What’s new in wedding paper?

Explore These Top Stationery CompaniesBy Allison Kline, MWP™, sash&bow, Little Suamico, Wis. photos courtesy of carlson craftWorking with paper is one of the many joys of wedding planners who have added this product to their service line. Seeing the couple’s faces when they open their box of invitations and view the completed suite is almost as exciting as showing them the fabulous reception room you’ve created just for them. Creating the room and finding the perfect vendors is an amazing feeling but bringing stationery into that brings it full circle. Showing couples how we can create, on paper, the feel and emotion they want to convey is incredible. Whether you are new to selling stationery or a seasoned pro, it’s important to know what companies to explore and what are the top invitation trends. Here are some new highlights and offerings from some amazing companies.Kleinfeld Paper Relatively new to the stationery arena, this company debuted its fourth collection at the National Stationery Show in New York in May. They have a beautiful invitation collection with a variety of papers from which to select and full suites to create a theme for the entire event. Kleinfeld Paper’s albums are well-designed and user-friendly. They offer a variety of elegant trends and themes.CheckerboardFor more than 25 years, Checkerboard has continued offering elegance and sophistication with all of its invitation lines. Recently, they released a complete letterpress album titled “Impressed.” Its designs are beautiful and priced well. Checkerboard continues to be a trendsetter for sophistication, style, color palettes, and themes. Their online dealer resources site and addressing online website are top notch. If your bride doesn’t want calligraphy-addressed envelopes, this is an amazing option. The company’s addressing service is prompt, accurate, and fast. Checkerboard’s promise is: unbeatable craftsmanship, superior quality, and outstanding value for your dollar. The company offers exceptional products with fantastic service for a great price.StationeryHQAn online wholesale manufacturer for stationery needs, StationeryHQ offers printing for your graphic-designed creations—including foil and digital letterpress printing techniques with many different paper types and sizes, as well as envelope liners and other media types. The company has quality customer service and a quick turnaround for your custom designs. To expand its color options, the company has partnered with Waste Not Paper. They now offer variable data printing that is perfect for envelope addressing and creating place cards and menus. If you don’t see something on the website that works with what you have designed, StationeryHQ will work with you on a custom creation.Carlson Craft Wedding Luxury is a new line from Carlson Craft. It offers foil stamping, letterpress, laser cut, and premium board. The line has matching accessory pieces and many themes. The company continues to come out with traditional, budget, and on-trend albums every year. They are a great company to have in your collection of offerings. They also offer print fulfillment service where you create and they bring it to life. This gives you the total custom option for your customers with a high quality outcome.Simply PersonalThis company is a graphic design and custom invitation studio that supports creative needs nationwide. This past year, Simply Personal reduced its price to become a dealer with their company. They are offering a 10-year anniversary special of just $99 for start up investment to be a dealer. Additional options include: a design-of-the-month printed sample ($9.99 per month) and a co-branded website with your logo ($19.99 per month). The company’s Design Matrix is a convenient tool that’s easy as picking your colors and then creating all of their design offerings in your palette. It is great as the couple gets to see the stationery in their colors. Simply Personal is also able to design and create anything you have in mind.As trends change in stationery, we move further from the etiquette once demanded at formal events. Yet it remains important to keep the formality of the invitation itself and to consider the impression it gives when a guest opens it. Stay current on the trends and remember that first impressions can make all of the difference. ••