Botanical PaperWorks Wins 2 Canadian Wedding Industry Awards

It’s an exciting week here at Botanical PaperWorks! The results of the 2014 Canadian Wedding Industry Awards came out and we made the winners list in the following 2 categories.

The esteemed panel of judges collectively spent countless hours reviewing the submissions. Special thanks to Randy Fenoli, Rebecca Grinnals, Marcy Blum, Laura Gutkin of Etsy Canada, Ellen Black and Francis Guindon of Birks.

Congratulations to all those who would won awards for their achievements in the industry. You can see a full list here.

Here’s a look at our winners:

The Rustic Tree design was our first Seal and Send Wedding Invitation. We wanted something for couples who were dreaming of the trendy rustic-theme and we wanted to make them even more eco-friendly than our original invitations. This invitation is fully plantable and requires no envelope – guests simply fill in the RSVP card, tear it off and send it in the mail.

The Ornate Floral Plantable Wedding Collection was one of the first designs to include full ink coverage on selected pieces to create a high contrast look. The invitation includes an ornate frame die cut edge to add even more interest to the collection and the floral detailing against a deep charcoal background makes the soft florals pop. This is a designer favorite and is quickly becoming one of our most popular.

How do you find inspiration for your designs?

I generally like to source out inspiration from a variety of places to keep the creative juices flowing. It never really ends or beings and there is no one place to turn to. I’m pretty much constantly looking for and sourcing style trends from all kinds of websites, blogs, social media outlets, etc. But if I’m looking for a specific style that I want to capture in a design and I don’t already have an idea in my head, I’ll most likely turn to Pinterest to see what people are finding pin worthy under that topic. After looking at hundreds of images, whether it’s fashion, art, home decor or design, I’ll usually get a sense of what I want to capture and what I don’t.

What do you do when you’re in a design rut?

If I’m not feeling it, I try not to force it and work on something less creative until I’m inspired again. If I’m on a deadline and the time to walk away isn’t available, then I will generally spend some time sourcing inspiration from a variety of places until something sparks inside and I feel motivated again. It could be a pattern on a dress or a simple shape, something usually does the trick and then I run with it and create something of my own with those influences in mind. That and a few extra cups of dark roast.

What kinds of platforms do you use to track trends?

Pinterest is really all you need in my world. You can capture and catalog what all types of people are drawn to in a way that is organized and visual – it’s the perfect tool for trend tracking. But I also take time to actively seek what other blogs are posting about trends to see what those in the industry are saying. It’s best to be ahead of the curve though and Pinterest is the best place to see trends before they have been called out by the industry.

How do you choose which trends you want to design something for?

Usually it’s a combination of what will add variety to our website and what we think will appeal to the most people. This can be really tricky though, it’s not always what you might think so we try to go with our guts a lot. That and sometimes we just pick what we think we will be good at. That’s when the best work happens.

What are the main differences in today’s wedding invitation styles and designs and the ones from 10 – 15 years ago?

Designs today are more personal and unique than ever. Weddings in general have been taken to a whole new level and stationery is a huge part of setting the tone for the event. People are no longer satisfied by a clip art creation that they could do themselves with the latest version of Word. They want beautiful, stunning designs that represent them as a couple and set a mood for their big day. We don’t get to send personal mail as much anymore, so when we do, we want it to be extra special.

What was the process like when creating the winning invitation design?

The Rustic Tree Seal and Send was one of those projects that really stood out to me. It was our first Seal and Send and it was a challenge because it was a totally different style than the 5 x 7 invites. We wanted something that really took advantage of the fold out style and would feel totally unique in your hands. I started by sketching out the basic layout and then moved digital and starting drawing the graphics. Once I had a design I was happy with, I took it to the team to get opinions, work out any kinks and decide on color palettes which we ended up creating based on seasons.

Like what you see on our blog? Join our mailing list to receive emails with freebies, projects, coupons, green living tips and decor ideas and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.