Posted by Britni Wood, Associate Style Editor
from top: logo for Anna's store, custom invitation suite, Anna and her darling husband on their wedding day
I'm thrilled to introduce Anna Bond from Rifle Design and new store Rifle Paper Co. as our Style Expert this week. Anna's work has graced the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings and can be seen in our Fall issue on newsstands now. I dare you to look at her gorgeous style without a smile on your face. She has the most whimsical and lighthearted approach to wedding invitations, so I thought, what better than to get to know what inspires her than to interview her right here on the Bride's Guide.
Britni Wood: Where did you get your start as an invitation designer?
Anna Bond: I studied graphic design in college and worked as both an art director and freelance designer/illustrator before I began designing stationery. After designing wedding invitation sets for a couple of close friends, I quickly began to realize how much I loved it and decided to focus on it as my business.
BW: What are the artistic influences and inspirations that have informed your design aesthetic?
AB: It seems like there are too many to list! I love sifting through all sorts of things to find inspiration such as mid century design & architecture, vintage children's books, South American folk art, and so on. I love illustrations by Marc Boutavant, Matte Stephens, and Mary Blair, all of which have a very nostalgic quality to them.
BW: I know you were married recently—congratulations! Has going through the process of planning your own wedding changed how you work with your brides? What words of advice would you give to brides about designing a custom stationery suite for their own weddings?
AB: I actually hadn't done too many stationery sets before I got married, but I'm glad that I got to experience being a bride before working with so many. I feel I can relate to the wedding process better and not only understand the importance of the day but the stresses that a bride can feel.
My advice to brides who want custom suites is to not be shy about sharing their photos, personal stories, likes and dislikes. This is one of the most important steps in the design process, and communicating what you want in the beginning helps the designer and bride be on the same page throughout the project. I love hearing as much as I can about each couple. Not only is it fun to hear, but I want to find out enough to be inspired by each couple so I create something uniquely "them."
BW: Can you share with us some of the crazy requests you’ve received the last few years?
AB: I wish I had a crazy story, but I've been very fortunate to have worked with wonderful brides who are are incredibly easy to work with. The craziest deadline I've had was probably my own wedding with its 4-month-long engagement.
BW: Tell us about your new great store!
AB: I'm so excited about it! It's been a long time coming and has been put on hold throughout the year while I've focused on my custom invitations. I'm set to launch next week on Monday the 23rd. The store will feature personalized wedding invitation templates, stationery, miscellaneous paper goods, art prints, and children's paper goods. I'll be adding more products throughout the year, but the main focus of the shop is the line of invitation templates. The designs are all illustrated and will feature lots of customizable options at a more affordable rate than my custom work—perfect for brides on a budget!
From: cara | 11/18/09 at 2:30 pm
Her work is gorgeous. Wish i was getting married again just so i could hire her
From: Dani Kreeft | 11/25/09 at 11:13 am
her designs are stunning and whimsical...her invitations only add the list of things i'm excited about when i get hitched.
thanks anna!!