Two Years in Business - Highlights and Lessons
I'm not quite sure how it has already been two years since I launched Ivy + Linen Design Co. back in September of 2018! It doesn't seem like it should be time for me to be writing my highlights and lessons learned from two years in business, but here we are! Literally so much has changed since I first launched this business into the world, and all for the better.
For those of you who have been here since the beginning (a million thanks to you!) you know that I started out mainly product based - greeting cards, art prints, notepads, gift tags, things like that. I always thought custom work and wedding stationery would be much further down the road. But not long after I launched, trusting friends asked me to do all of the stationery for their wedding, starting with Save the Dates, and I jumped right in. For that I am so grateful because it gave me no choice but to start down the custom path, and I realized custom stationery was the path for me.
Here are a few of the highlights from year two!
Redesigning the Website
At the beginning of year two I was in the process of revamping my website - and those that know me personally always laugh when I say that because I was literally switching to my third (THIRD!) website platform, I kid you not - so that I could be more custom and wedding focused. I originally started with Showit, which I loved, but wanted something more e-commerce friendly since I did still plan on selling on my site. Then I switched to Shopify, which was also great for all of the opposite reasons of Showit, but it didn't allow me as much creative freedom in the website design. So, I decided to switch to Squarespace because it has e-commerce capabilities and allowed me more design liberties, and I promise I'm here for a while!
I wanted the website to be more visually focused with photos of my work and to invite clients in to look around and feel at home. I ended up doing a mini refresh when I launched the Collections (more on that to come), and although I'm sure I'll continue to tweak and update, it finally feels like a place that reflects what Ivy + Linen is all about!
Finding (and appreciating) My Style
I took part in a few styled shoots in the fall and really started to play around with designs more to figure out what I enjoyed doing - and what made Ivy + Linen unique in the wedding space. Figuring out a style or a look can be a tricky thing. It's like going to Pinterest and looking up living room ideas, and you find yourself pinning one photo and really liking it, then pinning another one a bit later and loving it too, and then realizing neither of those styles are remotely alike. That's the way I feel sometimes when I'm designing or gathering inspiration, and I'm not sure that will ever go away (it certainly hasn't for when I'm decorating a room in the house!), but during year two I started to settle in more to my style and not focus as much on appealing to every single person.
I like to describe my design style as classic with a modern touch, because I love classic looks and handmade papers and beautiful fonts, but I'm not super traditional. I like for invitation suites to have a modern flair whether that’s with adding lines, using a modern font, or a modern wording style. Back in the day there used to be so many rules for wedding invitations and etiquette, and while some brides still really want that, I always like to let my brides know that we can literally do whatever you want. The rules don’t have to apply because your invitations should reflect you and your personality, not a rule book that was written up years ago. That's where we can still have a classic look, but bring in some modern aspects!
Hiring a Photographer
I've known for a while that photography is just not my thing. That doesn't mean I don't try to get better at it and keep learning, but my focus is designing stationery, not taking pictures of it! So the time finally came when I realized that to get the photos I was really wanting to reflect the direction I saw my business going, I needed to bring in a professional. And my oh my, am I so glad I did! My friend Adelyn of Adelyn Boling Photography styled and photographed several of my custom invitation suites and took photos for my Collections Suites. I was blown away. Truly. I was so giddy when those pictures landed in my inbox because I finally felt like I could be proud of the photos I was posting on my website and Instagram. They captured the classic and romantic look I love and brought my stationery to life. You've already seen lots of those photos, and there are more to come!
Launching the Collections Suites
At one point during year one I launched a small line of semi-custom invitations, but at that point I was still trying to figure a lot of things out (don't get me wrong, I am still learning lots, but I wasn't ready to really launch semi-custom at that point). So I took a step back and moved away from those. But as my style started to develop more I had several brides that were interested in my wedding stationery and loved the look and feel of my designs, but didn't have the timeline or budget for fully custom. Or they really wanted to see examples, because committing to a fully custom design can feel a bit overwhelming.
I sat with that information for a little while and wasn't quite sure when I would feel ready to launch a semi-custom collection again. Well, the coronavirus happened and I found myself with ample time to get a jumpstart on designing. And all of a sudden I was on a roll and ready to make things happen! Adelyn took photos for me and I put in a lot of time and effort to effectively showcase and sell the Collections on my website, as well as make my Collections brides feel like they are getting a personalized experience even though they are not one of my fully custom clients. Launching the Collections was so much fun, and even though it was a lot of work, all that work has already paid off as the interest in the Collections has blown me away!
Strengthening Industry Friendships
One of my big (and most important) goals for year two was to meet more people in the wedding industry and to continue establishing a community for myself since working for yourself can get a bit lonely. I am so happy to say that I certainly met that goal and have strengthened friendships and met new friends - wedding photographers, planners, florists, bakers, and so many more! I had some of my best memories from the last year at a Thanksgiving potluck, Christmas parties, Valentine's brunch, and so many other events with friends in the wedding industry. It helps to feed ideas off of one another or to hear about the wins or disappointments that always come when owning your own business. I look forward to growing more in community in year three!
Working with Amazing Clients
This goes without saying, but I worked with some of the best clients over the last year and I'm so thankful for them! They trusted me with a small part of their special events and allowed me to grow as a designer and a business owner. I can't wait to continue working with amazing clients in the coming year.
Becoming a Mama
At the end of year two, I became a mama to the cutest baby boy, Finley! Being a mom and business owner marks a new chapter for Ivy + Linen Design, but starting a family is also the reason that Ivy + Linen even exists today. I knew I wanted more flexibility in my day to day to spend time with our future children, but still have a career that was inspiring and fun to me, so I took the leap to start my own business 2 years ago! So to be here two years later with our first baby and being able to sit and type this as he naps next to me is quite literally a dream come true!
WOW! That was a long post, but it has been wonderful reliving year two with you. Thanks for sharing in this journey with me and allowing me to continue bringing you pretty paper goods! Cheers to Ivy + Linen Design Co.'s second birthday!
