We recently connected with Kelly Zeller and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kelly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

While most people think of wedding invitations as “just paper”, there are truly thousands of variables to consider when bringing a stationery idea to fruition. Fortunately, there are plenty of awesome educators willing to share their expertise on a variety of education platforms. I have learned SO much from my peers and mentors, and am grateful the stationery community is so welcoming and helpful.

I’m sure I could. have sped up my learning process by taking more intensive courses in the beginning, but I personally learn best by “doing”. There has been A LOT of trial and error over here, but those successes and failures have taught me more than any course could. I think being able to allow yourself time and space to try stuff out (and probably fail a few times) is the most essential skill to have as a stationer (aside from knowing how to tie a perfect bow).

Time is my greatest obstacle to learning more, but I do love that each project I take on is an opportunity to add a new skill to my repertoire.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I taught middle and high school science for eight years before my kids were born. Right after my youngest was born, I got into calligraphy and eventually used my skills for my sister’s wedding. I quickly realized that there was a growing market for calligraphy in the wedding industry and decided to start a business. I now offer my calligraphy services alongside Custom and Semi-Custom Wedding Invitations, Save the Dates, and Wedding Day stationery to couples all over the United States!

At Look Good on Paper Co., our goal is to create wedding stationery that tells each couple’s love story in a unique way. We want your guests to open their mailboxes and say “Wow! This wedding is going to be epic!” I am so proud to offer our couples the highest level of service and stunning craftsmanship and quality. We strive to create stationery that guests will never throw away and that our couples will treasure as heirlooms for generations to come.

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

I started my wedding stationery business in 2019 and we all know what happened in 2020…It was incredibly challenging to navigate the growing pains of learning a new business and skill while experiencing the uncertainty of a global pandemic. Once restrictions lifted and weddings were back in action, I found myself inundated with current couples AND my couples who had postponed. There was a lot of work in the wee hours (and even more in the regular hours), but I learned very quickly what areas of my business could be streamlined and automated, as well as the importance of outsourcing. Those lessons and experiences have been so helpful in keeping my business running smoothly even after the post-COVID wedding rush.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I grew up wanting to be a teacher and absolutely loved the 8 years I spent in the classroom teaching science. Once I became a mom, teaching no longer felt like the best fit for our family. I am so grateful to have found the wedding stationery industry, as it has allowed me to exercise my creativity while building a business that can be flexible around our family schedule.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lookgoodonpaperco.com
• Instagram: @lookgoodonpaperco
• Facebook: Look Good on Paper Co.

Image Credits
All photos are my own.