Vendor Spotlight: Ollie Designs + Papeterie
A few months back, I met Kelli with Ollie Designs + Papeterie at the Minnetonka Orchards Open House. When I stumbled upon her booth, I came across some the cutest wedding stationery... handmade by her! With that being said, I HAD to find out more about her and her biz...
Tell us about your business.
I started Ollie Designs + Papeterie Fall of 2015 while still working at my previous job. I took a leap of faith and left “the corporate world” and started Ollie Designs full-time January 1st, 2016. I’ve enjoyed every single minute of this journey and I look forward to growing not only as a business owner, but I look forward to future opportunities this business comes across!
My goal in starting this business was to alleviate the stress couples’ experience when tackling the task of “wedding stationery”. Everyone wants their invitations to be unique and different. Many clients try to avoid using an online vendor because they’ve seen so many of the same invitations come through the mail. However, when they try to take on the daunting task of DIY, figuring out the details becomes overwhelming which then takes away the excitement of it all.
That’s where I come in! I like to meet with clients and establish a connection so I can make sure that I am delivering exactly what they want.
What excites you most about the work you do?
I love the excitement of working with different people and hearing their stories! I love waking up every day and not having to do what I did the previous day – it’s always different and fun! When I meet with brides or couples who are completely stressed out, it makes me feel good that I can help alleviate that! Because everyone should be able to enjoy each step of planning a wedding.
What led you to the wedding industry, specifically?
I’ve been a freelance designer on the side for over 10 years. It wasn’t until I designed my own wedding invitations that I really got excited about doing it for other people!
Can you tell us about your packages and price point?
Pricing is completely dependent on what the couple is looking for. I really try to customize everything to fit within their budget. For a standard digital suite, pricing typically starts around $500, and as I get to know the couple better and understand what style they’re trying to accomplish, that’s when the price starts to fluctuate.
Anything else you want to share with us!?
The amazing thing about working as a professional stationer is that the sky is the limit! Anything you can imagine with paper, can be done! So it’s fun to get creative with clients because they’re really getting invitations that are completely their own. That’s why I try to encourage people to hire a professional designer instead of ordering them online. I also started doing more custom vinyl signs for weddings/events. It gives me something different to work with and it’s fun seeing my ideas come together!