Martha Stewart's Wedding Party

One of the *many* perks of living in Chicago, is that I get the opportunity to attend shows that I otherwise would never have access to in Canada.

I managed to score a free ticket to the Martha Stewart Wedding Party, held in downtown Chicago.  

As you would expect, Martha's people did it up right -- from the amazing spread of welcoming treats, to the informative panel discussions, to the butlered hors d'oeuvres, endless mimosa's, amazing vendor booths and fantastic grab bag to end the show.  It was every bit as glamorous and organized as one would expect from the queen of 'good things'.

Dessert tables lined the hallway outside the discussion room

 SAMPLES GALORE

Not only did these vendors display the best of their work-- they let you see the cake, and eat it too ;)

Needless to say, french macaroons are definitely the 'in' thing this year

Did I mention that the entire event was catered and that there was an endless supply of food being served?!  Delicious! 

So many stunning table scapes! Great use of color and fantastic combinations.

This experience was priceless -- I got a sneak peek at the upcoming trends for 2013, got to schmooze with some local vendors, and 'talk shop' with a few of them too!

I'm so inspired to create amazing products this year...Thanks Martha Stewart!

Terlie Design Co. moves to the US!

It's true!  Terlie Design Co. has moved from Canada to the Chicagoland area!

I'm super excited to get the business going in a new city, new country and new market :)  There's so much to learn about conducting business in the US, but the fundamentals remain the same -- provide quality products and exceptional customer service.  Period.

Not wasting any time...
Currently planning a rustic-inspired wedding -- everything from the venue design, the stationery, center pieces, catering arrangements and event details.  Heck, I'm even baking the cupcakes.  I'm doing the whole shebang!  It's been quite the adventure but more importantly, it's been crazy-fun!

Here's a peek at some of the projects:

Be sure to check back to see the final event post, after March 3rd!

Custom Stationery Pricing

The very first question I'm ever asked by a bride is "how much do you charge?".  Given the nature of my business - everything being custom designed for each individual client - there are never set prices for any of the work I do.  The reason being that some projects require more time than others to design, and ultimately, design time is incorporated into the cost of each item.  Simply put, the more complex the design, the more it's going to cost.

As a designer, I may not always realize how much time and work will go into a project -- sometimes clients unexpectedly request edit upon edit (upon edit) - every minute spent editing must be logged as 'design time', no matter how small the edit may seem.  This is why I always encourage clients to finalize text and formatting as best they can before they send it to me.

It's never an easy task drawing up quotes for clients.  I know from personal experience that once you've been given a price, your mind is set on it.  But I also know from personal experience, that it's a complete turn-off if a vendor doesn't have a price list readily available, and as a client, you're willing to skip on to the next vendor that does.

So being the smart cookie that I am, I created a price list that clients can use as a general guideline

I will re-iterate that none of the prices are set prices, and that each project will vary depending on the complexity of the design. 

Also, the products that are listed are the most common sizes and folds, but I am always open to customizing sizes as well.