cloud Nine
Groom’s Apparel: American Commodore Tuxedo
Floral: Klaus from Wildflower
Linens: Sitting Pretty
Photography: Lyon’s Photography
Reception Entertainment: Redline – Jerry Bruno Productions
Ceremony Music: Suite Elegance
Transportation: Lolly the Trolley
Lighting: Pro-Disc Entertainment
Cake: Zoey’s
Ice Sculpture: Elegant Ice Creations
Hair and Makeup: MC Hair Consultants
Stationery: Paper Persuasions
In lieu of favors, Jill and Paul made a donation in honor of Jill’s father – the late Mr. Lewis Crouch. On that card, they shared a quote with their guests…and it has stuck with me since I first read it. “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” – Mother Teresa
Jill and Paul – may you have many many happy years together!
Response card etiquette and postage solutions for international guests
March 10, 2010 | Filed Under etiquette, posts with pics | Leave a Comment
One rule of wedding etiquette that is now widely accepted AND expected is providing postage for your rsvp envelopes. Not only does it make it as easy as possible for your guests to respond, it seems kinda rude to request a timely response from your guests while expecting them to spend money in order to comply. Most brides we meet with are well aware of this ‘rule’….but they often fail to realize that special postage is required for guests who live out of the country, resulting in an ‘etiquette blunder’.
There are a few different ways to handle postage for an international response card:
- have a different response card printed for international guests requesting a response via phone, website or email instead of by mail
- arrange to have a friend or family member residing in the foreign country send the correct postage stamps to you so that you are able to use them in the ensemble
- order postage stamps online directly from the appropriate country and have them shipped to you (most of the time, shipping is just $1)
- purchase postage vouchers from your local post office and send them with the response card – your guests take the voucher to their local post office and exchange it for the correct postage (this is the method we suggest and we explain it further below)
UNIVERSAL POSTAGE VOUCHERS
Thanks to Kendra and Kevin (one of our current custom invitation couples who are getting married in April) we were finally able to see, touch and photograph these postage vouchers for you! We’ve always known about them and encouraged brides to use them, but we have never physically worked with them while assembling invitations until now. So – the way it works – you (currently) pay $2.10 for the voucher and send it with your rsvp card. Your guest takes the voucher to their local post office and exchanges it for the appropriate postage stamp. This voucher works as an exchange in postage for nearly all countries. Though this option is probably the costliest solution, it is also the most convenient solution if you are sending invitations to a few different countries. Wanna see what they look like?!?! Here ya go!
- international postage vouchers can be purchased at your local post office and should be sent to wedding guests who live in other countries
- this is how we include the universal postage voucher in response envelopes going to international wedding guests
- front and back view of the universal postage voucher
Bi-Weekly Recap – February 6th – 20th
February 20, 2010 | Filed Under catalog invitations, custom invitations, posts with pics, weekly recap | Leave a Comment
We skipped last weeks recap because 1) we were too busy to do the recap and 2) we didn’t really have much product to photograph. Last Saturday we may have even set an all time record for the number of people here at once. At one point, we had 4 groups of people looking…and 2 groups of people waiting for tables to open up. It was c-r-a-z-y busy but despite the chaos, everyone left happy! This past week had several catalog orders arrive PLUS we were able to finish up 4 custom jobs making for a very colorful collage today! Enjoy!
1) Custom Designed Pocketfold Wedding Invitation in Deep Purple, Hot Pink and Ecru Shimmer stocks. Ribbon and Custom Monogram tag on front of pocket
2) Custom Designed Pocketfold Daisy Wedding Invitation in Clover / Grass / Lime Green with Light Green panel and inserts. Unique 4×9 Size with daisy belly band
3) Catalog Wedding Invitation Ensemble – a soft textured paper with grey, white, and soft purple accents. Monogram frame and grape motif used throughout
4) Catalog Wedding Invitation Ensemble – a brown slide with ecru double sided invitation with a chocolate brown satin ribbon pull
5) Catalog Wedding Invitation Ensemble – a triple border white embossed invitation with swirl motif used throughout
6) Catalog Baby Shower Invite – a white invitation with pearl embossed alphabet blocks around the border and cutesy little animals in the corners
7) Catalog Bat Mitzvah Invite – Hot Pink, Lavender and Gold foil tied into the star and the liner
8) Catalog Fall Themed Save the Dates – gorgeous cream cardstock with rich texture, ginger ink and fall leaves
9) Custom Design Flat Panel Wedding Invitation – Grape/Dark Purple, Lavender, and Ecru Shimmer with bling! Three Swarovski® Crystals were incorporated into the swirl design
10) Custom Designed Pocket fold Wedding Invitation in Tiffany Blue, Champagnee and Ecru Micha Shimmer stocks. Custom designed monogram included a single Swarovski® Crystal on the bride’s name.
Introducing Simply Sensible – Carlson Craft’s Budget Invitation Line
February 19, 2010 | Filed Under catalog invitations, posts with pics | Leave a Comment
A common misconception that we encounter is the belief that all professionally printed invitations are expensive. At least once or twice a week we meet with a bride who plans on making her own invitations to save money. Not because she loves to scrapbook or she thinks the project will be fun – it’s because she thinks it will save her money. Then we show her a couple different lines of professionally printed invitations and she is shocked at how inexpensive they really are! By the time she adds up the cardstock, envelope and ink cartridge or printing costs, the DIY project often exceeds the costs of the catalog invitations. And now….it gets even better! Carlson Craft has introduced a new line called “Simply Sensible” offering brides several styles and packages as low as $99.90 for 100 invitation ensembles.
Save up to $400 off suggested retail prices on these new budget packages! Promotion Ends 6/1/2010.
SHOP SIMPLY SENSIBLE INVITATION PACKAGE DEALS HERE
SHOP SIMPLY SENSIBLE INVITATIONS HERE
SHOP SIMPLY SENSIBLE ACCESSORIES HERE
carlson craft simply sensible budget package
Real Brides: Emily and Andrew
February 9, 2010 | Filed Under accessories, catalog invitations, custom invitations, posts with pics, real brides | 1 Comment
We first met with Emily and her mom Marianne not long after we opened our new studio. It was clear from our first meeting with them that the invitations needed to be classy, formal & traditional while still setting the tone for a somewhat contemporary color scheme of chocolate brown and orange. Emily selected a gorgeous pearl border invitation from the Carlson Craft line and added a chocolate brown satin ribbon below the monogram to make the invitation unique to her. The orange was first introduced into the wedding stationery when Andrew’s mother Angie surprised the couple with custom rehearsal dinner invites which happened to match the custom wedding accessories we designed for the ceremony and reception. Sending thanks to Paul Floyd Photography for taking some of the best shots we’ve seen of our work. Of course what blog reader of ours is going to pay attention to the stationery photos when the entire wedding party is this gorgeous?!?!
A non-professional photo of the invitation ensemble that we took when her order arrived…
Heres a list of other vendors that Emily and Andrew used:
- Bride’s Apparel: Brides by Demetrios (Legacy Village)
- Groom’s Apparel: American Commodore
- Ceremony Site: Hudson Community Chapel
- Reception Site: Sheraton Suites
- Cake: A Catered Affair
- Floral: Frank Feysa – Ohio Green
- Photography: Paul Floyd Photography
- Entertainment: The DJ Crew
- Salon: Salon 180 (Hudson)
Here’s what Emily and Andrew had to say about their wedding experiences:
Wedding Date: 8/1/2009
What part of the planning was the most fun? Choosing all of the details that made our wedding unique – the colors, favors, music, locations, menu, etc. Anything where we could add our own personal touch and flare was fun for us!
What part of the wedding planning was the least fun? Assembling favors, tying ribbons on bubbles, writing check lists and to-do lists!! All of the tedious tasks that were easy but time consuming.
Do you have any advice for the bride-to-be currently planning her wedding? Enjoy it! It goes so fast. Get as much planning as you can out of the way early on so you can relax and take it all in toward the end.
How was your overall experience with Paper Persuasions? Steph and Stacy were fabulous and made the paper and invitation aspect of our planning so enjoyable and easy! We would recommend them to absolutely anyone!
Did you receive comments from your guests regarding the invitations and accessories? Yes! All positive! We got raving reviews about every paper product – from the invitations down to the table numbers!
*******
Working with Emily and Andrew (and each of their mothers) was such a treat! From their very first visit to look at invitations – all the way through finalizing the table numbers and escort cards for the reception – our meetings were a breeze….sometimes it simply felt too easy!
To Emily, Andrew and Marianne: Thank you so much for all of your kind words…and for the numerous referrals you have sent our way. From close family friends to people you’ve bumped into at the supermarket, we’ve had at least half a dozen people mention that you told them about us. You have no idea how much this means to us!
weekly recap (feb 2010 – week 1)
February 7, 2010 | Filed Under posts with pics, weekly recap | Leave a Comment
Last week the groundhog saw his shadow and 3 days later we got dumped on by 14 inches of snow. And right now ’6 more weeks of winter’ is sounding pretty darn good because from where I am sitting, I see nothing but 4ft high snow banks all around and it seems impossible that they will melt anytime soon!
We had a great week at the studio – met with a ton of new clients, shipped out several orders and finalized a couple of new custom design orders. We also fine tuned and revised our production schedule and we were able to create about 3 new slots for custom invitation orders due out between the end of May and the end of June (for weddings between the end of July and end of August). Such a bittersweet feeling to be booked almost solid this early in the year! Below you’ll find pictures of orders we worked on/received throughout the past week. Enjoy!
1) wedding invitation – hot pink & green pocketfold with custom monogram
2) seal-n-send wedding invitation in silver metallic with a monogram theme
3) custom designed pink, brown and ecru rehearsal dinner invites for a ‘super sweet’ client J
4) custom designed pocket wedding invitation in charcoal/slate, purple/grape and white. this design is a great alternative to the standard pocketfold invitation!
5) custom designed wedding invitation – champagne, ecru and slate grey with ecru satin ribbon
6) custom designed pocket fold wedding invitation in deep purple, silver and white
7) custom designed flat panel wedding rehearsal dinner invites in navy blue, lime green and white with custom monogram at the top
8) a close up of a seal-n-send wedding invitation with postcard response. love the pattern and colors as well as the texture and quality of paper!
9) white shimmer wedding invitation with a monogram positioned above a textured metallic belly band with crystal accents
10) super cute “mr. and mrs.” save the date with an outline of a tux and wedding dress – very modern
11) a unique pocket wedding invitation in black and ecru shimmer – the pocket opens sideways (like a folder) with the invitation attached on the left and the cards tucked in the single angular pocket on the right
12) another seal-n-send wedding invitation. this one is printed in navy ink on a rich ecru stock and a super cute daisy design
13) a very unique accordion fold wedding invitation – the front panels contain the bride and grooms name and open to reveal the invitation wording in the center panel. the invitation is held closed by a ribbon which is strung through a hole on each of the front panels
14) custom designed ‘parking reminder cards’ to be sent to guests one week before the wedding. parking for this wedding is offsite and the couple is providing a complimentary trolley service to the ceremony & reception location. this card reminds guests that they MUST BE ON TIME or else they will miss the only available transportation to the event
January’s Referral Program Winner!
February 2, 2010 | Filed Under studio news and happenings | Leave a Comment
Congrats to Lindsay M – January’s referral winner! She selected a $25 Subway giftcard. Thanks to you all we had 11 referrals for the month! Read about our referral program here: http://www.paperpersuasions.com/referral-program
Weekly Recaps are back!
January 27, 2010 | Filed Under catalog invitations, custom invitations, posts with pics, weekly recap | Leave a Comment
One of our goals for 2010 was to show some love to our blog. It’s not that we don’t love blogging, it’s just that so many things get in the way (phone calls! walk-in clients! lunch breaks! production of orders! processing shipments! 50+ emails per day! ) So even though blogging is always on the to-do list, it is the one thing that continuously gets snaked to the next day…and the next…and the next. To combat this, we’ve decided to re-commit to ‘Weekly Recaps’, which we’ve heard people love to read. And we are going to try our darndest to stay true to the title. We figure that if nothing else, we’ll get to share several of the things we’ve been up to all in one little post.
The first weekly recap of 2010 is going to cover a few weeks. We weren’t prepared to bring this blog series back, so we had to grab photos of orders that we are currently working on and of things we had sitting around. Some of these might stretch back into the end of December, but you get the point! Enjoy!
1) custom designed 40th anniversary invitation – pink and green 6×6 pocketfold with lime green paisley invite border and lime green cardstock topped with light green text paper
2) custom designed bachleorette party invitation – red and ecru with a corset theme
3) catalog ordered white cocktail napkins incorporating a monogram in purple foil. (monogram matches that of the invitation in #15)
4) catalog ordered scratch-off save the date! (scratch the license plate of the ‘just married car’ to find out the wedding date!) super fun!
5) custom designed purple and ecru flat panel invitation. multiple shades of purple topped with ecru metallic paper. deep purple swirl design carried through on all three pieces of the ensemble.
6) catalog ordered poker themed invitation. this invite was for one of our fave wedding coordinators – heidi from heidzillas. check out the party recap (including a few how-to’s) on her blog!
7) catalog ordered save the date – white and navy blue single layer card.
8) custom designed 6×6 pocketfold wedding invitation in black, hot pink and white shimmer stock.
9) custom designed 6×6 pocketfold wedding invitation in hot pink, silver and white shimmer stock.
10) custom designed bridal shower invitation for a beach themed wedding shower. tiffany blue, black and white shimmer with a tiffany blue shell accent.
11) catalog ordered lime green and black wedding invitation ensemble. this was a mix and match set – lime green invite with black writing, black reception card with white writing, lime green response card with black writing and a black envelope, a black inner envelope and a lime green outer envelope.
12) catalog ordered photo save the date tri-fold. on the outside, a childhood picture of the bride on one side and the groom on the other. open the tri-fold to reveal a current photograph of the two of them! how could you not love it?
13) catalog invitation in red, ivory and black. this invite design can be printed in any two ink colors on ivory or white stock!
14) custom monogram wrap in black, hot pink and white with a 7/8″ white satin ribbon
15) catalog invitation in green, purple and white. this invite design can be printed in any two ink colors on ivory or white stock!
16) catalog ordered save-the-date magnet – man proposing. we love that the proposal scene is carried through as a motif on the back flap of the envelope
17) custom designed deep red, ivory and gold swirl design invitation.
18) catalog ordered white flat panel invitation with embossed border and shimmer design. this is one classy (and affordable) invitation ensemble!!
A Hidden Gem: The University Center at Kent State Stark
January 26, 2010 | Filed Under posts featuring other vendors, posts with pics | Leave a Comment
Long before Stacy and I ever actually met Janet Capocci, the Event Planning Coordinator at the University Center, we knew who she was. You see, when she was the Wedding Specialist at the Sheraton Suites – Cuyahoga Falls, we shared several mutual clients and nearly every single one told us that they chose to have their reception at the Sheraton because of her. Not because of the gorgeous facility or delicious food …but her. When we finally did get to meet Janet, you better believe she cast her spell on us too! She is such a sweet person who genuinely loves weddings and just plain knows what it takes to make any event extraordinary. Needless to say, when we found out she was leaving the Sheraton, we were just as devastated as her brides were! So when we ran into her (and the equally sweet Becky Dehart) at the JSK Center bridal show, we were thrilled. Turns out they are working to promote weddings at the University Center! Since we hadn’t heard anything about the venue in the 5 years we’ve been in the industry, we were amazed when we learned of all it has to offer! We’ve asked Janet to share a little bit of that information with all of you!
Here’s what Janet had to say about the facility and staff:
Can you tell us a little about the location and capacity of the facility? The University Center is conveniently located in North Canton approximately 1.2 miles from I-77 (just past Green and next to Jackson Township). We have a ballroom that can seat up to 400 guests.
How many wedding consultants do you have on staff and what are their qualifications? We have two – Becky and I. She has been here 4+ years and I have been doing weddings for about 7 years.
What do you feel sets the University Center apart from other wedding venues? We are very competitively priced! You’ll find that by traveling the slightest bit south of the Cleveland/Akron area a whole new world opens up! We offer resort-like settings at more of a ‘value based’ pricing…all while being close to airports, express ways, hotels, etc.
I know you have been working to strengthen wedding bookings. Have you noticed any misconceptions that potential brides have had regarding the facility? Yes…most brides do not imagine their most precious day to take place on a college campus. At the University Center, you get the feel of a country club/hotel and the pricing of a reception hall. It is truly unlike other campus grounds. Our secluded, lush setting rivals the most popular local country clubs and hotels. We encourage you to take photos throughout our property, including at the gazebo on the water. As a wedding specialist with past experience coordinating for hotels and resorts, I couldn’t be happier with The University Center’s facilities.
What is the price range of the packages you offer? We offer competitively priced packages at many different price points. Visit our website for the most current wedding packages. These packages are merely suggestions and we can certainly customize your menu to meet your needs. All prices are subject to change unless secured with a signed contract. All Kent State alumni receive a discount!
If you are interested in holding your Reception or other event at The University Center at Kent State Stark (and why shouldn’t you be?!?), contact Janet or Becky at 330-244-3300. You can also visit www.youruniversitycenter.com or www.facebook.com/theuniversitycenter for more information!
