Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashley Barado. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ashley, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?

I believe wedding stationery should be an investment piece, not a disposable expense. Most people in the wedding industry treat invitations as something you send out and forget about. But I approach each suite as if I’m creating a family heirloom—something that will be treasured in wedding albums and passed down through generations. While others focus on trendy designs that photograph well for social media, I’m thinking about how this piece will look and feel in someone’s hands 20 years from now.

Ashley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My path to becoming a wedding stationer wasn’t traditional—it started in a completely different field. With a B.S. in Psychology and an MBA in Marketing, I thought I had my career mapped out. But life had other plans. The pivotal moment came when I was designing my son’s second birthday invitation. As I worked with paper, choosing fonts, and seeing the design come to life, something just clicked. I realized I wasn’t just making an invitation—I was creating a tangible memory, a keepsake that would capture this moment in time. That’s when I knew I’d found my calling.

InvitoBella specializes in letterpressed, heirloom wedding stationery that goes far beyond the typical invitation. We create complete suites that tell your unique love story through paper—from the initial save-the-dates to day-of details like menus and programs. One of our signature services is custom venue illustrations, where I hand-draw your ceremony or reception location, creating a one-of-a-kind piece of art that becomes part of your wedding legacy.

Most couples face the same frustration: wedding stationery that feels generic, disposable, or doesn’t truly represent their relationship. They’re caught between mass-produced templates that lack personality and high-end options that feel stuffy or impersonal. I solve this by creating stationery that captures the essence of who you are as a couple. Whether you’re having a romantic garden affair or an elegant city celebration, each suite is custom-designed to reflect your story, your style, and your vision. But more importantly, I’m solving a deeper problem—the loss of tangible memories in our digital world.

I’m proudest when clients tell me they couldn’t bear to throw away their invitation, even years later. Recently, a bride from 2019 reached out to say she still has her invitation displayed in her home office because it brings her joy every day. That’s when I know I’ve succeeded—when my work transcends its original purpose and becomes a treasured part of someone’s daily life.

I’m also proud of bringing the traditional craft of letterpress to Louisiana couples who might not have had access to this level of artisanal stationery before. There’s something special about keeping these time-honored techniques alive in our digital age.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

What really built my reputation was investing in relationships with other wedding professionals who share my commitment to excellence. I made it a priority to connect with top-tier planners, photographers, and venue coordinators who understood the value of quality craftsmanship. When these industry leaders started recommending InvitoBella to their clients, it wasn’t just a referral—it was an endorsement of our shared standards. These professionals stake their reputation on every vendor they recommend, so earning their trust meant everything.

The key was delivering consistently exceptional work that made other vendors look good. When a wedding planner’s client receives an InvitoBella suite, it reflects well on their entire team. I focused on being the vendor that other professionals could count on—always meeting deadlines, exceeding expectations, and creating stationery that elevated the entire wedding experience. This reliability turned industry colleagues into genuine advocates who actively promoted our work because they knew it would enhance their own reputation with clients.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When I first discovered letterpress, I was completely captivated by the beautiful, tactile impressions I saw in other artists’ work. What I didn’t realize was that letterpress is one of the most unforgiving art forms you can learn—there’s no “undo” button when you’re working with expensive paper and custom plates. Every mistake costs money, and every job is a high-stakes learning experience because you’re working with someone’s once-in-a-lifetime wedding stationery.

My early days were filled with heartbreaking failures. I’d spend hours setting up a job, only to discover that my ink coverage was uneven, my impression was too deep, or my registration was off by just a fraction—enough to ruin an entire batch. I remember one particularly devastating press day when I had to throw away 200 invitations because the ink disc was too hot while sitting in garage. With the wedding just a few months away and mailing date rapidly approaching, I had to overnight new paper and start completely over, absorbing the cost of materials and losing sleep to meet the deadline. Each failure felt personal because I knew how much these invitations meant to my clients.

But every disaster taught me something crucial. I learned to read paper grain, to adjust impression pressure by fractions of millimeters, to troubleshoot ink issues, and to build in buffer time for the inevitable do-overs. The pain of those early failures made me obsessive about quality control and taught me that true craftsmanship comes from embracing the learning curve, not avoiding it. Now when I see that perfect letterpress impression, I remember all the imperfect ones that taught me how to get there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.invitobella.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/invitobella/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InvitoBella/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@invitobella

Image Credits

Kali Norton Photography
Carla Lawrence Photography
InvitoBella
Juliann Riggs Photography