Zoya Couture Invitation Suite

Who are you?
Arti Anand
ZOYA Couture
1-866-611-ZOYA (9692)
zoyacouture.com

What do you do?
Wedding Invitations (Custom Design and Ready to Order), Event Stationery (Place cards, table numbers, Menus, Programs, Signage), Marketing Collateral.

Where are you based?
Washington, DC – but we often work with brides around the nation. Samples are mailed, design and proofs discussed over phone and e-mail, and final orders sent via FedEx.

When and How did you get started in the South Asian wedding industry?
I grew up around weddings! My parents owned a South Asian wedding decor company and I spent my weekends helping them with the creative design and set-up. I had been doing freelance graphic and web design for several years before I decided to apply it to the wedding invitation industry.

Why do you do what you do?
I love weddings – there’s something magical about them. While South Asian weddings in particular are so glamorous, most couples in the States have a hard time selecting invitations that marry their South Asian heritage with their modern, chic lifestyle. I love working with couples to find their individual styles and translating that to invitations that they have envisioned.

Do you work exclusively on South Asian weddings?
Not exclusively, but a majority of our brides are of South Asian descent.

What are some mistakes you see most South Asian brides (and families) make?
Playing by the rules. Throw the rule book out! Brides and families begin their discussions with how they’ve seen other people do it, or how things have been done for generations. Don’t be afraid to get creative and try things differently. Create a wedding that’s beautiful to you, as its yours to experience and remember.

Do you only cater to certain budgets only?
We try our best to work with all budgets, but find that most of our brides are generally looking for exclusive, luxurious invitations that no one else has seen or done before. From silk folios to engraved coins – our creative brides always find unique ways to make their invitations stand out!

Describe a particularly memorable wedding you’ve worked on.
The invitation suite captured in the attached image (captured by Regetis Photography) is for a South Asian destination wedding in Puerto Rico in early 2010. It has been so much fun working with the extremely creative couple and their wedding planner. They have great style and will be reflecting this design theme throughout their wedding day materials. We’re excited to see how the events come together!

What’s your number one wedding tip?
Enjoy every minute of it. Wedding planning can get stressful – but don’t let little setbacks bring you down. Remember that at the end of the day, the purpose of the day is to be united with the one you love! Best wishes with your wedding planning!

courtesy of 3 Bees Paperie

Who are you?

www.3beespaperie.com

How did you get started in the South Asian wedding industry? How long have you been doing this?

3 Bees Paperie was started by 3 friends looking to launch a creative business that represented our diverse South Asian backgrounds. We found that there was a huge gap for high quality, unique invitations for South Asians in the US since many Indian American brides and grooms get their invitations from India, where the quality of paper is often poor and customer service is lacking. Hence 3 Bees Paperie was born!

Launched in May of 2009, 3 Bees Paperie is a wedding and social event stationery company that provides high quality and eco-friendly paper with contemporary, South Asian inspired designs. The company aims to provide unique inspirations for life’s celebrations through its three collections: Couture Weddings, ready-to-order wedding stationery; Baby Bees, ready-to-order baby announcements; and Made for You, for custom stationery.

courtesy of 3 Bees Paperie

What are some of your inspirations when putting together a wedding?

Our inspirations for our ready-to-order collection – Couture Weddings – come from fusing traditional South Asian motifs with contemporary aesthetics and the Western appreciation for high quality paper. For example, our inspirations have come from such South Asian motifs as peacocks, henna patterns, palace domes, Indian tribal art, and the mosaic patterns found in mosques.

For our custom line – Made for You – our inspiration comes from our clients! Wedding motifs, themes, and colors play a big part in what we create for our custom clients.

Do you only cater to only a certain budget?

Absolutely not. Our ready-to-order collections offer more affordable options for the budget-conscious bride, but we also can do custom work for higher budgets.

courtesy of 3 Bees Paperie

Where are you based out of?

We are a national, online based company and work with clients in the United States and abroad.

What are some mistakes you see most South Asian brides make?

In terms of wedding stationery, I think too often brides waits until the last minute to order invitations. There is a lead time for design and production and we feel it’s better if brides take their time, research what’s out there, and get the design they love and is perfect for their wedding.

Also, sometimes brides compromise on the quality of their invitations. It is important for them to realize that the invitation is the first symbol of the wedding that the guests see and sets the tone for what the wedding and the ceremony will be like. It is very important to make the first impression with the invitation.

What has been some of the most memorable weddings that you’ve worked on?

All our clients are special and so are their weddings. It’s hard to pick just one since each one is different and personal. Let’s just say we have not worked on a wedding that wasn’t made memorable!

Do you only do South Asian weddings?

No, we cater to clients from all backgrounds.

courtesy of 3 Bees Paperie