We were lucky to catch up with Ally Parker recently and have shared our conversation below.
Ally, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?
In the wedding industry, we at Madly in Love Designs get a front row seat to new trends because our brides to be are telling us what they want to see at their upcoming weddings! We have heard some really fun trends recently, three of which are our personal favorites: 1. The modern, minimalist trend – the “less is more” trend which uses clean lines, minimal or limited color palettes, and fiercely intentional details (no fluff!) to capture a timeless, chic aesthetic.
2. The retro bride – I LOVE this one. Groovy fonts, lots of curves/arch decor, bold color palettes, and vintage touches everywhere!
3. The terracotta bride – this trend has come in hot and fast this year. Brides are using super earthy tones, natural elements, and coupling traditionally boho style elements into their overall terracotta theme.
Ally, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Well, first of all, hi! My name is Ally Parker and I am the head letterer and owner of Madly in Love Designs, a wedding decor business based in Memphis, TN. I taught myself to hand letter when I was bride-to-be back in 2016 and couldn’t find anything that felt just right for our big day (or our budget)!
After our wedding, I had SO many signs with no real use, which made me wonder…
Why do brides BUY wedding signage, but RENT the rest of their decor?
From there, Madly in Love Designs was born and my obsession with all things hand lettering began. I love to dabble in digital illustration and try new things! While my favorite projects are usually wedding related, I love branching out and creating something never seen before!
Our inventory consists of wedding signage to buy, rent, or DIY! We are unique from other wedding signage vendors in the area primarily because we can serve any price point for a bride. We love to build luxurious, statement pieces for our brides with a bigger decor budget or help brides with tighter budgets either rent or DIY their signage using totally done-for-you templates that you can edit and print at home or at a local print shop. We are proud to bring Pinterest boards to life without the price tag, using innovation and creativity to make the wedding day details reflect the stories of the couples we get to work with. Another pro about working with Madly in Love Designs is that we offer delivery options to the Memphis area and surrounding suburbs – we actually work WITH your vendors so you don’t have to worry about storage, transportation, and returning items after the wedding. Our ultimate goal is to take one stressor off of a bride-to-be’s to do list – no matter what that looks like!
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
We have been so fortunate to get to work with some of the most talented, amazing wedding vendors in the area. They are really great resources and advocates for their brides, so as soon as they see a bride who wants custom signage or decor, they know to send them our way because we are always ready and willing to step up and deliver. Every time I get to deliver a sign to a new venue or new wedding planner, I love getting to know the people behind the business and earning their trust. We like to be stress-free to work with on the bride and the vendor side, which has helped grow our network substantially.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I have had to pivot many times in my business. As much as I hate to confess it, as much as I learn how to do what I do better each and every day, I also learn what NOT to do. One of our most recent pivots that I am SO proud of came from an influx of requests from non-Memphis brides. We got bridal inquiries from as far north as Wisconsin and as far south as Texas! With our inventory being heavily skewed toward Memphis based rentals, we really had trouble serving these brides without costing more in shipping than it did to rent the sign in the first place! SO we created a new business model – a complete collection of gorgeous, customizable wedding sign templates to elevate the elegance of your special day without the high price-tag or stress.
The first question I hear from any bride-to-be that I work with is “I know I need signage…but what all do I need?” They have full Pinterest boards of beautiful wedding decor, but can’t seem to find space in their budget to capture their impeccable taste. They’re overwhelmed with the laundry list of decor items they need to decide on and wish they had a fairy godmother to handle it all. They’re not sure what signage options are available, but want cohesive, high-quality signage to complement the beauty of the venue, the dress, the flowers, and (HELLO!) the bride! I’m beyond excited to share my full collection of Day-Of Wedding Signage to help bring your dream wedding to life.
Our new template bundle is affordable, stress-free, and designed to mirror the class and elegance of expensive, purchased wedding decor for a fraction of the cost.
Unlike other wedding signage templates, this ultimate bundle takes the over-thinking out of the equation. With my simple step-by-step approach to delivering high-quality wedding signage, couples will save hundreds of dollars on wedding decor with a virtual guide with you every step of the way (that’s me!). This new collection allows us to serve brides across the GLOBE – a business dream of mine!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.madlyinlovedesigns.com
- Instagram: @madlyinlovedesigns
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madlyinlovedesigns
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpFDz1_ebYItSIL2i-yWSHg?app=desktop
- Other: Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MadlyInLoveTemplates
Image Credits
Christen Jones Photography Shannon Roselius – lifeamongtheroses