Holiday Schedule

Studio traffic has always been notoriously slow during the holidays. We had planned to be closed from Christmas Eve thru New Years Day as we had in the past. However, we seem to be booking a record number of weddings for next year and we have had a few people want to come in while they are home from school on break.

We'd like to accommodate as many people as possible - without sitting around the studio bored out of our minds in between visitors - so we are going to see how it goes to be open by appointment only. So - here is the revised holiday schedule as posted on our website.

December 24 - Closed
December 25 - Closed
December 26 - By appointment 10-4
December 27 - By appointment 10-6 (will probably be in most of the day)
December 28 - Closed
December 29 - By appointment 10-4
December 30 - By appointment 10-8
December 31 - Closed
January 1 - Closed
January 2 - Resume normal schedule

Please do not hesitate to contact us for an appointment. We will be checking email and voicemail messages regularly so please leave us a message.

Happy Holidays - and enjoy the time you are able to spend with your loved ones!

Steph and Stacy

Adding custom touches to a catalog invitation...

Are you worried that you will end up in the following situation? - Settling for an invitation that falls just short of perfect? Don't be. At Paper Persuasions, even if you prefer catalog invitations because of budget or tradition, we can help add elements of design from our custom side of the business. We would never spend money on something we 'kinda like' and we don't think you should either! The following is a story about a real bride who worked with us to blend a basic catalog invitation with a touch of customization.

Anna and Chad are having a beach side ceremony and beautiful reception in North Carolina in April. By the time we met them, they had already carefully planned most of the details and seemed most excited about booking an extremely awesome photographer local to their ceremony. When Anna first came in to look at invitations, she knew that she wanted to incorporate various shades of green. Nothing was even close to perfect - but one style did stick with her enough to come back a few days later with her mom and take another look. She wasn't 'in love' with the invitation, but it was the best option she had found so she ordered it.

Since she wasn't 100% sold on the ensemble, Anna planned to search out paper for us to make custom envelope liners for her and after several sample orders from several different paper companies - she did. When she settled on the paper to use - we didn't settle for just envelope liners. We also added a small panel of paper with satin ribbon to the invitation. The end result was breathtaking!


BEFORE - The entire invitation ensemble in alternating shades of green - as ordered.


AFTER - just the invitation and mailing envelope shown after adding custom touches.

These photos show how adding just a few simple touches can help achieve a unique custom look while sticking closer to the catalog pricepoint...and who doesn't love that?!

Custom Table Cards - with Pictures of Bride and Groom!

As I type this post - Lee and Mark are probably standing at the alter. And in a couple of hours, their guests are going to discover just how much time and detail was put into the reception accessories.

For the tables, Lee wanted to incorporate a photo of her and Mark. They have traveled extensivly and definitely have the photos to prove it! She decided that instead of the traditional "Table 1", "Table 2" , "Table 3" , etc. - she wanted to name each table after a place they had traveled or a tradition that they share and include a photo specific to the subject. Although it was alot of work on our end to lay out every single card, photo, title and description - Lee was super organized and sent us everything in a manner that made it as easy as possible. When we start our "Real Brides" monthly blog next month, you will be hearing more about them and just how much we enjoyed working with them. For now, here are a couple of pictures of how the table cards and place cards turned out.

To tie everything into the place cards, Lee and Mark carefully selected a unique phrase suitable to the location or event to indicate which table each guest was seated at. For example, guests seated at the Central Park table found their names on a place card which said "Your destination is Central Park" while cards for guests seated at The Hong Kong Bar table said "join us for a drink at The Hong Kong".

Lee and Mark - Congrats! The sun is shining and it is far warmer than the 20 degree blustery winter day you expected. We can't wait to hear how everything turned out!

Custom Envelope Addressing

Reasons you might use to justify an expensive invitation purchase go something like this: "The invitation sets the tone for your event....", "The invitation is the first thing your guests see regarding your wedding..." blah blah blah. You get it. We get it.

But here's the thing - the invitation isn't your guests first glimpse into the wedding - the envelope is! So - it is important that you address your envelopes with care and style. Here are a couple of pictures from a recent holiday card mailing. By using the same motif and typestyle used on the holiday card, the envelope looks stunning. Yeah, these are my Christmas Cards - but we do this all the time for real clients too!

Gorgeous envelopes are just another reason to go with custom design! Let us design and print your envelopes for you:

• Address printed on back flap of invitation envelope - $.30
• Address printed on RSVP envelope - $.30
• Individual guest addresses printed on each invitation envelope - $1.00

Introducing...an even bigger selection.

With all the options that our custom designs offer alongside our decent catalog collection, we are often told that our invitation selection is great. But we don't want to be great - we want to be the best! And so in an effort to achieve the best invitation selection in town, Stacy and I have carefully selected additional invitation catalogs showcasing new vendors, new styles and new price points! In addition to the extensive line of Carlson Craft and McPhereson invitations we have always carried, we are happy to bring you 7 new catalogs - 4 of which are extremely budget and enviromentally friendly. This list highlights some of our wedding catalogs and the price point for each.

• Affordably Inviting - $, $$ - A variety of economical layout options including Seal 'n Sends, Sep 'n Sends, and Z-Cards. Choose from a great selection of layouts and designs. Coordinating accessories help create a beautiful wedding at an affordable price.
• Blue Book by Carlson Craft - $, $$ - Large selection of moderately-priced ensembles with a wide range of styles from traditional to contemporary.
• Bridal Collection - $, $$ - Large selection of moderately-priced ensembles with a wide range of styles from traditional to contemporary.
• By Request - $$, $$$ - Seasonal and Destination themes with coordinating Save the Dates for each ensemble!
• Candlelight - $$, $$$ - Classic Wedding ensembles with a variety of invitation wording layouts and monogram designs for endless customization.
• Diamond Collection - $, $$ - Large selection of moderately-priced ensembles with a wide range of styles from traditional to contemporary.
• ES Wedding Collection - $$$$, $$$$$ - A timeless collection of classy, elegant, and modern styles. Now includes a selection of letterpress invitations.
• Exclusive Collection II - $$$, $$$$ - The Exclusive Collection II™ Wedding features an array of incredible designs. This album presents 21 ensembles, each with 15 coordinating pieces. Customize any design by changing the colors!
• Expressions of Love - $$$$, $$$$$ - A multitude of exquisite domestic and imported papers and fabrics are meticulously arranged with original embossing, translucent overlays, tasteful appliqués and unique type formats. Includes a selection of eye-catching designs with a pocket for the enclosures.
• Naturally Ever After - $$, $$$ - Where Weddings and Nature Meet! This collection combines stunning, nature inspired artistry with richly textured, colorful papers.
• Paper Duvet - $$, $$$ - This versatile album allows you to mix-and-match paper colors and styles to create unique invitations for any event. Includes a selection of wraps and pockets.
• Pockets (Carlson Craft) - $$$, $$$$ - Large selection of Pocketfold Invitations in a variety of colors and styles. Mix and match colors and layouts to create a pocketfold unique to you!
• Something Different - $$, $$$ - Truly unique invitations and accessories. Bold colors and styles, with a few traditional designs mixed in.
• Timeless Love Collection - $$$, $$$$ - Large selection of moderately-priced ensembles with a wide range of styles from traditional to contemporary. Now includes customizable pocketfolds!
• TRU Expressions - $$$, $$$$ - Modern and contemporary colors and styles.
• TRU Flowers - $$$, $$$$ - Collections featuring, roses, calla lilies, daisies, and more!
• TRU Seasons & Destinations - $$$, $$$$ - Featuring Fall and Winter seasonal themes, and destinations such as beach/tropics and Las Vegas.
• TRU Sophistication - $$$, $$$$ - A bit of color and a touch of fun - perfect for the elegant contemporary couple!

Budget Points*:
$ = Less than $1.00
$$ = $1.00 to $3.00
$$$ = $3.00-$5.00
$$$$ = $5.00-$7.00
$$$$$ = More than $7.00
* Based on 100 quantity invitations with black ink.

That's gonna cost how much to mail?!?!?!?

Before you mail your invitations, prepare yourself for a little bit of 'sticker shock'. The cost of postage can be pretty darn expensive! I'm sure you’ve heard "Stay away from square"...but these days, postage is not figured so much on the size of the envelope as it is the weight and thickness. Even if you rule out square invitations (in which you'd be ruling out some of the cutest options out there...) you might find that by the time you stuff your envelopes and have them weighed, they will cost the same as – if not more than – mailing a square envelope.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to postage:

• Take a fully assembled invitation and all components of the ensemble (including a stamped RSVP envelope) to the post office and have it weighed and measured. This extra step is less of an inconvenience than having to re-address and re-postage all new outer envelopes if they get returned due to insufficient postage. Don’t assume you are within guidelines just because you weighed it at work! The size and thickness of the envelope matter too.
• Get Creative with Stamps. Your local post office may not have a huge selection of stamps – especially in the higher postage range. Don’t settle – be sure to check out www.usps.com for a full selection of stamps available. Stamps are shipped right to your door for just $1.00. There are also other places such as www.zazzle.com where you can customize stamps with your pictures or themes for an extra charge.
• Keep it simple. If the postage rate for your ensemble costs more than the first class rate, carefully choose the combination of stamps that you use. You have already spent time and money to properly address your envelopes…. 4 different stamps totaling $.81 isn’t going to look stunning next to calligraphy or even your best handwriting. In the picture above, this bride paid the extra $.03 to be able to place two coordinating $.42 stamps on her outer envelopes which kept her envelope from looking ‘junky’. Nobody likes to throw money away, but in the scheme of things, 100 invitations with $.03 extra postage totals only $3.00.
• Stamp your RSVP Envelopes for your guests. Accurate guest counts are important. The RSVP envelope should always be stamped and addressed to you or whomever is tracking your responses.

Is all this postage killing your invitation budget? Here are a few suggestions for keeping on track.

• Substitute formal RSVP sets with RSVP postcards.
• Elect flat response cards and reception cards when possible. Folded note style cards are not necessary in these instances and will just add bulk and weight to your ensemble. If the invitation you select only comes with folded cards, consider cutting them in half just below the fold. The side removed can easily be used for place cards later on down the road.
• Send ‘seal-n-send’or ‘sep-n-send’ invitations. Not only do these mail at regular postage and have postcard response options – they save trees!
  
  
  
  

Fa la la la la....

Stacy said that if I write a blog today, we can put the Christmas tree up. So here's the blog - enjoy!

If your wedding is in March, April, May or June...

...and you are thinking about custom design, hurry in to meet with us! We can officially say that the move to Graham Road has paid off! We have experienced a record number of deposits for 2009 and are getting close to filling up for Spring and early Summer weddings.

Remember, all of our custom designs are made in our studio - by hand - by Stacy and I. We only have a certain number of hours per week to dedicate to production. Inevitably, there are periods of time that book up quickly each year which prevents us from accepting additional orders. Again, this year we have toyed with the idea of hiring someone - but again, we have decided that what makes us 'us' and what sets us apart from our competition, is the comfortable atmosphere of our studio and the fact that we are just two sisters - involved in each order we accept every step of the way. Every email, every phone call, every print run, every part of the assembly. Add another person to the mix, and we lose that. We don't want to risk losing that just yet!

If you want to check on your date, feel free to call us! We'd be happy to meet with you at any time during our scheduled studio hours to discuss your options. Please note that appointments are suggested. Evening and weekend hours tend to be pretty busy and we'd hate to be occupied with other clients if you stop in without an appointment. Schedule a consultation by calling us at 330-945-6914 or fill out our contact form here.

Steph

To Handwrite or Not to Handwrite....

With traditional stationery etiquette quickly becoming a ‘thing of the past’, it is no surprise that ‘properly addressing an envelope’ is a hot topic during our consultations. We value short-cuts just as much as you do…but this is not an area you should skimp on time. Though it may seem silly to you, guests will scoff at a tacky envelope!

Professional Calligraphy
According to traditional etiquette, handwritten professional calligraphy is the only acceptable method of addressing an envelope. Hand Calligraphy is quickly becoming a lost art, making it difficult to track down a professional calligrapher at a reasonable cost. You shouldn’t be at all surprised if the cost for calligraphy services exceeds the cost of the invitation ensemble itself!

At one of last years bridal shows, we met a woman who has such a passion for the art that she does it as a hobby and charges a very reasonable price. Though she only offers non-script hand calligraphy, her style is beautiful and her attention to detail precise! Guest addresses are $1.25 each and Return addresses & Response envelope addresses are $.85 each. The turnaround time is 1-2 weeks, depending on the size of the order. Here is a sample of her work:




Handwritten
Most of our clients approach the invitation process with the assumption that they will handwrite the addresses – and most don’t approach that idea with much enthusiasm! Addressing your own envelopes is the next best thing to professional calligraphy. Make sure you set aside plenty of time, and order extra envelopes for the inevitable writing errors!

Most of the envelopes we use in our designs are metallic, thus, they have a smooth and shiny texture to them. Surprisingly, ballpoint pens work best on the metallic envelopes. Any standard calligraphy pen or water-based pen takes extra time to dry and may smudge easily. This will be a very tedious process so be sure to test out several different options to find a pen or marker that you feel comfortable working with.

Computer Calligraphy
Computer printed calligraphy is quickly replacing hand calligraphy. Though a computer addressed envelope lacks the charm of a hand written envelope, it can coordinate with the typestyle of your invitation bringing an element of design to the ensemble. We offer computer calligraphy on all of our custom designs. The catalogs that we carry have even started offering computer calligraphy which just goes to show you how high the demand is. If I had to guess, I would say that approximately 80% of our clients choose computer addressing. Not only does coordinating the font of your invitation with your envelope looks polished and professional ….it will save you time. If we print your addresses and you pay for response envelope stamps, we will actually stamp and stuff your entire invitation ensemble! Now that’s what we call ‘taking care of our clients’!

Labels
Applying pre-printed address labels is the only absolute no-no under both traditional and modern etiquette. Your guests will think it’s tacky…and we do too! There is a reason why catalog companies include address printing in the cost of the response card and charge a very nominal fee to print the back flap of the invitation envelope – they don’t want you to use labels either! Still, if you find yourself in a situation where you must do the unthinkable, we suggest using clear matte or gloss labels and only do so only for repetitive addresses.

Menu Cards

"Menus...should I use them"? We seem to be getting this question quite a bit lately!

Considering that the majority of your wedding budget goes toward food and drink, it's no wonder you are thinking about just how to let your guests know the delicious choices they have. Not only will you spend a lot of time deciding what types of food to serve...you have to choose how to serve it! Whether you choose Family Style, Buffet, Plated or the increasingly popular Food Stations, a properly placed menu will add to the anticipation of your event. Below is a list of each and our suggestion for how and when to include them.




Family Style - We suggest placing 1 or 2 menus at each table for guests to pass around and share - just like the food! You could also send a menu card with the invitation ensemble, or place one at each place. Keep in mind, the table will get rather crowded once the food is served so the less you add to the tables beforehand, the better!

Buffet - For Buffet style dinners, we favor menus at each place setting. What a great way to incorporate beautiful papers with shine and texture to your table scape! You could also have a small card with a food description placed near each item on the buffet line. We strongly suggest doing so if you are serving ethnic cuisine. You could still send a menu with the invitation ensemble, but with the many choices buffets offer, the card could get pretty lengthy.

Plated - Or some might say: "a response card nightmare"! Relax, we have this one under control! Most couples serving plated dinners at their reception offer meal choices on the reply card as this helps their caterers prepare the correct number of each offering. Unfortunately, response cards are often crammed for space and your exquisite "Center Cut Filet Mignon", "Pan Seared Wild Salmon", and "Chicken Francaise" get represented as: "Beef", Fish", and "Chicken". Our solution? Include a menu with the invitation. You can either double side your response card and put the menu on the back, or include the menu as a piece of the ensemble. This will help your guests make their choices and leave them excited to see the other fine details you have incorporated into the reception. You could also leave a menu at each table or even each place setting to better describe the food they will be served.

Food Stations - Food stations are a great way to incorporate themed food or break up the traditional "table-dismissal-buffet-monotony". I will never forget the wedding I attended a few years back where six entirely different cultures were represented at six different food stations. It was a great way to learn about and try new foods but I am a picky eater and thankfully a menu was on display at each station. You could also include a menu card at each place setting or at each table describing the different stations and perhaps why you chose them. And as with any other type of reception, it would be just fine to include a menu card within your invitation ensemble.

All this talk about food and now my stomach is growling! Time for lunch! No need for a menu...its a boring Lean Cusine....

Steph

This Just In - Holiday Cards!!

We decided to give something a try this year - and we could not be more excited to share it with you. We have added 8 catalogs of holiday cards!! These are not your average holiday cards either! From formal corporate cards to family photo cards to funky personal greetings, these catalogs are guaranteed to get you excited to send out cards this year! I have picked my (15) favorites - so I am sure you will find at least one!

We are trying it out to see how it goes - so tell your friends, family, co-workers and bosses! We are offering 30% off all holiday card purchases through November 15th!! This is a huge savings off the book price. If you get your order in early enough, you may just get free return addressing on your envelopes!


Steph

Friends and Family Grand Opening

So we figured it would be easiest to invite our closest family members and friends to see the studio all at once instead of just letting them pop in from time to time. Don't get me wrong, we love visitors - but as much as I love to talk, I do actually get tired of telling the same story over and over.

What could be better than Food, Wine, Family and Friends? The turnout was bigger than we expected - thankfully I always 'overbuy' for parties so we did not run out of anything. I want to give a special thanks to Alyssa and Pete for helping us with everything. With moving on the 6th it was alot of work to get everything ready for the party. Those two ran errands, helped make food and really just made sure everything came together at the last minute. I know she hates when I mention this - but their friendship is a special blessing to me! Alyssa and Pete were clients of ours for their October 2007 wedding. After our first meeting, I just knew that Alyssa is the long lost friend I never got to have in high-school and I am so happy that we met! Happier yet that they are about to have a baby around Christmas time!

Here are a few pics of how the evening turned out.....

The signs were done just in the knick of time!


<
Some of the food - and the cutest cookies in the world. These cookies came from SugarHouse Cakes and Cookies and they have our logo on them!


Alyssa and Baby Currie putting the finishing touches on something food related, Stephanie and her husband Dave, Stephanie and Stacy in front of delicious cookies , and finally an early toast with Debbie and her mom from Crains Creative Occassions (they sublet from within our studio)and our friend Katie.

My dad took a ton of pictures after the party actually started - hopefully he will get those to me soon and I can post more!

Thanks to everyone who came out to support us. You have no idea how much it means to have such encouraging and supportive friends and family!

Stephanie

Grand Opening - Open House

Just wanted to let everyone know that we are having our

Grand Opening Open House
Saturday, October 11th from 10-8
AND
Sunday, October 12th from 10-6

**We will be handing out coupons good for discounts on both catalog order AND custom design!!!**

As you may know, the Today's Bride Bridal Show is at the Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls that same Sunday from 10-4. We will have free tickets to the show at our open house so swing by Saturday (or Sunday before you head to the show) and pick them up. The latest TB magazine which comes out the beginning of October will be yours for the taking as well!!

We hope that you will use the casual setting of that weekend to stop in and check out all that we have to offer. Our custom work will be on display (as always) and catalog pages ready for turning! We will also be scheduling appointments for brides who wish to return at a 'quieter' time to further discuss their invitation needs.

Don't be shy! Come and meet us. We are sure you will find our studio to be a one-stop-shop for all of your invitation needs!!

Steph

Paper Persuasions Remodel

Well....better late than never, right? As promised, here are a few before and after shots of the new studio. We were still in the process of finishing a few things when these were taken - but it was late enough in the process that you should be able to get a feel for the amount of work we put in to this place! All in all, we kept with the same feel as our studio on Front Street - same color scheme, stainless steel display boards and lime green as an accent.

Steph

Bigger News!

Two posts in one week. Scary!

Can you believe we have more big news?!?

After much deliberation, we have decided to change our business name from Simple Persuasions to Paper Persuasions, LLC. There is a big long-winded story behind it (isn't there always with me?) and if you ever want to know, you'll have to ask us in person.

We have been toying with the idea for quite some time and have finally made it official with the State of Ohio...so now we can make it official with you too!

There are many reasons why we like this name better - but above all, it indicates that we are affiliated with paper. We also have designed a logo this time around (it's about time!) and are excited to start using it.



Steph

Road Kill

So...we haven't been so good at keeping up with the blogging. Since we signed the new lease back in July, our time has been divided between remodeling the Graham Rd. studio and keeping up with client orders at the Front St. studio. There is no point to this blog other than to share one of the funniest moments in our last few months.

We have put so much labor into getting our new space the way we imagine it....which of course includes trips to IKEA. If you have ever been in our studio, you know that we display our custom work on stainless steel magnetic boards. The six boards that we have at Front St. are no match for the huge increase in display area at Graham Rd....so we need to increase our display boards by ALOT.

So...we head up to IKEA. We planned to take my husbands truck, but something was wrong with the brakes and I didn't feel safe driving it. (It turns out that the ABS sensors had some rust on them which was tricking the truck into thinking that the ABS needed to kick in - which caused a sensation much like ...um...the brakes were going out?! Pretty scary feeling.) So...we take Stacy's super gas-efficient Yaris. Huge difference in cargo room....but we figure 'it's IKEA, we can fit alot'.

First thing on the agenda - pick up the magnetic boards so we know how much room is left. We bickered as to how many we needed - I said 50 , she said 30. We find the magnetic boards and determine that IKEA has 41 of them in stock. The bickering was over - #41 is my favorite DMB song, so 41 it is! We proceed to purchase the boards and load up Stacy's trunk. We managed to squeeze all 41 of them into the truck which leaves the entire back seat for more stuff! Yay! Time to shop some more.

We pick up a few other odds and ends which comfortably fit in the back seat and we head home. All in all we were in IKEA for a mere 3.5 hours - pretty remarkable for us! We are on our way back and hear a shuffling in the trunk. All of a sudden Stacy calmly says "Um, my trunk just flew open and boards are flying out the back". I (not-so-calmly) exclaim "Pull over!Pull over". She does. We get out and see the highway behind us scattered with magnetic boards. Can we save them? I think so....so I begin running down the side of the highway and dodging oncoming traffic to try to pick them up. All in all, we only lost 4 of them...and only one actually got run over. I managed to pick them all up but they were too badly scratched to be salvaged.

Most people would be angry I suppose, but Stacy and I laughed. Hard. In fact, we laughed harder at this mishap than we have laughed in a long long time. Perhaps the stress of our 'moving' situation in general made this seem like a joke...but I have a feeling it was more the image of me running down the highway collecting boards.

***Before and After Pics Coming Soon!***

Big News!

So....today is Stacy's 28th birthday and although that is news, it's not the BIG news we want to share with you. We've decided to pick this day to announce that we are going to be moving to a larger location!!!!! We are quite excited to share with you that we will be moving from our 1000 SF Front St. studio to a 2000 SF studio on Graham Road. And even more excited to announce that we will be sharing a shopping plaza with Wishes & Whims Bridal Shop, Riverfront Photography, Just Perfect Video and other area businesses. This plaza is quickly becoming a 'one-stop-shop' for local brides. We signed our lease a couple of weeks ago but will not be making the move until Sept/Oct. We will be spending the next few months remodeling the new place to our liking. Keep your eyes open for some before and after shots once the work begins!

Steph

Spring Recap

We have been so busy. Busy is good...but it keeps me putting things on the back burner - like blogging. Since we have been so slow to update our website with new pictures, I figured I would post some pictures of a few of the orders that have been keeping us busy all spring and early summer.


This was one of our favorite custom designs. The bride emailed me from out of state and was having a hard time finding the perfect invitation. Her colors were pink and black and she wanted to work with stripes and polka dots. She wanted to blend classic with contemporary and was absolutely about to give up. She was on a budget...and we were able to incorporate all elements she wanted and still come in about 30% under budget. She absolutely loved the invitations and so did her guests! We did too...we actually used some of the images in our spring mailing.

Pink and Black Wedding Invitation - Dots and Stripes order sample here

This order was for a Akron/Canton area client. When we first met, she wasn't sure about what type of invitation she wanted. She did know that her wedding colors were Silver and Purple and that she was going for somewhat of a "Fairy-Tale" theme. She loved the pocketfolds and wanted to incorporate a simple monogram. Her guest count was huge so this order spent plenty of time in our production schedule!

Silver Pocketfold with Purple and White accents - Wedding Invitations




This was one of our spring favorites! The bride was an Art Major and wanted something that reflected her unique style. Her colors were pink and green. We especially loved that she went with a light green text panel and mailing envelopes. This order was adorable and perfectly reflected her style.

Hot Pink Pocketfold with Lime Green/Paisley accents - Wedding Invitations

order a sample of this invitation here.




These pictures are of a sample invitation that we made for a wedding planner that we work with in the Miami, Florida area - B'Dazzled Creations by Rosiet. The bride was not sure what color scheme or style she wanted to settle on but she was dead set on the monogram.

Brown 4x9 Pocket with Lime accents / Brown Pocketfold with Champagne accents

After all the hype at January's Bridal Show, we were expecting Yellow and Orange to make a bigger presence this year. This was our only Orange/Yellow combo so far this season but it turned out amazingly beautiful. The bride was a high-school classmate of mine. She was looking for something totally unique but classy. I sent her several different samples in many different colors and she kept going back to this one. We say "Good choice Elizabeth"!

Yellow/Orange Pocketfold Invitation with Paisley Pattern - Wedding Invitation

Here are a couple of fall themed invitations we did for two different brides. Upon their initial consultations, both knew that they wanted to carry the fall theme (leaves) through their invitations and both wanted square pocketfolds. These pictures really illustrate how we can take two very similar requests and turn them into something unique for each of our clients.
Chocolate Brown and Gold / Copper Pocketfold Invitations with leaves - Fall Wedding Invitations order sample here

Chocolate Brown and Red Pocketfold Invitations - Wedding Fall Theme

And last - but certainly not least - Accessories. Enjoy these last few pictures of accessories that coordinated perfectly with the clients' custom made invitations.


Tiffany Blue/Chocolate Brown Programs. Tiffany Blue Table Cards and Place Cards



Black and White Table Cards, Place Cards, Programs.

So there you have it. A small sampling of what we have been working on lately. I assure you, this is just a small piece of the production schedule. We have a ton more pictures of jobs and we hope that we can update a little more frequently.

THANK YOU!

A heartfelt "thank you" to each and every one of our fabulous clients - and their friends and families - who took the time to vote for us! We are ever so honored to be voted the #1 Invitationists in the Akron/Canton area. Yay!

Vote for us!

Hello! I cannot believe it has been over 1 month since my last blog! I find myself thinking of topics to blog about frequently so I guess it seems to me like I blog more often than I do. Truth be told, we have been so busy this year that I just have not had the time to sit down and write! Worse things could happen, right?!?

We are honored to have been nominated in the "Best of Invitations" category for the Akron/Canton Hotlist. If you are impressed with the service and or products you received from us PLEASE click here to vote for us!! Be sure to leave a comment after you vote! We appreciate your support and are amazed everyday at where this journey is taking us!

Stephanie

Are you Custom or are you Catalog?

If you find yourself asking "What exactly are the differences between Custom Invitations and Catalog Invitations", you better read this blog!

A Catalog Invitation comes from just that....a catalog. When shopping Catalog Invitations you get to lug around heavy over-sized books containing mass produced invitations. When you find an invitation that you like - you better like it pretty much how it is, because most of the time you can't change a thing about it - other than the ink color and envelope liner. Now, I don't know about you, but I have received quite a few invitations in my time. Can I recall which invitation belonged to which wedding? Nope. Not even the tacky ones. Why? Because more or less - they all looked the same. In the last few years some catalog lines have added more 'unique' styles and a few semi-custom options but overall the selections are still pretty limited. Oh, and now you can shop Catalog Invitations on-line. This luxury eliminates the heavy over-sized books but the above mentioned limitations on design are ever present.

A Custom Invitation comes from your imagination. If your imagination isn't so great, we can loan you ours free of charge. When you meet with us to discuss Custom Design, we're gonna ask you a few questions about your event. It's not that we are nosey or anything - its that we are using your answers, your personalities, and the details that you speak of , to start formulating a design. We have plenty of samples on display in our Studio and those might help you narrow down a specific style that you adore. And you know what? We can take that style and we can make it truly unique to your event by allowing you to work with over 200 different colors and textures. Sound a bit complicated to you? Don't worry - it's not! We've gotten pretty good at this and we will steer you in the right direction. Oh, and you'll be quite pleased when your guests leave little comments on the reply cards about how awesome your invitations are. Just think - if they are jazzed up about the invitations, imagine how excited they will be to see the rest of your day unfold.

I guess the bottom line is this: We've got the best of both worlds. If you are on the fence about going Catalog or going Custom, schedule a free one hour consultation with us. You can view our catalog lines and you can see our custom work- side by side. We will work with you and your budget to determine the right fit for you. We are not pushy salespeople, I promise. We just want you to find the perfect invitation for your event.

Check your Mailboxes

Our latest batch of promos went out on Wednesday. We hit over 200 brides with wedding dates between mid-July and August. We typically receive an overwhelming response since they are what one bride said- "the most beautiful piece of marketing mail I have ever received". We've been sending these out for the last year and a half or so.

In case you are wondering how we get your information, I will tell you. When you attend a Bridal Show, your information is shared with the vendors at that show. We do a few bridal shows a year so we obtain brides from all different walks of life. If you do not want your information to be shared with the vendors, then you need to indicate that when you register for the show. If you do not wish to receive further correspondence from us, then you need to let us know. It costs money to market - and believe me, we don't want to waste that money on you if you don't wish to be marketed to!

On Thursday, I had an upset bride-to-be leave me the nastiest voice mail I have ever received. In the 57 second message, she screamed and she cussed and it was all because she got one of our promos in the mail. It's quite hard for me to imagine that a piece of such beautiful mail inspired such rage - but it did. Her number came over on caller-id, so I did call her back. I just wanted to let her know that we don't buy her information (as she claimed ) and that really , we are the two nicest girls in the world and it was going to bother me the rest of the night that we upset her so badly.

I guess the point is this: If you got one of our promotional pieces and you are upset - I am sorry! I can't help but think there might be other brides out there who feel the same way this one did but that don't have the guts to speak out. Stacy and I can't stand the thought of bothering anybody. We are just two girls who are trying to find a balance with successful marketing. We don't buy your information, we don't sell your information, we just want to try to get the word out about the great services that we offer because every bride needs invitations in some form or another!

To Better Serve You...

If you've ever met us and heard about how our business was started, then you probably know that we never in a million years expected it to get this big. We have been incredibly blessed as we have met many interesting people and made several great friends. We never set out to enter the wedding industry but now that we are in it, we can't get enough of it. Still, we feel a little 'under-educated' compared to some of the wedding vendors that have been in the industry for years.

We have decided to become certified wedding planners. The University of Akron is offering an 11 week course in conjunction with the Wedding Planning Institute in Chicago. We are super excited to be able to learn more about weddings in general.

Do we plan to go into the planning side of the business? That remains to be seen. We don't expect to - but we never expected to be doing what we are doing now either! For now, we are going into this just hoping that we can be a better source of knowledge for our brides and hoping that we absorb as much about weddings as possible. Wish us luck. Me especially - I am not the college type!

Stephanie

Why choose Simple Persuasions for your Custom Invitations?

* No color is too funky...no style is too strange. With us, you simply get what you want.
* We enjoy what we do and we're passionate about each and every invitation we make.
* We communicate well and we will exceed your expectations (our clients throughout the United States and Canada repeatedly tell us so).
* Many of our custom designs are priced comparatively to catalog invitations of similar styles.
* We work with you, one-on-one, to achieve a final product that introduces your event perfectly
* Pockets...Pockets...Pockets!!! You want 'em, we've got 'em. We have over 200 colors and 18 Pocket Sizes to mix and match!

You might remember seeing a big display board with this same information at our booth at the Today's Bride Bridal Show. Funny story about that. We were supposed to have a 10ft booth and so we prepared for a 10ft booth with this years theme that 'less is more". When we showed up at JSK for our 2 hour set up period, we learned that we were actually upgraded to a corner booth. This is when "less is more" started looking like "less is not enough to make a display". We were thrilled at the upgrade but Stacy had the flu and so I had less than 16 hours to figure out what we were going to fill the booth with, make the stuff to fill the booth with, get a good nights sleep and eat. Needless to say, this big cheesy foam board took up a good chunk of the corner. Little did I know when I emailed the file to Kinko's and told them what I wanted that the darn thing would end up costing more than $100.00. We planned to throw it away - but at that cost, we will hang on to it again...just in case.

Thank you!

Never in my life did I imagine the amount of success we have achieved by showing our products at the Today's Bride Bridal Shows. I cannot put into words how wonderful it feels to wake up and come to work on a Monday after the show. Today was no exception.

We had many wonderful encounters at our booth yesterday. The sheer number of brides who stopped by to introduce themselves and schedule consultations blew us away. We had no idea that so many of you visit our website frequently to use it as a resource when planning for invitations. We were especially amazed at the number of brides and moms who came by to see our work in person or to tell us that they received one of our invitations in the mail and that it was the most beautiful they had ever seen. We are humbled. We truly are.

I feel as if this years show marks the beginning of a new chapter for us. It's only been a couple of years since we converted from a home-based business to a studio/storefront....and I am continually amazed at the demand for our product.

So thank you...to each and every one of you who took the time to visit us yesterday. I'd especially like to thank Alyssa for all of her help. Alyssa has become a great friend - but before she was a friend she was a client who married in October (her invitation was the chocolate and moss pocketfold). She actually volunteered to stand on her feet for 8 hours to help us out. There is no greater compliment than a client who believes in what we do and wants to help us share that with other brides.

I look forward to getting to know many of you better and helping you create the invitation of your dreams!

Stephanie (and Stacy too!)