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Weddings on Female First
Please can you tell us a little bit about The Bonnie Marcus Collection and your latest partnership with Parragon?
I am truly thrilled to be working with Parragon, a leader in the world of publishing.
As the owner of a stylish stationery company serving thousands of retailers around the world, it is very exciting for me to see our best-selling fashionable designs in books from Parragon, which are all designed to put a smile on a woman’s face. From our “Mum’s Everyday Essential Planner” which was designed to help busy mums organize their day in style, to our two new cookbooks “Cupcakes and Cocktails” and “Guilt-Free Girl Desserts” which are appealing to every woman despite one’s level of expertise in the kitchen. The themed cocktails included in our book are very easy to make, and are fabulous a reason to host the next party!
Also, we are releasing two additional books in the next few months, a Fashion Style book and a Nail Design book, which are perfect for every self-proclaimed fashionista!
You initially started your company designing your own wedding invitations. What did you feel was lacking from the offering in the invitation market at the time?
As a wedding planner in New York City for many years, I worked with hundreds of brides looking for invitations that were representative of their style – chic, sophisticated and fashion-forward. After visiting the Stationery Show and Gift Shows in New York and realizing that everything was too traditional for my style-savvy brides, I created my own line of custom wedding, bridal shower, and engagement party invitations to help to satisfy the void in the market. I have always loved being a “problem solver” and this was the perfect way to help women to create a dream that would last a lifetime.
Why is the invitation such an important part of the wedding process?
The invitation truly sets the tone for the most special day of a couple’s life. From black tie to beach casual, it is so important that the couple’s invitation conveys the proper information so guests will know what to expect on the big day.
Wearing a formal gown to an informal beach wedding or wearing khakis and a button down to a black tie affair may ruin the event for both the guest and the hosts, so the invitation plays a critical part in setting the tone for that perfect special day.
Why did you decide to use your maternity leave to start up The Bonnie Marcus Collection?
With the success of my custom wedding invitation collection, I was eager to be able to service a broader group of clients through a wedding collection designed for retail stores. It was exciting for me to be able to talk to retailers and tell them about my experience as a wedding planner, the fresh solutions that my company would be able to provide, and how we could work together to satisfy the needs of customers around the globe. It was a very exciting time for me professionally, as well as personally, as I was launching my business and expecting my first baby at the same time! Today, that “baby” is 10 years old, and I have two other little boys at home, which makes me treasure my “girly” stationery business even more! My design studio is filled with sparkles and lots of pretty pink things, which is the perfect balance to my home, which filled with dinosaurs and super heroes! I am truly thankful to be enjoying both worlds!
Please tell us about working with designers to create your vision.
My design studio is truly a collaborative effort among designers, marketing, and sales professionals to help to help to create the best solutions for our customers. As a designer, I am always focused on producing the most beautiful, unique products for our customers, but I work closely with our marketing and sales teams to make sure that all of our goals are aligned – that our price point is correct, that our packaging meets the needs of our retailers, that our designs are unique and filling a void in the marketplace, etc. I truly love running a design studio compiled of extremely creative people, as well as business-oriented people, to help to make our customers’ dreams come true. It is all a very collaborative effort, and when working together with a fabulous team, it is like an orchestra making beautiful music. It’s extremely exciting and rewarding.
What are your fondest memories of being a wedding planner?
My experience with weddings first started when I worked in the fashion industry in New York with designer Diane Von Furstenberg. I was fortunate to be working with her at the time of her son’s wedding, and everyone in the company had the opportunity to add their creativity to the process. As a design major, I loved helping with the invitations, and I soon decided to pursue wedding and event planning as a career option. My favourite part of working with brides is being an integral part of such a very special time in their lives.
Please tell us about your wedding invitation line 'Down the Aisle in Style'.
Our wedding-themed collection “Down the Aisle in Style” has been a best-selling range in the United States for over 10 years. Throughout the years, we’ve heard from numerous customers around the world about how they wanted to see our glamorous illustrations on a wider-variety of products, so I am thrilled that Parragon has been able to take our best-selling designs and extend our reach to the world-wide book market. So very exciting!
Which celebrity fans have admired your work and why do you think it has such a celebrity appeal?
We have been very fortunate to have many celebrities use our invitations for their most special occasions. From Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Vanessa Minnillo to Molly Sims, Eva Longoria, Cindy Crawford, Marcia Cross and Maria Shriver, we pride ourselves on helping our customers design the “perfect” stationery for their needs. (As per her request, we even added a mole on Cindy Crawford’s stationery illustration, to make the girl look just like her!) Also, we have worked with a number of celebrities on our very meaningful “Holiday Cards for a Cause” Collection, which benefits the celebrity designer’s charity of choice.
What is next for you?
At this point, I am focusing on further extending our design reach beyond the world of stationery. From fashion accessories and footwear to pretty patterned pyjamas, you will soon see designs from the Bonnie Marcus Collection in numerous categories at retail. Of course, my most passionate project at the moment is the launch of my new book collection in the UK in March. To be able to reach my customers through the written word is the most fabulous feeling, and working with Parragon has truly been a dream come true!
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