1. What are the different services offered by you in the luxury wedding space?
Ceci New York is a luxury invitation design house, headed by myself, Ceci Johnson. Our clients come from around the world for our couture, one of a kind experience that is unparalleled in the industry. We believe in the art of the possible; we set our canvas uniquely for each client so there is no limit to what we can create. Because of our bespoke creations, we’ve been coined by Harper’s Bazaar India as an “Invitation Icon”. I combine innovative design practices with traditional print processes, such as modern shapes with classic letterpress printing. For each of our clients, we love to establish a wedding brand early on for their event. This wedding brand begins with the save the date or invitation design and goes on to include branded moments for the day of the wedding/wedding weekend and beyond. We love to extend your unique brand design to the dance floors, chairs, linens, cakes, dj booths, day of paper accessories, menus, welcome bags, mendhi boxes, etc. Our capabilities are endless, and our talents can be applied in an abundance of ways. We are for the couple that wants to stand-out and be different. For the couple that loves us to run with our imaginations and create a design that is so personal and special for them. Our clients place their trust in our capabilities and in return, we are constantly inspired to set trends in and outside of the industry and make them look amazing!
2. Throw some light on the various choices available to incorporate in your invitations in context to Indian weddings?
Our bespoke designs can utilize a number of different elements; from hand-painted watercolors to custom-built boxes, to a variety of mixed materials, each invitation is unique and created exclusively for our clients. Many of our clients are drawn to Ceci New York for our mix of traditional elegance paired with stand-out designs. While approaching these designs, I always tend to gravitate towards color and ornate, symbolic artwork. Rich, jewel-toned watercolors or bright, multi-colored letterpress designs are often the most successful amongst modern couples. For an elegant touch, we love to add a luxurious metallic foil to enhance the intricate detailing of the custom artwork, as well as positive cultural symbols such as the peacock or elephant.
3. What is the most common request or preference suggested by the clients?
Our clients often seek us out for a unique, one-of-a-kind couture design experience. Our unparalleled creative process is extremely personalized, luxurious, and exactly what they’re looking for. Our clients place their trust in us and we bring their dreams to life. I begin with their story, as this is the most important foundation to any design; my creations are exclusively designed to express the bride and groom as a couple, perfectly capture their style, and set the tone for not only their wedding, but their life ahead together. We go on to establish a wedding brand, which is inclusive of design and color elements that are carried throughout the event. The custom artistry that is involved throughout our process, and completely personalized experience is seen as unmatched and therefore, commonly sought out by people who’d like to work with us.
Gold foil and laser-cut is always a favorite. Watercolor is also very popular. I love to hand paint prints or special designs for our clients. Such a special keepsake too!
4. Which project has been the most challenging process so far?
I had a vision to bring to life an extremely intricate, large-scale invitation design. The challenge came within not the design itself, but the approach to the design. It involved a lot of mixed materials which we needed to source from all over the world. Hand carved metal, gold plated mediums, hand-made boxes, gold foiling, metallic papers, letterpress – everything! The size alone was larger than life. We did many prototypes and testing and in the end it was an incredible masterpiece. The guests were blown away and most of all, the bride LOVED it!
5. What is the best compliment you have received for your work?
For me, the ultimate compliment comes from the guests. When I hear that a Ceci Bride and Groom were showered with praise and excitement by gushing friends and family, I am so overwhelmed with pride and achievement in knowing we successfully told the couples’ story. The invitation sets the tone for the entire wedding day and helps to solidify who the couple are as man and wife, beyond who they are as individuals. Anyone can buy an invitation off the shelf, but that doesn’t define who you are. We love to highlight how special and unique our clients are and help craft their visual statement to the world. We tell their story for them in a beautiful, artful way. There is nothing more fulfilling than knowing we not only captured their story perfectly, but that both the couple and their guests feel the magic of our designs. When guests say “I love your invitations, they’re SO YOU!” that’s when we know we did our job right.
6. What advice you would like to give to the couples for their wedding?
During the wedding process, my advice would be to plan your time accordingly. You want to be able to enjoy the months and weeks leading up to your wedding, and your final days as an engaged couple. Often times, we find that people underestimate how long a couture invitation design process takes. The number of artisans involved in high-quality, handmade design is plentiful. In our process, one invitation is touched by over 15 artisans and craftsman along it’s production life. People definitely do not factor in that great, quality design takes time, and especially with our creative process, it’s best to be able to enjoy it. So, start your research early, and stick to your gut when it comes to making decisions. Embrace a longer time frame with the confidence that the end result is going to be so much better. Enjoy the process!
Additionally, when the day of the wedding arrives, I love to tell my Ceci brides to just let go and be in the moment. This is what you planned for, so don’t forget to enjoy it. Assign your bridal party or planner to solve “issues” that may arise, they are your support staff! Don’t forget to smile, engage and bask in the love of your first day as man and wife.
Visit Ceci NY on her site and social media for more inspiration
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