Vendor Highlight | Dana Osborne Design
Dana Osborne Design is THE gal to go to for all of your wedding invitation and paper needs. I may be a little biased because I used her for my wedding invitations and paper goods - but as a lover of paper - she does NOT disappoint!
Read a little bit more about Dana and the work she does and book her for your next event!
About Dana and Dana Osborne Design
Tell us about your business! And what part of your business do you love the most?
I design wedding invitations and all wedding day paper needs from Save the Dates to ceremony programs. I help couples who know the style they want for wedding day, reflect that style through their wedding stationery.
The thing I love the most about my business is the relationships I've created over the years. I work with couples as they begin the journey to the most important day of their lives. And even though I'm a small part of the wedding planning, my couples make me feel like a big part. And I think that's because of the constant communication we have throughout it all. It's the advice I give and the services I offer that make things easy for them. And then after the wedding, I love to see how the day unfolded through their photos and videos. I also try to follow my couples on Instagram so I can see where life takes them - new careers, new cities, expanding their family, etc. I want to be on of their biggest cheerleaders through the wedding process and beyond too...when life happens.
What inspired you to start your business?
I always considered going out on my own doing freelance graphic design after my husband and I started having kids. After our first was born, I went back to work and things had changed. My boss changed, my office changed and it wasn't the same. And a month before our daughter turned one, I put in my resignation. Things were lining up to make this work. I didn't start doing wedding invitations until about 2 years after that. I designed invites for friends, and friends of friends...and I really liked it. So I did a wedding show and after that I was hooked. I loved meeting with couples, hearing their different styles, and translating that into wedding invitations.
What advice do you have for wedding couples?
“Hire. Quality. And. Established. Vendors. It will make a world of difference.”
You get so much (unwanted) advice from people when it comes to your wedding. Because many people have been married (more than once maybe) and seem to be experts. But keep this in mind: hire people who you can trust and know what they're doing. They will give you the advice you need. And they have YOUR INTEREST in mind. Talk to them, interview them...make sure you LIKE them before you hire them. Yes, check out their work. Yes, make sure they're legit. And if it sounds too good to be true, it is...don't be that wedding horror story of your photographer going out of business the day before your wedding. Hire. Quality. And. Established. Vendors. It will make a world of difference.
Where Do You Gather Inspiration?
Two places. One is Instagram. I like to see the styles on the West and East coasts that will be getting to the Midwest s-l-o-w-l-y. That way, when I meet with a couple and they want some new style, it's not new to me because I've seen it and know what they're talking about.
Sarah’s dreamy wedding invitations
Second place is from my couples. I mean, I can't create everything in the world and slap it on Etsy and sell it. So when couples come to me and ask me, Can you make this? I get excited. Because I usually can, even if I've never done it before. That's where it gets fun too. My creativeness comes to life to create what they want. And I'm talking like from big painted acrylic seating charts hanging from the ceiling to a "sock wrap" with a personal message for the Father of the Bride from his daughter on socks she was giving him on wedding day. I can't make that stuff up...but my couples can. I just wanna help them make it happen.
What do you do when you are NOT working on weddings?
If I didn't have kids, I'd be working on my business all time. So I think that's why God put these three crazy little people in my life. I'm taking them and picking them up from school, going to volleyball, going to basketball, going to soccer, making dinners, making snacks, making giant balloon drops for New Years Eve. Being a mom is the hardest and most fulfilling job in the world. I'm so glad the career I made for myself lets me balance momming and working as best as I can.
Any fun @instagram accounts to follow?
My IG followings are a mix of former couples, other local vendors and other stationery peeps. I always love seeing what @boxedweddinginvitations is up to because her stuff is legit. I've worked with her on some custom pieces she's helped me create. But the level of items she produces is craycray. On a personal side, I love @imomsohard...those ladies make me crack up every single time. I'm also a big sports fan and my 4 year old has made me love the Chiefs, so I follow @brittanylynne and @patrickmahomes and hope to design their wedding invites. HA!