“Your guests' experience doesn't start when they arrive at your ceremony, it starts the moment they receive their invitation, and first impressions are everything…”

Firstly, What inspired you to start Love, Carli?

I was in an awful agency job that crushed my creative spirit, and I needed a creative outlet that was going to make my soul happy. I was already unofficially creating wedding stationery on the side and had always wanted to create my own range of greeting cards. After being made redundant, I reassessed a lot of things and decided to take the plunge. Creating stationery was a combination of everything I loved - print, paper and illustration, so it happened very organically. That was almost ten years now!

You offer some excellent services to assist couples; out of all the offerings, what is your favourite?

My new favourite offering is my wedding websites. I've been a solid print designer for 15 years, and I never thought I would stray to code. During lockdown in 2020 I signed up to a web design and development course, and I am honestly obsessed! I now love seeing how my designs carry across from paper to digital, and being the one that oversees that, it's been a game-changer. Currently, it is a bespoke service like my stationery, but I am in the process of creating a suite of templates to broaden the offering.

Our favourite is your custom illustrations; we think these are just the best. Explain to us how you create these?

Yes! The illustrated portraits have been an amazing constant over the years, each so unique, and they started so simply from illustrating myself and my husband for our wedding in 2014! I create these digitally from photographic references provided by people. I often get sent 10-15 images - reference to faces, outfits, hairstyles, shoes and florals right down to tattoos, jewellery and other defining characteristics. I then piece each detail together to create a personalised illustration. I have expanded this offering in the last year to include bouquet portraits (flortraits!?) too, which are lots of fun!

Let's discuss the stationery process; how long does it take for everything from save the dates right through to on-the-day stationery? And how long in advance should a couple reach out to you?

Because my focus is custom stationery, I can work with couples for up to 12-18 months before their wedding (or more commonly, over 3 years and 4 postponements!). I work on an 8-week timeline and schedule jobs 4 or more weeks in advance, so it's safe to say that couples should get in touch sooner than they think - I would advise 4-6 months before their desired postal deadline.

Regarding building a stationery suite, do you work with the couple's wedding planner/stylist to ensure all the components of the couple's wedding work with their stationery?

If they have one, yes, I love chatting with planners and stylists to create a more refined vision and collaborate on ideas that are a bit more out-of-the-box. My preference is to still deal directly with the couple, because I have invested so much into my client experience, I know my processes are solid, and transparency is super important to me.

Let's talk wedding websites; you create these for couples too. In today's digital age, how necessary do you think a wedding website is?

Websites aren't a necessity per se, but they do make sense. The whole industry has changed so much over the last few years, and there is so much communication between couples and their guests now that having one central location that is easy to update and time rather than multiple insert cards is much more efficient. Practicality aside, they are also an excellent way for couples to inject their personality into their day, there's no traditions tied to a website, so they can be more informal, more conversational and fun. I will always advocate for paper, though, and I think a website is an excellent support for a printed invitation!

Moving into 2022… what are some new trends you predict we'll see. We saw wedding websites emerge in the late 2010s, what's next?

I think websites will continue to grow in popularity; modern typography and die-cut shapes are having a real moment too. I have also seen a big increase in couples planning with their social and environmental impact in mind, making more ethical and inclusive choices and actively supporting small, local businesses.

To sum up a couple's stationery needs, and with so much to think about from save the dates, to invitations, websites, on-the-day stationery and everything in between, what are the essential pieces you suggest a couple get?

Invitations are obvious, but I think their role and importance in couples' budgets is often overlooked in lieu of investing in day of items. Your guests' experience doesn't start when they arrive at your ceremony, it starts the moment they receive their invitation, and first impressions are everything. That little piece of paper does a lot beyond the who, what and where, it sets the tone for what is to come so when all of the other elements you have carefully selected come together on the day, there is cohesion and connection. That kind of detail doesn't go unnoticed, trust me!

And thank you cards! Hand-written, personalised thank you cards are a must. Manners, effort and gratitude will never be old-fashioned. Letting your guests know how appreciative you are for their attendance and generosity is an essential part of your wedding communication.

And finally, with everything that is going on at the moment and the new era of weddings, what advice would you give to a couple about to embark on their wedding planning journey?

My advice to couples has always been to stay true to themselves and their values. Plan from the heart, prioritise the things that mean something to you and do away with trends, traditions, formalities and expectations that don't resonate. I think the last few years have really highlighted for a lot of people what is important, and with so many having to rethink their celebrations and strip them back there has been a real beauty discovered in intimate and authentic celebrations. I'm here for it!