Wedding stationery is prevalent from the beginning of your wedding planning journey of inviting all your family and friends, to the actual wedding day with all of the signs you might need, table numbers, seating charts, or anything clever you decide to create for your day, all the way to past your wedding date when you are sending thank yous to everyone that was able to celebrate with you. As someone who has already had a wedding, there are so many things that you need written out that you wouldn’t expect and many more things that you think would be fun and cool along the way. I wish that I was able to meet Amanda during my own wedding planning so I could create lovely, customized, personal wedding stationery and signage, but I am surely glad we have met now! Amanda has amazing work and is amazing to work with. With working with a Chicagoland wedding stationer, you’ll be able to have an amazing, personalized experience where your vision can easily come to life.

Meet Amanda:

What is your background? I grew up in Orland Park and went to Bradley University for undergrad. There, I met my husband and we've lived in Manhattan for the past 5 years. Fun fact - my husband played baseball there, and I played softball! He's also from Orland Park too, which is crazy. Immediately after undergrad, I went to DePaul for grad school. My Bachelor's degree is in Finance, but I always knew I wanted to pursue graphics. So, I jumped straight into the DCMA program at DePaul - my concentration in Media Arts, while working as a graphic designer full time. After 2 years, I graduated, we married, and finally moved into our home in the cornfields.

What do you do when you aren't working at weddings? I love to read! I read tons of mystery series. While I'm reading, I cuddle with my little co-owner, Macie. She's a 4 year old cockapoo. you can also catch me on the golf course with my husband or having fun with my nieces and nephews.

How She got Started:

How did you get started in your business? Even throughout undergrad, I was designing materials for invitations. My husband is the youngest of 5 and each sibling is married. I designed and printed all his sisters' bridal and baby shower materials and many wedding items. Then, it was our turn and I fell in love with the planning process. I loved telling a story between each printed item, in turn making each a keepsake. After our wedding, I continued to work full-time at an advertising company while still pursuing my business on the side. While it was slowly growing, Covid struck and put weddings on hold. My husband encouraged me to quit my job and jump into the business to its entirety. It's been amazing ever since.

How would you describe your business or business model? I'm a solopreneur through and through. I meet with each couple one-on-one, help them select colors, formats, design styles, etc. and then I design everything myself. Once approved, I also print in-house. As a cherry on top, I also assemble, address, and mail everything for clients as well. It's an incredibly streamlined process for those who do not have the time.

What are your next moves for your business if anything is coming up or changing? We just finished my new office space this past year! So, that was the big move. I have an entire floor of my home dedicated to the business and it's wonderful.

Her Favorites:

What is your favorite wedding you worked and why? That's such a hard question! I loved getting to design everything for my BIL & SIL this past year. It was great talking about their ideas and creating (literally) everything from save the dates, shower materials, all the way through thank you cards. Her shower theme was one of my favorites - Brunch & Bubbly with the Bride. I think my favorites have to be when couples jump into specific colors and themes. I've created some very unique suites with little details like pets and others with very bright colors and paint strokes because they married at an art gallery. I think the originality in each design makes it special and exciting to me.

I personally love this! Couples that add in extra unique pieces or make things fit their personality is so much fun. I especially love when there are little nods to pets in their stationery!

**What is the most interesting/unique/cool thing you've seen at a wedding?** My husband and I had a caricature artist at our wedding! I don't think I've seen much else to top it, and some of my clients have done it too. It's so fun!
This is SUCH a fun idea! When Amanda told me about this, I knew that that would have been a huge hit for guests. Factoring in your guests’ experience is always something I love, because of course the day is about celebrating your love but it’s so nice to ensure the guests have a good time!

Her Advice to You:

**What is something that you wish that couples knew when planning their wedding?** Stay organized and map out your address list first. It can be easiest to do that before visiting venues, so you will know exactly how many people you're inviting.
This is so true. The sooner you can get a general idea of your guest count, the more accurate your pricing will be with venues, catering, and other vendors too.

Where to Find Amanda:

How can couples connect with you? You can find Amanda on her website here. You can also find her on Instagram at @eloquentimpressions or Facebook at EloquentImpressionsLLC. If you’d like to reach Amanda directly, you can email her at amanda@eloquentimpressions.com.

I have had a great time getting to know Amanda and her business at Eloquent Impressions. I definitely wish that I had had a stationer when I planned my own wedding to make my invitations match the rest of my decorations! Amanda is a lovely person to work with and will ensure that your stationery, signage, and other custom pieces are going to fit you and your personality better than any “quick printing shops” will!

If you need some help finding other vendors for your wedding, reach out to me here. I would love to help you find vendors that will be a perfect fit for you so you don’t have to spend the time doing the research!