As you decide on your date, venue, ceremony readings, music selections, and all the important people who will be involved in your big day, you should also be thinking about how you are going to display all these important decisions. Deciding on wedding stationery is an important part of the planning process that should not be overlooked! So what should your wedding program look like and what should be included in it? Dana from Epitome Papers explains how choosing the perfect wedding stationery and ceremony programs set the tone for your big day in this week’s V-O-W.
Q: What does Epitome Papers specialize in?
A: Epitome Papers is a stationery and gift store specializing in custom stationery, save the dates, wedding invitations, party invitations… all things paper. We also have an eclectic mix of gifts, beautiful stationery and printable invitations.
Q: What makes Epitome Papers stand out in terms of wedding paper/stationery?
A: Epitome Papers has a wide and varied selection of custom vendors offering the latest in design and printing processes. Thermography, engraving and letterpress all have unique properties that offer today’s couples many options to customize their wedding ensemble. We also have an incredibly talented graphic designer on staff who can work with the bride and groom to make their wedding suite truly one of a kind!
Q: When did Epitome Papers open?
A: Epitome started in the early seventies on Lake Street in Minneapolis by four young women. It began as a clothing store but quickly added stationery and gifts to the mix of merchandise. When the store moved to the Galleria in Edina, the paper and gift part of the business continued to grow. In 2006 Epitome Papers got it’s own storefront in the Galleria. In February of 2016, Epitome Papers was bought and relocated to Historic Downtown Excelsior, where it opened its doors on Water Street this past April. The legacy of a locally owned, women run business continues today.
Q: What do you love about working in the wedding industry?
A: Weddings are happy! Working with couples as they are starting their new lives together is a privilege. We get to know our couples as we work with them over several months and it’s fun to see how they collaborate and compromise. Watching their faces as they look at the final product is a tear filled moment for all involved.
Q: What’s an average day at Epitome Papers like?
A: The day begins by preparing for each appointment to make sure that we are prepared and ready when they walk in the door. We pride ourselves on our customer service and want all of our clients to have our undivided attention. Because we are a brick and mortar store, we are also busy checking in merchandise, stocking the shelves and assisting our walk in customers.
Q: What would you want a couple in the wedding planning process to know about wedding stationery?
A: As we always say, the invitation sets the tone for the wedding. It gets the party started the minute the envelope is opened! Some couples like to have all of the wedding stationery match starting with the save the date. There are no rules and your save the date can be fun and whimsical regardless of how formal your invitation is going to be. The possibilities for creating the perfect invitation are endless! We will help with wording, layout and the formalities once the order is ready to be placed. Depending on the printing process, engraving and letterpress take longer, the ordering process can take anywhere from 3-6 weeks. We recommend invitations get in the mail 6-8 weeks before the wedding. Epitome Papers can also assist in all the “Day Of” pieces. Programs, menus, place cards, personalized napkins, etc.
Q: What should couples include in their ceremony program?
A: A program can be a simple description of the ceremony participants or it can go into much greater detail to include music selections, readings, bios on the wedding party and traditions. It’s always nice to include a thank you to parents, friends and family. The program is also a good place to mention those who cannot attend and remember loved ones who have passed away.
Q: If you were to create your dream wedding program what would it look like?
A: My dream wedding program would be done on hand painted parchment paper written in calligraphy. The wording would be short and sweet!
Q: Have you done any unique wedding programs that stand out to you?
A: We created a fan invitation for a wedding that took place in a 100+ year old, un-air-conditioned church on Martha’s Vineyard. A great mix of form and function. Another couple had a reading featuring lyrics from two dozen artists, which they listed.
Q: Anything else you want couples to know about Epitome Papers, choosing stationery or about wedding programs specifically?
A: Epitome Papers has been helping customers find their perfect stationery for over 50 years. We have a loyal following locally and throughout the country. We are devoted to making the invitation process as easy and stress-free as possible! It is always our intention to be here for guidance and support as couples go through their wedding planning process.
Still Deciding if Epitome Papers is the perfect stationery vendor for you, see if Dana’s personality is the perfect match for yours in a round of Wedding Guys Lightning Questions:
Q: Three words to describe yourself:
A: Warm, Strong, Real
Q: If you could create the perfect wedding stationery for any couple who would it be?
A: Oprah and Steadman
Q: Red or White?
A: Pink!
Q: Black tie or Farm to Table?
A: Black tie
Q: Chocolate or Vanilla?
A: Chocolate
