Design with Connection in Mind 💌

I recently had the pleasure of attending a Heart & Fire gathering hosted by Nectar and Vessel and Fresh Take Co at the Inn at Hastings Park in Lexington, MA - an evening dedicated to fostering connection and conversation amongst hospitality professionals.

It was truly one of the most beautiful events I have ever attended - a color palette of rich turquoise, bold chartreuse, pops of red and royal blue, Spanish tiles as escort cards, beautiful sun-shaped menus and more. Amidst a hot and busy summer season, it was an invitation to slow down, exhale and savor. But beyond the decor and delicious food, there was something more - there was connection.

And it had me thinking about how good design is more than just decor or making something beautiful. It’s about infusing the beauty with intention, and creating opportunities for connection and conversation where you otherwise might not find it.

It’s about thinking beyond how something looks, to how something feels.

That feeling element came through at every touchpoint, but particularly via conversation topics sprinkled throughout the three course meal by our host Naomi, intended to help guests go deeper than the usual “this is where I’m from and this is what I do” small talk of most industry events. Amidst tastes of Spanish salad, we discussed with our table mates something we’ve been ashamed of in ourselves that we’ve grown to love. While savoring sensuous paella, we chatted about where we’re looking to bring more vibrancy to our lives. And between bites of dense olive oil cake, we shared the deepest desires we’re manifesting right now.

I attended this event 37.5 weeks pregnant, anticipating the night out would drain what little energy I still had. Instead, I left feeling fuller than before - in stomach, heart and soul - and like I had made some true friends at this event that I hope to stay connected with beyond. And it had me thinking of the importance of centering this kind of connection when we take the time to come together - and how stationery can help foster that. To go beyond just conveying information and invitation, to inviting conversation, connection and reflection.

If you’re looking to bring a little more intention into your event, here are some ways you can do that through your stationery:

💌 Handwritten notes to each guest that serve as both place cards and touchstones of gratitude, thanking them for coming to celebrate your special day and sharing why their unique presence is so important

💌 A conversation prompt at each table number inviting guests to share a favorite memory of you and your partner

💌 A blurb on your invitations encouraging guests to come prepared with a treasured love story to share

💌 Questions on cocktail napkins inviting you to find someone new and start up a conversation

💌 The story of how you and your partner met written out on the back of your dinner menu to spark discussion

If you’re looking for help creating stationery that is as intentional as it is beautiful, and personal as it is playful, I would love to work with you! Learn more & inquire at the link below to get the conversation started.

Designing the Table around Connection

For the first time in our new home, my husband and I are hosting Thanksgiving - bringing together our two families under our new roof. Naturally, I decided to design a menu for our table, inspired by the toile patterned dining chairs (originally upholstered by my husband’s mom!) that we’ll be sitting at. But it didn’t end there.

Because I didn’t want to design a menu just to design a menu. I wanted it to serve a purpose that went beyond a pretty piece of paper. I wanted it to help tie the different members of our family together at the table - to make people feel seen and special, and perhaps start a new tradition in this new space, centered around the Thanksgiving theme of gratitude. And so, I decided to use the back of our beautifully designed menus as pre-printed place cards with each guest’s name, with enough space below for us to write a hand-written note to each guest, expressing our gratitude to them. A pretty piece of paper that might otherwise get thrown away is immediately transformed into something to be treasured and saved.

And I share this because, whether or not you work with me on your wedding stationery, I want to invite you to bring this same kind of thinking into your wedding table, or even your next dinner party. I want you to consider how you can use your stationery not just to convey information and offer beauty (although those things are important, too!) but also to bring your guests together in these increasingly divided times. I want you to consider how you can design your table around the theme of connection.

There are so many ways you can do this - some I’ve explored with past clients, some I’ve seen online and just love. I invite you to steal any and all of these!

• Hand-written notes to each guest serving as place cards

• A story on the back page of the menu sharing how the couple met

• Polaroid photos of each guest serving as a place card

• Cocktail napkins with an inscription of the first text message shared between a couple

• Conversation topics written onto every table number based on where you seat people

You get the idea! While there is no need to go overboard here, I highly recommend thinking about how you can weave in a little more intention and a little more connection into your next event. I promise you’ll thank me later.