Today, I was working with one of my many favorite clients. I designed her other daughter’s wedding invitations about 5 years ago. When I was illustrating the new wedding crest yesterday for her other daughter, I remembered what my client said to me. *You design whatever you want Michelle. I trust you! You are the artist.* My creative freedom is then set free and the design comes to life with no limits, no boundaries.

Photo: Michelle Mospens, instagram

It is hard to believe I am coming up on my 20th anniversary here at Mospens Studio! I can’t believe that long ago I started this design studio from my little sunroom in our home while our newborn son took his long naps. It has been that long that clients come to me and trust my artful visions for their designs. If I had to put a hashtag here, it would be #sograteful. 😉 I love working with busy professionals and event planners on their custom wedding invitation and stationery designs.

I would call myself a very seasoned designer. Does that mean my opinion is the only one that matters? No of course not. However, I do have a style and design vibe all my own and all designs that leave our studio are branded with it.

As I was painting this floral wedding crest for my lovely client, I thought… I love working with her and clients like her. She is also a designer and trusts my schooling, 20 years of experience and loves my work. So I thought, I should write an article about this. For you, the bride-to-be, groom-to-be, wedding planner, and/or event planner.

What to expect when you hire a professional designer:

1.) Trust them. – Professional designers are just that. They are in the business for making graphics and design look amazing. They are trained pros. All the tiny details of design show in a final piece. Leading, kerning, font selection, wording placement, color combos, and more. If there is a space between lines of wording added. There is a reason. Trust them.

2.) Believe them the first time. – Recently I worked with a few couples, where they wanted to adjust my first design. Changing fonts, moving wording. That is fine. However, they all go back to my original design. Why? Because that is what I was trained for. That is my job. To layout the perfect design for you.

3.) The ball is in their court. – When you work with an invitation designer, graphic designer, and interior designers keep in mind… this is their cup of tea. They have the knowledge to make your design awesome and stunning. Let them do the work for you. That is why you are paying them. 😉 See number 1.

4.) Browse the designers portfolio. – Look through my portfolio. View my semi-custom wedding collection. Peek at my instagram. Now you have seen my style. You know exactly what to expect if I paint a flower, a green leaf, a custom watercolor wedding crest, watercolor venue, or landscape. Just by looking at 3 locations for my illustrations. You are familiar with my exact style. When choosing a designer and illustrator, be 100% sure you are drawn to their style. Asking a designer to change their style is like asking someone to sign their signature with their less dominate hand. It just doesn’t flow. It is disrupted and not as it should be. Not every designer is for everybody. Don’t love the style you see in the collection of samples, move on to a designer you love.

5.) Communicate with your designer. – Describe your style and the vibe you love. Maybe you love softer hues. Tell your artist or illustrator this. Or my wedding colors are only black and white. This is very important to share before the design work begins. If you don’t share this. I would paint your flowers blush pink, peach and a pop of bright pink with loads of greenery. Love blue? Burgundy is the main color of your wedding color scheme? Share this. Share the details. This way your design can come together in the best way that represents your wedding style and personality. Not sure about your wedding colors? Research and have this key information ready when you start working with a designer. If you have the main color chosen the designer can work with you to coordinate other colors that match perfectly.

6.) Have a general idea of what you want. – By supplying the designer with the direction you want to go, they can focus on the important details for you. Having a beach wedding and want a landscape painting as the focus point of your invitation? Tell your designer. Need pink flowers added. Let your illustrator know. If you give all details upfront, less changes will occur. Saving you money and time. One time I was painting a landscape and venue for a bride, she wanted the sky to look like a sunset since the wedding was at sunset. But she wasn’t sure about it before seeing it. I painted the sunset and added as a layer digitally this way it could be easily removed if she didn’t love it. Turns out she loved it. Details such as this are important so the designer can focus in on the flow of the art and design.

“… She was selected primarily because of her artistic ability, combined with the use of watercolor painting. Her work is very unique and we found no other company on the web able to match the beauty of her style. … ~ Scott”

NEED IDEAS? Browse our current EXCLUSIVE INVITATION COLLECTION for design ideas. All designs can be customized to match your favorite fonts, color scheme and style.

HAVE QUESTIONS? Contact us today.