WHITEFIELD DESIGN

Brynn Synder, owner of Whitefield Design, recently gave SBC a ten question interview highlighting her business, products, custom invitations, great tips on wedding invitations, and the latest trends in wedding invitations.  Brynn can custom designs every aspect of your wedding invitations to set the tone for your whole wedding and your guests will be sure to be wowed when they receive it in the mail.  Please visit her website by clicking (here) and after reading the interview you can view her SBC video describing the different wedding invitation options by clicking (here).

SBC:  Where did you get your start in wedding invitation design?

Byrnn:  Planning my own wedding several years ago, I developed a strong interest in helping create weddings. Now with a beautiful daughter in tow, designing wedding invitations and other related stationary and decorative products allows me to fulfill my desire to create while still having time to love and care for my family. 

I am an industrial designer by education, and have from a young age enjoyed design of all types. I graduated in Industrial Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Brigham Young University, and have since worked in a variety of design fields. While a student, I had several internships: at Back to Basics I primarily designed kitchen appliances, at Johnson & Johnson I designed medical devices, and at Trike Studios I designed children’s toys. I also worked as a graphic designer on campus, creating posters for school events. After graduating I worked as a custom furniture designer for Wadsworth Design (I love working with wood!).

 

SBC:  Where do you find a lot of your inspiration for your designs?

 Brynn:  I like to have brides provide me with 3-10 photos of things that are inspiring their wedding plans. With that information, I am able to understand the feeling they want to communicate with their event. After that I create inspiration boards for their event and try to dream up what I think will best convey their message to their guests. 

SBC:  What different types of printing do you offer for wedding invitations?

Brynn:  I offer 4 types of printing. Digital, Flat Ink, Raised Ink and Letterpress. I prefer to use flat, raised or letterpress for the quality they provide. When you print with ink you pay per color so most wedding invitations I do are 1 or 2 color.  

 Here is an overview about each printing type:

DIGITAL This type of printing requires just a digital computer file and is printed on a color copier. This type of printing is best if you are on a budget or if you want more than 3 colors on your invitation. When brides chose this option, I recommend printing on nice paper to make their invitations stand out.

FLAT INK This type of printing is broken down color by color. Each color is separate because a plastic plate is made for each color. Each piece is then put through a printer that runs the sheet of paper by itself. These colors stand off the page since they are printed with ink. This is another affordable option.

RAISED INK uses the same process and plastic plate as flat ink, but has one more task after the sheet has been printed - a powder is put on the wet ink and once the powder dries it creates an embossing. LETTERPRESS The oldest and most versatile method of printing still in use today. The letterpress process uses metal plates with raised printing areas. Ink touches only the top surface of the raised areas, and the inked image is then transferred directly to the paper, leaving indented text and images.

LETTERPRESS The oldest and most versatile method of printing still in use today. The letterpress process uses metal plates with raised printing areas. Ink touches only the top surface of the raised areas, and the inked image is then transferred directly to the paper, leaving indented text and images.

SBC:  What is the number one request from brides and grooms in regards to their invitations? 

Since I do custom wedding invitations, this is a hard question. I try to ensure that each invitation is individual to each couple. I would say that most just ask that I create something unique to them and their event.

SBC:   Invitation suites can include a variety of information. What are the most typical pieces brides and grooms choose to include and what are some items that are not typical but nice to include.

Brynn:  Every invitation suite is tailored to the bride and groom, however I would say almost all my invitations suites at least include an invitation and envelope and an rsvp card and envelope. Many weddings I have done also include a map/direction card, accommodation card (for out of town guests), place cards, escort cards (to help guests find their seat/table), itinerary card, menu, luncheon/rehearsal dinner card, program and thank you cards.

SBC:  What are a few of the national trends in wedding invitation designs? 

Brynn:  Current trends include using letterpress or raised ink for your invitation, and doing a heavily graphic print. Most people have themed weddings and want their stationary to reflect that (ex. peacocks, carnival, birds, etc).

SBC:  What other products and designs do you offer couples besides wedding invitations?

Brynn:  Since I do graphic design the options are almost limitless. Standard services I provide are Personal Stationary, Baby Announcements, Custom T-Shirts, Custom Address Stamps, Logo Design, Business Stationary (Cards, Envelopes, Paper, etc), Custom Vinyl (perfect for dance floors, doors and car windows).

SBC:  What are a few of the advantages of choosing your designs and services, as opposed to an online retailer or an invitation chosen out of large catalog book?

Brynn:  I love creating something that is personal to my bride. When they come and meet with me they are able to choose each detail - the paper, envelopes, and colors they want. Brides who want to be involved in decisions can fully participate and give input in the design process. I create everything from scratch so the invitations are individual and high quality.

SBC:  When do you suggest for brides and grooms to begin shopping for their wedding invitations and when is the appropriate time to mail out wedding invitations? 

Brynn:  When sending out Save the Dates, if it is a destination wedding you should send them out 9-6 months prior. Invitations are typically sent 8-6 weeks prior to the event. If you have a calligrapher most like about a month to do the calligraphy, so you would need your invitations or at least the envelopes done 12 weeks before the wedding. 

SBC:  Can you describe a few of your favorite invitation designs of this year?

I created an entire wedding suite for the owner of Shabby Apple, a total of 12 pieces, including Save the Date, Invitation and Day of Items. I loved creating her Save the Date and loved that she picked Letterpress as her printing medium. I love the colors and way they feel. Her invitations were classic but still expressed her personality.

I created a berry theme wedding suite for a client named Karli Low, and at first I thought she picked some interesting colors but after implementing them in her invitation, I love what was created. She also picked out a really cool wood textured paper and had it wrap around the invitation.

I just finished doing a rock and roll themed Save the Date. At first I was a little stuck on what I could create that would still have a wedding feel to it, but after a few hours of seeking out inspiration I came up with what might be my favorite Save the Date thus far.