Calluna Events is excited to be doing a series of Vendor Spotlights on the blog….so stay tuned as some great vendors give us a glimpse into what makes their company tick.
First up on the list is The Paper Guppy. Maura, owner and founder of the company, has over 8 years of extensive graphic design background with a concentration in print. She graduated from Syracuse University, Newhouse School of Communications with a bachelor’s degree in visual communications. Below is her interview with Calluna Events:
1. Name of business: The Paper Guppy
2. Years in business: 6
3. Location: Denver, Colorado
4. Most memorable project: Hmm. Tough choice. I would have to say Sydney and Chad (silk bound book cover with ribbon belly band woven through to hold the enclosures). It was unlike anything that I’ve ever done and I loved the challenge. Sydney also had a great appreciation for the materials we used so I was able to work with some of the finest paper, ribbon and book cloth available. 
5. I love it when a bride and groom are...creative and unique. Since I design custom invitations, I like when clients come up with something new and different as opposed to picking an invitation from my portfolio and modifying it to fit their needs.
6. Favorite part of designing invitations is…Weddings now, more than ever, are completely tailored to each couple. So, I get to work on so many unique themes every year. Before designing wedding invitations, I was a corporate graphic designer and eventually it just felt like I was doing the same thing every day. With custom wedding invitations the designs are endless, one day I’ll be working on a fly fishing theme and the next day will be lavender and honey bees.
7. Our favorite kind of bride is…I’ll have to cheat and use a duplicate answer – creative and unique!
8. What sets us apart from other stationers is…I have a degree in graphic design and I typically do all of my own illustrations – so I’m not just limited to what’s available in clip art. I also like to work with couples from start to finish on all of their stationery. So, once we have a design in place I will carry it through to all of the other printed pieces (programs, menus, thank you notes, welcome basket items etc.) I want every couple that I work with to have materials that match throughout so if they’d like me to lay something out that they will print themselves or whip up a quick graphic for a custom water bottle that they are getting – I’m more than happy to do it.
9. Trends we are seeing for 2010 are…Definitely invitation packages that are coordinated but not necessarily matched exactly all the way through. Maybe it’s the use of different color card stock for the envelope or an enclosure, or perhaps a custom envelope liner with the couple’s names, or even vintage postcards with rubber stamped text instead of reply cards. A little bit of whimsy to break up the traditional.
10. One tip for invitations on a budget is…Oh, I have a few, but definitely mixed printing — offset/flat printed invitation envelope and response envelope with a letterpress printed invitation an response card. And belly bands to wrap around the invitation and the enclosures to keep everything together instead of expensive folders.
11. Anything else you want people to know about The Paper Guppy? I love what I do. 🙂 I listen to every couple’s story and vision for their wedding day and then I bring in even the smallest detail so that they truly have an invitation ‘set.’
To find out more about Maura and The Paper Guppy, please visit their website!
Thanks for reading!
xo
Calluna Events
Colorado Wedding Planner
