Always Asks Ananya Cards (Part 2)

Welcome back to part 2 of our Q&A with Vaishali from Ananya Cards

What’s your design process?

There are five main steps to the design process:

•  ESTABLISH CRITERIA of the project

This stage involves understanding the design requirements and determining timelines and fees involved

• EXPLORATION of the design possibilities

At this step, we explore the design possibilities for the wedding stationery, and present the first round.

• REFINE the design

Once a couple confirms which design direction they would like to go with from stage 2, we will continue to edit the invitation and stationery with the design and text edits.

• PRODUCTION of the invitation stationery

As stage 3 is completed, our designs become tangible! Print co-ordination with printers begins after sending the couple a production estimate and getting it approved by them. Proofs can be made for their approval before the final quantity is printed.

• DELIVERY of the deliverables

The entire package is delivered to the couple, and they are now ready to enjoy their wedding invitations and stationery!

We work very closely with our clients both through face to face meetings and emails. Clients know that we are available to them and respond quickly to their questions or comments. We like to meet a client ideally 3-4 months before the wedding invitations need to be sent out, to allow enough time for the design process, proof, print quotes etc. However, we try to accommodate clients who have shorter timelines.

What do you think couples should be looking for when buying their wedding stationery?

Couples should remember that their wedding stationery is a reflection of who they are as a couple, so it should be like a personal statement about them. I feel that couples should have a theme in mind for the wedding. This will be the basis for the design process and will give a sense of continuity and conformity throughout. They should also have a fixed budget in mind, but allow for at least 10% more which will give them more flexibility in making choices. Quality is key and should never be compromised; couples should go for as high a quality as their budget allows.

What advice would you give to couples wanting to incorporate a fusion of cultures in their wedding?

If you are having a multicultural wedding, you are naturally sensitive about respecting the values and traditions of both cultures. Are there themes or aspects that are common to both cultures? For example, ananya recently designed stationery for an Indian Scottish wedding, where we used paisley as a motif because our research showed that the paisley had symbolic significance to both cultures. To harmonise the two cultures further, we also used a green background to match the tartan and the paisley in deep pink to give it a rich and exotic Indian look.

What do you wish couples knew already when working with you?

Before talking to us, it would be very helpful if couples had their budget worked out. This would save a lot of time during our initial discussions and it would allow us to quickly proceed to suggesting what is possible within that budget.

Where do you see the future of Ananya Cards?

My goal is to expand the business geographically and in particular, broaden my client base in the US as well explore the UAE. In addition to wedding stationery, we are also focused on personal stationery and correspondence cards.

Thanks for answering all my questions.

Ananya cards offer a truly bespoke service and create the most beautiful stationery which would really set the tone for any wedding. For further information, please visit their website or contact Vaishali by email info@ananyacards.com

All images courtesy of Tino & Pip and styled by Always Andri Wedding Design

Always Asks Ananya Cards (Part 1)

As mentioned before back in July I went down to Tunbridge Wells to assist the fab photographers Tino & Pip style a photo shoot of Ananya Cards; I got in touch with Vaishali, the founder and owner to ask her a few questions about the company and her background.

What’s your background?

My educational background includes an IB (International Baccalaureate) from the International School of Paris and a first class Joint Honors degree in International Management and French, where I specialised in Marketing. I am also an Associate of The Chartered Institute of Marketing. I have always had a keen interest and flair for design as well as a knack for spotting gaps in the market. My strong connection to my Indian heritage gives me a lot of exposure to its rich and varied artistic culture from which I constantly draw inspiration. Using this inspiration, I work closely with my design team to create new designs.

Why did you decide to set up Ananya Cards?

As a British Asian who has maintained a deep connection to my culture, I became acutely aware of the need for a culturally aware design agency. In order to address that need, my company creative id which is a boutique design and marketing agency established in 2000, launched a new service called ananya in 2008.

How would you describe your style/vision?

The name ananya means ‘without equal’. It inspires us to live up to the name and our vision of creating unique and innovative designs. ananya products have a signature deluxe feel, combining Eastern and European design elements with metallic inks and hand-embellished crystals. Our designs are known for their exotic elegance, sophistication and high quality. We at ananya have a multicultural approach and excel at creating stationery that is a beautiful fusion of cultures for our mixed and multicultural couples. With our attention to detail, we combine all the key elements that make a personal statement about the couple. Even our boutique collection of pre-existing designs for the more budget conscious is beautiful without sacrificing elegance. Our clients say we offer something that is very different and truly reflects who they are.

Our vision is to use our passion for perfection, style and multicultural sensibility to explore new ways to create something of unique value to the couple; something they will cherish and remember for the rest of their lives. What a perfect way to symbolise one of the most important days of their lives!

Where do you find your inspiration?

I try and keep my finger on the pulse and am always on the lookout for trends and themes and try to combine them in a way that is fresh and different. I am an avid reader of magazines and always looking for a different angle to express our style and vision. Because our designs are a fusion of Eastern and Western cultures, when I travel to India and Asian countries a couple of times a year, I draw inspiration from the vast array of colours, textures and art and explore ways to incorporate aspects of that into ananya’s designs.

What has been your favourite wedding to design for /work on?

One of my favourite weddings we designed for was for Kalyn and Todd. It was particularly satisfying for several reasons. Kalyn lived in New York, so we were never able to meet in person, however, thanks to modern technology we were able to communicate every aspect of the design process easily. Although ananya’s designs normally have a blend of Eastern and Western influence, Kalyn did not want any Eastern influence; she just wanted an exotic look and feel to the stationery and we were able to come up with a design she absolutely loved! She also wanted a complete suite of stationery including thank you cards, place cards, menus, table numbers and order of service. This really got our creative juices going and imagination soaring, harmonising all the different aspects of the stationery. Since Kalyn’s wedding was also a destination wedding, we were able to incorporate elements from the destination into the stationery. The final result was a triumph – we were able to bring her vision to fruition!

What have you found the most challenging job?

One of the most challenging aspects of our job is dealing with last minute changes from a client. We always spend a lot of time discussing and planning every aspect of the stationery design, including time scales, with a client at the beginning so we have the required amount of time to incorporate all the facets such as colours, patterns, textures, card stock, embellishments and printing that will deliver the ‘wow’ factor the client wants. However, when a client wishes to make changes at the last minute, it can make it difficult for us to juggle and co-ordinate the various components of the design and printing process in a timely and smooth manner. Although we try to be as accommodating as possible, it can be difficult and challenging for us and often clients are not aware that sometimes even small changes asked for at the last minute involve a lot of additional time and effort on our part.

What’s your one obsession at the moment-something you just can’t live without?

My collection of Converse shoes (I won’t tell you how many I have!!). What I love about Converse is that they have taken a basic design and are constantly adding variations to that design in terms of colours, textures and patterns. They’ve created a dynamic process which is very adaptable to your mood, style and the current trend. I’m always curious to find out how they’ll innovate next!

Come back next time for part 2 when we ask Vaishali about the design process and her advice to brides when planning their wedding and thinking about their stationery choices.

All images courtesy of Tino & Pip and styled by Always Andri Wedding Design

Always Asks Under The Cherry Moon

Last year I talked about the cute ‘Will you be my…’ cards from Under the Cherry Moon who I discovered via Rock’n’Roll Bride and I’m delighted to bring you today an interview with the owner and creator of UTCM Rhiannon Burton.

Why did you decide to set up Under the Cherry Moon?

Like a lot of folks who go into the wedding industry, it was the painful procedure of planning my own wedding! I was working as a midwife, and found it super tough to find the hours in the day to arrange a wedding which I hoped would be reflective of us as individuals and as a couple. I was so sure I didn’t want to cave in to the pressure of planning and stray down the path of matching the napkins to the bridesmaids' shoes. Frankly, I would have sold a kidney to come across a wedding professional who “got” what I was trying to do and would take the hard work off my hands. Our wedding wasn’t even out of the ordinary, the format was traditional but just with a few extra details. At the time there were very few innovative blogs around and even less inspiration coming out of the UK wedding magazines, so inevitably I had to produce everything myself.

How would you describe your style/vision?

Relaxed, eclectic and personal. I love details in a wedding, even more so if they reflect the personalities and interests of the couple. I’d like to banish all wedding professionals who dictate what’s right and wrong in etiquette and tradition, to a big island where they can enforce their rules amongst themselves. It’s not all about the money.

What’s your design process?

For couples wanting bespoke design and/or wedding styling, I need to spend quite a bit of time probing them! Questions about their personality, everyday style, like/dislikes, vision for their day, all gives me a clearer picture of how I could translate this into their wedding day style.

If I’m designing individual elements for people to use themselves on the site, I try to think of trends and what people might be searching for. Recently there’s been more interest in birds, animals, insects… So I’d try to get some elements onto the site for folks to start building their stationery. I’d love it people suggested designs they wanted to see, perhaps Twitter would be a good forum for them to do this…

You finally launched your fabulous website towards the end of last year and it includes being able to DIY your own stationery-can you explain how it works?

The site gives you the option to pick and choose from backgrounds, design elements and frames, add them to your lightbox (a kind of design basket), then drag and drop them onto your artboard, changing sizes, positions and colours. You can then add your own text, approve online, and the printed version will be sent out to you. If starting from scratch fills you with terror, there are also readymade designs which are a great place to start. You can simply change the example text to your own, or customise it further as above.

What has been your favourite wedding to design for /work on?

I love working with couples who are eager for some creative input. I’m particularly looking forward to seeing a Circus themed wedding I worked on in Brides magazine in the spring.

What have you found the most challenging job?

Actually I find designing “classic” wedding stationery the hardest. It feels alien to me to create something impersonal. I want to dig a bit deeper!

What do you think couples should be looking for when sourcing their wedding stationery?

Personality and reflected interests (Am I boring yet?!). If you hate flowers and would never buy anything with flowers on in your everyday life, why would you choose to have one on your wedding invite?

What advice would you give to couples when planning their wedding?

Let go of the preconceptions of what you should and shouldn’t have. It’ll be a much more fun process if you make it all about you.

What do you wish couples knew already when working with you?

Colours are never exact.

Where do you see the future of Under the Cherry Moon?

I want to make it easy for people to find lovely, artfully mismatched details for their wedding. As well as providing a full design and styling service. I’ve got a few themes I’d love to work on…
Alice in Wonderland, High School Sweethearts, Folksy...Eventually I suspect there’ll be a UTCM baby line too.

What’s your one non-wedding obsession at the moment?

Vampires!

Thank you Rhiannon, we wish you all the best for the future. Do check out the new Under the Cherry Moon website where not only will you find great DIY and bespoke stationery but also other fun things for your wedding too from bunting, button holes, paper pompoms and even wedding bouquets made from wedding dress off cuts.

Images courtesy of Under the Cherry Moon. Circus Invitation suite photo by Lillian & Leonard

Always Loves: Under The Cherry Moon

I've already expressed my blog love for Rock'n'Roll Bride, well they recently had a makeover by graphic designer Rhiannon Burton of Under The Cherry Moon Wedding Frippery, who also does wedding stationery. Her site is still being worked on and I can’t wait to see the full range, in the meantime I adore this series of great postcards ‘Will you be my…?’ you can send out to your bridal party.

For the traditional bridal party…

Will you be my…Bridesmaid?

And for the not so traditional…

Will you be my….Best woman?

Looking forward to seeing more of Rhiannon's work...

All images Under the Cherry Moon