How Stationery Loft Creates Invitations that Inspire
Artisan-craft stationery makes for an impactful moment for wedding guests; one where they feel a sense of welcoming and belonging. Wedding stationery comes in all forms — think invitations, seating charts, menus, and signage — and takes a keen eye to get it perfect and polished. Stationery Loft, Lakeland’s own stationery boutique, offers brides a place to ideate and craft a cohesive collection of wedding paper and printed goods.
[modula id=”26283″]
Founder Heidi Campbell developed a passion for stationery when, years ago, she made custom invitations for her family’s frequent theme parties. When she moved to Lakeland, she was dismayed to find no paper shops nearby at the right price point — so she decided to open one herself.
Heidi opened Stationery Loft on May 1, 2008. Nearly 15 years later, she owns and operates it alongside designer Kerrianne Hopkins. Together they create artwork, curate recommendations and customize stationery for clients to fit their vision.
The Lakelander sat down with Heidi to get some insight on her shop, its purpose, and why great paper is so important.
Q&A with Heidi Campbell, owner of Stationery Loft
Jenna Asks…
Tell me about the first steps you take with a client. What’s the first thing you do with a new client that might not know quite what they want?
Heidi Answers…
When someone finds us or decides to work with us, whether it’s for a wedding or a party, we encourage them to create a Pinterest board or some sort of documentation of what they like. This gives us an idea of the style, colors and overall vibe of the wedding. We go back-and-forth until we have a thorough understanding of their goals. From there, we start drafting.
Jenna Asks…
What do you think is the most important difference between Stationery Loft and just going online and ordering invitations?
Heidi Answers…
First of all, we save brides from themselves. They go online and see everything that’s available — they don’t know who to trust about etiquette and layout. Your wedding invitation is the most formal invitation you will ever mail out. It’s important you understand the weight of that and use correct etiquette and layout. Also, issues with printing and design are very common online. At Stationery Loft, brides can come in and we can work directly together to make sure everything looks perfect for them.
Jenna Asks…
What are some of the trends you see coming within stationery and wedding goods?
Heidi Answers…
Over the past few years, we’ve seen a swing into a vintage vibe – invitations on kraft paper, casual layouts, things like that. The pendulum is swinging more formally now. We’re seeing a lot more classic styles – like using wax-sealed envelopes. We’re seeing more delicate and feminine, like damask patterns, delicate florals, and lighter colors. People used to only make monograms – now they’re doing full-blown crests. Also, we’re seeing mixed mediums – people will take scans of flowers, place them on the invitations, and use both digital and raised prints in the same design.
Jenna Asks…
Why do people choose Stationery Loft over other vendors?
Heidi Answers…
Some people come to us simply because they need to get people to their wedding. Others come to us because they love paper — they understand how the quality sets the tone for the wedding. Just like how many couples will do the “First Look” on their wedding dress, the invitation is the first look at the wedding as a whole. It sets the expectation.
You want your guests to know that you’re welcoming them. Nobody wants their wedding to feel like an obligation. A well-made, high-quality invitation builds anticipation for the event and makes guests feel honored to attend.
Jenna Asks…
Are your clients all local? How do you cater to those who may not live nearby?
Heidi Answers…
Most are local, but we get a fair amount of people from Tampa and Orlando. There’s a little pocket of people that have found us in New York, South Carolina and Texas. For them, we’ll send photos and mockups back and forth. I’ll send them to paper shops in their towns to feel the paper we’re recommending for them. We’ve even done FaceTime walk-throughs of our shop. It’s a concierge service, really.
Jenna Asks…
What is your favorite trend in stationery right now?
Heidi Answers…
Letterpress is a print method done on a soft, thick paper in order to get luxurious, deep impressions. See photo on page 90.
Jenna Asks…
What’s a unique way you were able to help a client with their stationery process?
Heidi Answers…
We help a lot of brides who have had issues with other vendors. One evening, a bride brought in her invitations — only six weeks before her wedding. She had ordered them on Etsy, they arrived late, and they didn’t fit in the envelopes! She came into our shop just before we closed, sobbing. I stayed with her until 10:30 p.m. that night — we redesigned and reprinted the entire invitation ensemble. She left that night with beautiful invitations. There’s nowhere else she could’ve had that service other than a small, privately-owned stationer like us.