We always say that a couple’s wedding invitation should set the tone for the big day. Which is why for Andriana and Alexander’s wedding in Santorini, a city that exudes classic, traditional elegance, only a stunning script engraved atop our ecru paper will do. With the help of Bruce Ebling at Siegrist Engraving in Kansas City, the couple chose just that. Here, the seasoned stationer shares his opinion on invitation style and the bride talks about falling in love and finding “the one” (perfect invitation, that is).
The Bride: Andriana
Tell me about the process of choosing your wedding stationery—did you have something in mind and did that change?
Siegrist Engraving in Kansas City, Missouri was absolutely wonderful! Bruce Ebling was so accommodating and we had a fabulous time pouring over all possibilities before finding “the one.”
Describe the stationery you ended up with and why you fell in love with that design.
The invitations we selected were very classic and stunning. I immediately fell in love with these invitations! Our invitation created an atmosphere and inspired our selections for every last detail of the wedding. When I was first able to see my invitations and touch them, it almost brought me to tears because they were so gorgeous.
Was there anything about the process of choosing your stationery that you weren’t expecting?
I was not expecting to receive so many phone calls and compliments regarding the invitations. I thought they were amazing, but I did not expect that the invitations would make such an impression.
Do you have any advice for brides-to-be on the invitation/wedding stationery ordering process?
The wedding invitation is the first impression—your invitation creates an atmosphere for your wedding in the earliest stage. Selecting the right retailer and stationary is key—planning a wedding is stressful, so working with the right people will make all the difference!
Photo courtesy of George Pahountis.
Tell me about your wedding! What was your favorite moment?
Our wedding was magical. The ceremony took place at the Cathedral Church of Santorini at sunset overlooking the caldera and some of the most stunning views in the world. Thinking of it now, it still feels like a dream. My favorite moment was standing at the altar during the ceremony and, as we turned to the face our guests, I was overcome with emotion of the day. Through the cathedral doors I could see the sea…all I could think is remember this moment.
The Stationer: Bruce Ebling (pictured below with his brother, Frank), Siegrist
What questions do you always ask at that first meeting with a bride?
Is there any special type of invitation you are interested in having? It’s important to find out what the bride wants.
Tell me about your first meeting with this bride and a little about the process you went through to get to the final decision.
The first meeting was with the bride and her mother at our plant and offices. Here in Kansas City, the weddings that we do are “Classic” in nature rather than the more contemporary. I have actual invitations and the related reception cards, response cards and envelopes and the inside and outside envelopes mounted on black background boards.
When a bride comes in to look at invitations, I first will let them browse through the Crane Wedding book to get a feel for the style of lettering they might be interested in using. After we have done that, I will bring out my box of actual weddings and let them view those samples. Those mounted samples seem to be a big help in trying to decide the actual size of invitations that they might be interested in having.
What are some of the invitation design trends you’re seeing these days?
The weddings we sell here are for the most part just “classy, elegant and traditional” in nature. Wedding invitations should always be of fine quality and good taste.
What advice do you have for brides who are ready to make their first invitation appointment?
If they have any samples of invitations they like or have received, bring them along and I can tell them what type of stock is used and how they have been produced. It gives a good idea of the taste of what the bride is looking for in an invitation.
When it comes to choosing wedding invitations, how is today’s bride different from those five years ago?
All of the brides today prefer a single, heavy, invitation card rather than the very traditional side fold wedding sheets. A lot of brides coming in today are also looking for something “different and special.” And in many cases, after looking at the Crane Wedding book, and then seeing our selection of the more traditional invitations (mothers usually have some input at this point), the bride will select something a little more traditional.
We only sell Crane’s Wedding papers, and I tell each and every bride that the touch and feel of the 100% cotton papers are simply the best money can buy. When you pair that with an elegant type style and engrave it in black ink—it doesn’t get much better than that!
If you are a bride or a retailer who would like to have your Crane wedding invitations featured in our Real Weddings series, please email us at submissions@crane.com.