Interview by Ellie Kime
All images courtesy of Lauren Harriett
Wedding stationery is as old as time, so a lot of the offerings out there are a little - shall we say - safe? ... And a lot of the advice to go with it is a little - we definitely will say it - boring?... But luckily, Book of Love babes Harriett and Joel are here to change all that, giving you playful yet beautifully designed wedding stationery, designed for couples who aren't afraid to have a bit of fun with wedding planning!
If like us, you don't particularly care for the wording of your cards based on whether your parents are divorced or not (yup, that's a thing), but instead you care about having some kickass stationery that represents you as a couple and is going to get people excited for your big day, then you're in the right place with this interview from Harriett and Joel's lovely founder, Lauren.
Tell us a bit about yourself - like a first date, but less awkward, because we already love ya!
I’m Lauren, and I run Harriett and Joel. I’d worked in Advertising for four years before I decided to leave and travel to Australia. On my return, I knew I needed a change (and also a challenge!) which is when I began working for myself. I’ve been self-employed for nearly five years now - and I wouldn’t change it for the world!
How did you start out?
It all began in June of last year. I’d been engaged for a month and was scrolling through Pinterest looking for wedding stationery inspiration. I wanted something that was totally unique… a little bit ‘rock and roll’ I guess. There was nothing that really grabbed my attention… and so Harriett and Joel was born! I’d always known that I wanted my own business, in fact, I’d owned the harriettandjoel.com domain for over ten years, I just wasn’t sure what I wanted ‘Harriett and Joel’ to become. I’m a big believer in being yourself and doing things your way, so when H+J became an alternative and individual wedding stationery company, it felt right!
Where do you get your inspiration from?
Everywhere! Seriously, I try and take inspiration from everything I see, everyone I meet, everything I listen to… I try and soak it all up! In the past, I used to use Pinterest to try and spark ideas, but sometimes I feel you can actually lose focus and end up spending hours just scrolling. Now, I try and spend time away from a screen when I need to feel inspired. A few days on a beach somewhere usually does the trick! I have a huge family, and I’m really close to my siblings, so often I’ll ask their opinion on any thoughts/ideas/designs and they’ll help me develop it until it’s ‘finished’. My brother is also a designer which is handy… we’re always pinging each other random images and ideas!
Invitations are obviously the first chance a couple gets to really set the tone of their wedding - what’s your advice for couples setting their styling?
Invitations are the first glimpse into your big day, and you want them to reflect that. However, they should also only hint at your theme to keep an element of surprise when your wedding day arrives! My advice would be not to worry too much - so many of my couples send out their Save the Date, but have changed their mind on colours/style etc. by the time they’re sending out the invitations! So I would say keep everything simple... maybe keep ONE element of all stationery the same… whether that’s using the same font, or the same shade of blue?... that way there is some continuity throughout all of your stationery.
My new favourite trend is having a wedding ‘logo’ - love that idea! I’ve had clients who I’ve designed a logo for (using their initials), that has featured on their save the dates, and then they’ve had a neon light made, and balloons printed with it on - amazing!
Most of the advice on stationery for couples is on traditional wording - boring! What would you say the most important thing to know about it instead is?
I guess thirty years ago it was always the bride's parents that did the inviting, as they were the ones paying for the wedding! But now it’s more common that the bride and groom pay for the wedding, so they invite the guests. Personally, I quite like the ‘together with their families’ option, I think that includes everyone, but the invite still comes from the bride and groom.
The most recent wedding invitations I did were sent from a dog! The bride and groom weren’t able to take their dog to the wedding but wanted to include her, so we worded the invitations ‘Charlie Stephenson requests the pleasure of your company at the marriage of her Mummy and Daddy’ - so unique! The Bride also told me that their guests also RSVP’d to Charlie the dog which I think is so cute! At the end of the day, providing the guests know where and when your wedding is then you’re all good - word them however you like, it’s your day!!
Do you have a fave collection?
Yes and no! Out of the current five ranges, there’s something unique in each one that I love, each one has their own story and I like that they’re all so different. However, if I had to choose then it would probably be Roxanne, the tattoo queen! I feel like she’s the one that captures the essence of Harriett and Joel the most, plus I’m a huge lover of monochrome… she also happens to be the first range I designed!
Shout out to Charlie the dog!!!!! What a great idea!!! ... also, a wedding logo?! I am so down with this!
You can see more from the wonderful Harriett and Joel in the Book Of Love directory here. Don't forget to take advantage of the amazing offer for my readers - Get 10 % OFF when you use code UN-WEDDING !!!
Love Forever
Melissa
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