i do monograms

Love Parasol Giveaway

2012-01-16T13:38:00.005-05:00

In honor of upcoming Valentine's Day we're giving away one of our popular "Love" parasols on Facebook! It's so simple to enter:

(1) Send your favorite picture of you and your significant other to iDoOriginals@live.com with the Subject: Facebook
(2) include your names and wedding date
(3) write a brief paragraph of how you met

Submissions will be accepted through January 30th at 12pm EST. On Feb. 1st all the submissions will be posted on our Facebook page. The couple that gets the most "likes" by February 10th at 12pm EST will win a free parasol! It's that easy!

*You must be a fan of our Facebook page to enter. Contest is open to US residents only. This contest is not affiliated with Facebook. We must receive a minimum of 10 submissions to hold the contest.

Press: NRV Magazine

2012-01-10T15:25:00.003-05:00

It's always such an honor to open the pages of a magazine and see products created by I Do Originals... it truly never gets old! I was so flattered when NRV Magazine asked to do a feature on me for their 2012 wedding issue and I think the article turned out great. I love the way it really focuses on the very humble beginnings of I Do Originals. For those interested, here's the whole story:

I Do Originals
by Ron Matney
photos by Laura's Focus Photography

“It just blew up!” I’m sitting in Kristin Melissa’s immaculately neat home office listening to her describe what happened with her business in 2006. Her beautiful one year old daughter Bellamy is happily making faces at me through the glass table as she crawls around with Ruby the bassett hound, Kristin’s constant work companion. Kristin started her company, I Do Originals, in 2006 after what she has quoted as a "happy accident.” She is a talented calligrapher and for her own wedding in June of 2006 she personalized a table runner for her big event. She posted pictures of her wedding onto a popular wedding forum hosted by the wedding magazine, The Knot. The forums soon exploded with comments on her beautiful work and she received numerous emails the first day after she posted the pictures from brides wanting to know where she purchased her table runner.

Kristin is classically trained as a counselor, which is what she was doing, and happily so, when all this took place. A New River Valley transplant from near Philadelphia, PA, she attended Radford University for her B.S. in Psychology, then obtained a M.S. from Virginia Tech. Despite her science/education background, she is very business oriented and quickly recognized the opportunity. Initial market research showed her that this is very much a niche market and that there weren’t many people providing this product. She also realized that she wouldn’t require much overhead if she kept her business limited to the internet instead of trying retail space. She started responding to brides via email to give them what they needed and soon launched a web site. The business is now internet driven and marketing is entirely by word of mouth.

Her business grew at an astonishing rate. She was immediately inundated with orders. She would work all day as a counselor and then all night filling orders. Soon people were asking for other custom products such as aisle runners, parasols and candles. Kristin found suppliers who could keep her stocked and was soon running at full capacity. She soon realized that she could not keep her clients happy and work full time as a counselor and so left her safety net and threw herself full time into her new business.

Its success is obvious. In preparation for this story I researched her business website and soon found that she is wildly popular. She has been featured in numerous wedding magazines, including Brides, the Knot, Weddings Unveiled, Belle, Kentucky Bride, Brides of North Texas and many others!

Thanks to the internet, her business is not limited regionally. She ships her products all over the United States. She finds international shipping to be very risky with such a fragile product and so limits international shipping. Despite her hesitations with international shipping, Kristin soon realized just how popular her work is when international brides-to-be in Canada hired a courier service in New York to get what they wanted! She now ships internationally to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and beyond through the courier service. Now that is ingenuity!

Every artist and/or business owner has their favorite story, and Kristin is no exception. When I asked her about her most memorable experience, her face lit up and she immediately started smiling. With no hesitation, she said, “Well, my biggest client contacted me when I was eight and a half months pregnant with Bellamy.” As if on cue, Bellamy gives me a huge smile and points at me through the glass table. Kristin was contacted by an event planner in Australia who needed twenty-one parasols in [drum roll] two weeks. At that moment, Kristin was buried in orders that she was trying to get out on time and trying her best to begin maternity leave. She attempted to hand the order off, but the client responded with, “I have done my research and you are the only person that can meet what I have planned.” The planner went on to explain that the groom in the marriage was the famous golfer Greg Norman, aka “The Shark.” It is Kristin’s policy to not cater to one client over another, but in this case she took the order (for fewer parasols than twenty-one) and got everything done in time!

I enjoyed my visit with Kristin, Bellamy and Ruby very much and felt once again, very humbled by the ingenuity, perseverance, dedication and work ethic of the small business owners here in the NRV. Look Kristin’s business up at www.idooriginals.com and fall in love with her beautiful work. If you want a parasol, aisle runner or candle customized for your wedding plan ahead. Kristin has a three-month backlog!

New for 2012

2011-12-20T11:37:00.009-05:00

I am so looking forward to all of the exciting things happening for 2012 at I Do Originals, including faster turnaround times (now just 2 months for hand painted items and 3-4 business days for electronic monograms) PLUS we're bringing back the "Featured Couples" section of our website, AND most importantly I am so excited to start the new year out in our NEW studio space. Here is a quick peek behind the scenes...

photo by Laura's Focus Photography

If you're newly engaged, congratulations and welcome! I know a lot of couples get engaged around the holiday season and we always get a huge influx of orders come January... so be sure to get your orders in early so you can take advantage of our faster turnaround times... they won't be around for long!

A Labor of Love

2011-11-30T11:28:00.004-05:00

This monogram provided by my sweet bride, Lupe, was a true labor of love to recreate onto a custom aisle runner but the turnout was totally worth it! The intricate design took nearly double the amount of time I had anticipated, but it really is spectacular, and one of my favorite runners to date! Best wishes to Lupe & James for a beautiful wedding day in the Riviera Maya!

Smitten Magazine Feature!

2011-10-05T16:09:00.004-04:00

Just received word that one of our parasols is featured in the Sept-Oct 2011 edition of Smitten Magazine! One of our lovely brides, Lauren, is gracing the cover and her entire wedding is featured in the mag. Congrats Lauren & Jon!

New Monogram Turnaround Times!

2011-08-16T07:42:00.002-04:00

As we're only accepting a limited number of orders at this time, it's allowing for faster monogram turnaround times on our electronic pre-ready monograms (yay!) Our current monogram turnaround time is now 3-4 business days from receipt of payment, although we're getting a lot of orders turned around same day or next day. This new turnaround time may not be around for long so get your orders in now!

Please note this is for electronic pre-ready monogram orders only which are sent as jpeg files directly to your e-mail. Turnaround times for aisle runners, table runners, parasols, and candles can be found in the FAQ section of our website.

We're Open!

2011-08-10T08:11:00.000-04:00

I know we have some very anxious brides waiting for this news... we'll the time has come to us to repen the shop! We are however, going to do a "soft opening" where we only accept a very limited amount of orders as our 8 month old daughter is still requiring a lot of time spent in the hospital. The orders we are currently accepting include all electronic pre-ready monogram orders, orders for non-personalized items, and a very limited amount of orders for our custom items for October 2011 weddings and beyond. If you submitted an order form prior to August 3rd and have not received an invoice, please resubmit your order. We are looking forward to working with our fabulous brides again!

Shop Update & Photo Blast!

2011-06-25T08:14:00.052-04:00

Thank you all so much for the continued support and prayers for our daughter. In the last five months she has undergone 13 blood transfusions (receiving transfusions every 1-2 weeks) and 5 platelet transfusions as her little body cannot sustain on its own. After an exhaustive amount of testing, doctors still have not been able to pinpoint a diagnosis. Through it all she remains in good spirits and is one of the happiest babies you'd ever meet.

Now to get down to business... despite all the hospitalizations and doctors visits, I've thankfully still been able to get out almost every order that was placed this year before the temporary close. I still have about 20 orders being processed and I'm so thankful to those clients for their patience. Please rest assured that I will definitely have these orders to you by your wedding dates! As of current, orders have been shipping out aprx. 2 weeks prior to the wedding date via USPS priority mail 2-3 day shipping.

For those of you who are anxiously waiting to place your order, I am now accepting all pre-ready monogram orders, so feel free to get your orders in for those. At this time those are the only orders I'm accepting; however, my tentative plans are to fully reopen the shop late July/early August. I will continue to keep everyone posted on the definite reopening date once I have that available. Thank you!

Here are just a handful of the creations that have come out of the I.D.O. Studio of the past few months...

Shop Status Update

2011-02-26T09:05:00.002-05:00

Thank you all so much for your patience and understanding during such a difficult time in our lives. It's been a very challenging past month and we have been back and forth to the hospital frequently for different testing and transfusions for our (now 3 month old) baby girl. I unfortunately am still unable to accept new orders during this time, but I am confident that we'll be able to get out all pending orders in time for your wedding dates; however, it may take longer than the current turnaround time listed on your invoice. For anyone who would like to cancel their order and receive a full refund I completely understand and would be happy to do that for you if you simply send me an e-mail stating that you'd like to cancel. Again thank you to everyone for your patience, support, thoughts, and prayers during this time, I can't tell you how much it's appreciated!

Temporary Shop Close

2011-01-31T19:03:00.004-05:00

I sadly am writing this update from the pediatric wing of the hospital where our beautiful two month old daughter has been admitted and had to undergo a blood transfusion. While she currently is stable we are unsure of how long we will need to remain in the hospital as she needs to undergo further testing. Unfortunately we will need to temporarily close the studio during this extremely difficult time. We will not be accepting any new orders until further notice.

To those awaiting orders, I am hopeful that we will be able to get your order to you in time for your wedding date; however, it may be longer than the turnaround times stated on our website. If we do feel that there may be a problem getting your order to you in time for your date I will be in touch directly with you about canceling your order and providing you with a full refund.

I am so sorry for any inconvenience this may cause but I certainly appreciate any thoughts and prayers you may send our way. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this very challenging time in our lives.

January 2011 Featured Couple: Jessica + Frank

2011-01-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

Photos by Arguedas Photography

Congratulations to our first featured couple of 2011, Jessica and Frank! Head on over to iDoOriginals.com to read more about their spectacular day.

We're Open!

2011-01-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

As anticipated, we have officially re-opened for 2011 after taking time off for maternity leave. I am excited to begin taking orders again but now in addition to running I Do Originals, I am a full time mother... so I'll only be accepting a limited amount of orders each month until I have the whole work/mother thing down! Also, I always try to respond to all e-mails within 24-48 hours and I will still continue to try my best in doing so, but please be patient if it takes a little longer at times. I'm starting today at tackling the enormous pile of e-mails in our inbox so if you're waiting on a response please know that I'm working as fast as possible to get back to you. I also have a slew of order forms that are awaiting invoices so bear with me and I'll get those out just as soon as I can. Thanks so much to everyone for your patience during my maternity leave and I'm excited to start working with all my 2011 clients! Happy New Year!

2010... A Year In Review

2010-12-21T15:47:00.010-05:00

It's been another incredible year at I Do Originals. We were featured in 7 different publications, did a huge order for golf legend Greg Norman, and despite closing several months early due to the arrival of my little one, we still worked with over 800 couples worldwide in 2010! I can't express my thanks and gratitude enough to all of those who continue to recommend us to their friends and family... your referrals are highly appreciated! I am looking forward to accepting orders again in 2011. Best wishes to all for a wonderful holiday season!

Welcome Bellamy Grace

2010-11-24T10:08:00.003-05:00

Photo by www.sweetpeastudiosva.com

Introducing the newest addition to the I.D.O. Family! Miss Bellamy Grace born on November 18, 2010 weighing 7lbs. 9oz. and 20" long!

Celebrity Couple Revealed: Greg Norman + Kristen Kutner

2010-11-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Remember these beautiful parasols we created for our secret celebrity couple? Well the news is finally out! As a world exclusive in this weeks issue of Australlia's New Idea Magazine, golf legend Greg Norman was married to the beautiful Kirsten Kutner on Sir Richard Branson's private island in the Caribbean. Kirsten ordered 10 monogram parasols along with a Just Married parasol (which she's holding in the picture on the cover) for their intimate beach wedding. It was an honor to create these for them and we can't wait to get our hands on a copy of the magazine so we can check out their beautiful photos!

Custom Verse Wedding Banners

2010-11-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

When bride Shannon shared a link to her wedding video on our Facebook page I just knew I needed to share it with all my lovely blog readers. Her wedding was spectacular and the cinematography is amazing. Featured in the video are the two custom verse banners we created for her, which I managed to grab some still shots (above) from the video for you to see. Check it out by clicking here and be prepared to get blown away by a stunning wedding and a beautiful couple!

Family Photography Props: Custom Parasols

2010-11-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

I have been super excited to create these parasols for family photographer Krystal over at Sweet Pea Studios. Ever since she first started her business I knew I wanted to create a parasol that said "Family" on it for all those amazing family photo shoots she does. She also mentioned wanting some custom parasols for her newborn & child photography so we did one that says "Little Blessing" and another that reads "Precious Gift" (these would also work great with maternity shoots!) I'm crazy about the way they turned out and I can't wait to see them in action!

November Featured Couple: Heather + Bryant

2010-11-08T08:22:00.007-05:00

Congratulations to our November 2010 Featured Couple, Heather & Bryant who were married in October 2009 in Bentonville, Arkansas. They ordered a custom aisle runner using a monogram from our classic collection (C1C) in red and chocolate placed at the beginning/entrance of the runner. We are so thankful to Heather and her fabulous photographers, The Hudsons, for providing us with these beautiful images. To see more from their lovely wedding be sure to head over to iDoOriginals.com and check out their feature! Congratulations Heather & Bryant!

A note from Heather: "The aisle runner was beautiful and added a personal, elegant touch to the ceremony."

Custom Aisle Runners, Banners, Parasols, and Candles

2010-11-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

This is the final bunch of orders that were recently sent out before our closing... I'm definitely going to miss creating such pretty things for a while and I'm already looking forward to the reopening in January so I can begin working with more wonderful couples in 2011!

Announcement: Shop Is Temporarily Closed (November 1-January 2)

2010-11-01T07:27:00.006-04:00

Photo courtesy of www.sweetpeastudiosva.com

It's officially time to close up shop for my maternity leave! As we anxiously await the arrival of our little girl, the shop will be closed temporarily from November 1-January 2. We will be re-opening January 3, 2011 and accepting orders for March 2011 weddings and beyond at that time. In appreciation to all of our fantastic, loyal clients for your support and patience during our close time, we'd like to extend a 10% off coupon to use during the first month of our re-opening in January (use code OHBABYJAN11). So please be sure to check back in the new year and have a wonderful holiday season!

To all of our current clients: While we are closed at this time we are still working on a handful of monogram orders... so if you've already placed and paid for your order don't fret! It will still be completed within the turnaround time stated on your invoice. Thank you!

To all of our future clients: The website will remain up and running so that you can plan ahead for all the lovely items you'd like to purchase upon our reopening in January. We'll also continue updating the blog on a regular basis so be sure to check back often! We look forward to working with you upon our reopening!

Custom Aisle Runners & Parasols

2010-10-28T14:31:00.010-04:00

A quick post just to share some of our recent goodies. Best wishes to all these amazing couples!

Wedding Photo Prop: The Love Parasol

2010-10-27T08:00:00.001-04:00

One of our super sweet couples sent us this beautiful picture of the Love parasol we created for their July wedding in Cleveland, Ohio along with a note that read:

"I have been meaning to contact you for some time in regards to how beautiful the parasol was for my big day! My bridesmaids carried green parasols therefore my white parasol with black writing stood out in the photos. I have attached a photo that our photographer took to especially highlight the parasol. I hope you enjoy the image as much as we enjoyed taking the photo! I am hoping to enlarge this image onto a canvas to hang on our walls for years to come! Thank you again so much!" Amanda

Thanks so much Amanda and congratulations on your beautiful wedding day!

Custom Aisle Runners, Table Runners, Unity Candles, and Wedding Parasols

2010-10-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

Starting off the week by sharing some beautiful items for some super sweet couples. The first (and very large) order is for couple Aimee & Mark, who ordered a black aisle runner with monogram E6C, four single initial B parasols in black font 7, a three initial parasol in silver font 7, a thank you parasol in black font 7, and a unity candle set with monogram E9A with the double ribbon upgrade. I'm crazy about how all of their items turned out, and this will no doubt be an incredible wedding

The next order is for couple Casey & Matthew who came to us a while back with a request for a custom monogram that incorporated their dachshund and a starfish. The design turned out so cute that they then requested we put it on a table runner and unity candle. Love how these turned out and how personal these items will make their wedding!

The third order we're showing off today is the table runner we created for couple Autumn and Michael. They chose monogram C9D, which has definitely been a popular choice amongst our couples recently, and they decided to make it even a little more special by adding the glitter overlay upgrade. We didn't have the best light for photographing the glitter, but in person it really adds that little extra glitz and glam! Best wishes to these three fabulous couples!

Celeb Wedding Sneak Peek

2010-10-22T08:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday all! As usual here's a peek at what's been taking place in the IDO studio lately. The picture above is part of the order for our celeb clients (be sure to check back to find out who they are come mid-November!) They ordered 10 of these beautiful monogram parasols as well as a just married parasol. Best wishes to them and to all of the lovely couples who have items featured below!

Personalized Dress Tags available at iDoMonogram.com

2010-10-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Just as a reminder our sister shop is still open over at www.iDoMonogram.com and is accepting orders for all embroidered items like their unique personalized reflection tags that take a twist on the traditional monogram dress tags. Instead, these special dress tags include the bride's birth name and birth date followed by her new married name and wedding date. They truly are a special way to personalize your wedding gown and add a sentimental element to the gown. Looking for the standard monogram dress tag? They offer those too!

Be sure to check out all their unique embroidered items at www.iDoMonogram.com!

More goodies!

2010-10-16T16:31:00.010-04:00

Quickly stopping in to share a few more of our recent goodies... best wishes to all these fabulous couples! Be sure to check back on Monday for a feature on our sister site www.iDoMonogram.com!

Sooo busy!!!

2010-10-12T20:02:00.011-04:00

I love all these Fall weddings... they're definitely keeping me busy! I still have a little over 50 hand-painted orders to finish before I'm officially on maternity leave (not including all the monogram and logo orders!) and I have to say working on all these pretties makes me miss not taking in new orders. I'm really looking forward to when I can begin accepting new orders for hand-painted items again come January 2011!

Remember we're still accepting monogram orders (unfortunately no corporate logos at this time) and our sister shop is still open and accepting embroidery orders over at iDoMonogram.com so be sure to check them out!

Featured In Brides Magazine November 2010 Issue!

2010-10-07T09:23:00.006-04:00

It is such an honor to be featured for the second time this year in Brides Magazine! That's right, after featuring us in their article "100 Wedding Upgrades for $100" in their August 2010 issue, the editors of Brides asked if they could feature us AGAIN in their November 2010 issue in an article "All About Monograms". Our company is featured in the section "How to Brand Yourselves" and here's what the editors had to say about us:

"iDoOriginals.com- It's got dozens of handsome templates; prices start at $10 for three different styles. You can also commission something from scratch (custom work from $30)"
Pretty exciting! Be sure to pick up the November 2010 issue available on newsstands now!

Goodies!

2010-10-06T17:56:00.014-04:00

Lots to share today! Best wishes to all these fantastic couples!

Happy Friday!

2010-10-01T16:59:00.016-04:00

As usual we're closing out the week by sharing some of our recent goodies. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Sweet Pea Studios (Fairfax, Virginia)

2010-09-28T08:00:00.004-04:00

Photography by Sweet Pea Studios

Rarely do I write personal posts, but I'm just so excited to share my review of Sweet Pea Studios with everyone! As you all know by now... I'm expecting in early December (just 10 short weeks!) and just had my baby shower this weekend. My dear friend Krystal, who is the talented photographer of Sweet Pea Studios located in Fairfax, VA was thankfully able to attend and convinced me to let her take a few maternity photos... and I'm so happy that she did! Her talent truly amazes me and she did a wonderful job of making me feel relaxed, comfortable, and beautiful at a time when I'm the most self conscious. For anyone in the Fairfax/Virginia Beach area looking for a newborn, children, or family photographer you should definitely check her out! (*B parasol by iDoOriginals.com of course!)

From Small Beginnings...

2010-09-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend three of the most incredible women I know will be hosting my baby shower. I'm so excited about it and I know they've done a fantastic job! I've had a really hard time just sitting back and not doing much to help out though (you know me... I love party planning) so... I whipped up this sweet little banner as my contribution to the shower (of course they all keep saying my contribution is the baby!) and I adore how it turned out. At the I.D.O Studio we've done a lot of items for events other than weddings, but nothing for a baby shower yet. Event banners will definitely be something I plan on highlighting once we reopen in January. In fact, I have a few new things in mind for the reopening... so stay tuned!

Lots more to share!

2010-09-23T08:33:00.015-04:00

Lots of custom goodness is going on in the I.D.O. Studio! Check out some of our most recent creations. Enjoy!

Happy Friday!

2010-09-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

Lots of goodies to share today! Best wishes to all these wonderful couples. Have a great weekend everyone!

Featured on The Conneticut Wedding Blog

2010-09-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

This is long overdue, but we were featured back in July on The Connecticut Wedding Blog, which is the blog of amazing event designer Candice at Event Jubilee. We've worked with Candice previously and this time we did a custom aisle runner for couple Jessica & Frank who had a gorgeous wedding... take a peek and to see more check out the full post over on Candice's blog. Congratulations Jessica & Frank!

Photography by Arguedas Photography

Happy Friday!

2010-09-10T08:32:00.011-04:00

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

More goodies...

2010-09-07T08:00:00.001-04:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend! Enjoy the 4 day work week!

Real Wedding: Marjorie + Essmus

2010-09-03T08:09:00.006-04:00

A big thanks to Marjorie & Essmus for sharing some images of the beautiful aisle runner we created for their June 26th wedding! The couple requested a special order black aisle runner with one of our ornate monogram designs in white and deep pink... it turned out beautifully and I'm so thankful for the photos so we could see the runner in action! Congratulations Marjorie & Essmus!

More goodies!

2010-09-02T07:57:00.000-04:00

More goodies to share! I'll be back soon with lots more. Enjoy for now!

September Featured Couple: Britney + Bo

2010-09-01T09:18:00.003-04:00

Photos by Nine Photography

Can you believe it's September already? With a new month comes a new featured couple and this month we're featuring the colorful wedding of Britney & Bo, which is currently also featured in Brides of North Texas Magazine. To see more beautiful images of their incredible day and to read about their feature click here!

Last Day To Order Parasols & Candles!

2010-08-31T08:13:00.002-04:00

Just a reminder that today is the LAST day of 2010 to order custom parasols and unity candles! We'll still be accepting digital monogram orders and orders in our sister shop (iDoMonogram.com) for a while longer, but if you want a custom parasol or unity candle make sure to get your order in today!

Why is it the last day to order? Here's the full announcement below, just in case you missed it previously:

In preparation of my scheduled maternity leave at the end of the year, I'll unfortunately have to stop taking orders early in order to get them all completed by November 1st. The goal is to close temporarily for maternity leave from November 1st- January 3rd. So... here's a little heads up with a basic outline of what to expect over the next few months:

Current Clients: If you've already placed and paid for your order, it will still be processed within the approximated times stated on your invoice... no changes for you!

Future Clients: If you're thinking of ordering soon... hurry up! Here are some important dates to keep in mind:

July 31st- The last day to order custom aisle runners, table runners, and banners.

August 31st- The last day to order personalized candles and parasols. The turnaround time will be aprx. two months for all orders placed in the month of August.

September 30th- The last day to order custom monograms & logos. The turnaround time will still be 20 business days as stated on our site.

As of November 1st I will be completely on maternity leave and the shop will be closed temporarily with the exception of monogram orders, which we will still be accepting throughout my maternity leave. I will be reopening January 3, 2011 and ready to accept orders for March 2011 weddings and beyond! In the meantime, our sister shop at www.iDoMonogram.com will remain open and is happy to accept all orders!

You can still expect numerous blog updates every week as we'll still be sharing all of the orders we're currently working on and completing for those whose orders are already in, so be sure to check back often to see all of our recent goodies!

Happy Weekend!

2010-08-27T10:47:00.012-04:00

Hope everyone has a wonderful, safe weekend!

The Thank You Parasol

2010-08-23T08:46:00.003-04:00

It's always so nice to get thank you notes and photos from clients. Here's a picture of one of our recent brides, Susan, and her new hubby with the thank you parasol we created for them. Susan explained that this is the photo they'll be using for their thank you cards for their guests. Thanks for sharing Susan and congratulations!

Happy Thursday!

2010-08-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

I won't bore you with the dozens of Thank You parasols and Just Married parasols we've been working on lately, but here are a few of the other items we've shipped out recently... enjoy!

Featured In Brides of North Texas Magazine

2010-08-16T16:58:00.011-04:00

One of our fabulous couples, Britney & Bo, were featured in the newest issue of Brides of North Texas Magazine! One of the photos shows off the custom monogram parasols we created for them that spelled out their new last name. Here are some of the fantastic photos of their day from their incredible photographers from ninephotography.com.
You can read more about their fabulous colorful wedding and see more yummy images over on ninphotography's blog. Congratulations Britney & Bo!

More Goodies

2010-08-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

I love posting all of our recent goodies... we have lots to share so be sure to check back often for more!

Happy Monday!

2010-08-09T09:10:00.009-04:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Just popping in to share some of recent creations for our fantastic clients. Enjoy!

Ordering Info

2010-08-02T08:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday All! Just wanted to provide a quick update that the first phase in slowing down in preparation for my maternity leave is in effect. We are unfortunately no longer accepting orders for aisle runners, table runners, or banners at this time but will begin accepting orders again come January 3, 2011 for March 2011 weddings and beyond. We are still accepting parasol & candles orders for the month of August and we're accepting all monogram and logo orders through the end of September. You can read the full announcement here for more info.

You can still expect numerous blog updates every week as we'll still be sharing all of the orders we're currently working on and completing for those whose orders are already in, so be sure to check back often to see all of our recent goodies!

August Featured Event: Brooks & Bonnie's Love Shoot

2010-08-01T12:37:00.002-04:00

Photos by Trent Bailey (as featured on Wedding Chicks)

For our August Featured Event we selected the incredible love shoot of Brooks and Bonnie captured by the amazingly talented Trent Bailey. The shoot was taken in a lovely field in Louisiana and included an abundance of little details, including one of our love parasols, that really brought the shoot to life. It was a pleasure to be a part of this incredible love shoot. Be sure to check out the feature on our website at www.iDoOriginals.com.

Press: Orange County Bride Magazine

2010-07-28T08:00:00.001-04:00

Just found out that one of our super sweet couples, Lisa & Nick, were featured in the newest issue of Orange County Bride Magazine! The beautiful butterfly aisle runner that we created for them appears in the magazine twice... pretty exciting! A big congratulations to Lisa and Nick, they are such a beautiful couple!

Featured on Brides of North Texas Magazine's Blog!

2010-07-27T18:54:00.002-04:00

All photos courtesy of Elizabeth Messina via Brides of North Texas Magazine Blog

Just found out that the Just Married parasol we created for Jon & Lauren was featured on the Brides of North Texas Magazine's wedding blog! On top of that we received word that we've been featured in another magazine as well... check back tomorrow morning to find out which one and to see the feature!

1 More Week to Place Orders for Hand-Painted Items!

2010-07-26T08:05:00.004-04:00

Stopping in to share some recent goodies! As a reminder, if you're looking to order any of our hand-painted items you have just 1 more week to order before I stop taking orders in preparation for maternity leave. Saturday, July 31st will be the last day I'm accepting orders for these items... so don't delay!!! You can read here for more details.

Featured in Bride's Magazine!

2010-07-21T17:13:00.005-04:00

Just got fantastic news that we're featured in the August 2010 issue of Bride's Magazine! Such a huge huge honor. We're featured in the article "100 Wedding Upgrades for $100" coming in at #29 for our personalized table runners. Pretty exciting!

Recent Goodies

2010-07-20T09:00:00.011-04:00

Just stopping in quickly to share some of our most recent creations... enjoy!

Real Wedding: Nicki & Marcus

2010-07-19T08:02:00.000-04:00

Just received another super sweet note from one of our fabulous brides along with pictures courtesy of photographer Darren Freeman. So thankful to Nicki for being such a wonderfully sweet client to work with!

"I just want to thank you so much for helping to make my wedding day extra special! The aisle runner, unity candle, memory candle, and parasol were amazing! Thank you for your hard work and effort in executing these items, I can't imagine my wedding without them." - Nicki

Love Birds

2010-07-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

How adorable is this runner?! I'm crazy about those sweet little owls and the quote is so perfect for a love birds theme. Best wishes to Lisa & Dan who are getting married this weekend!

Preparing for Maternity Leave Reminder

2010-07-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to write a quick reminder of a few dates that are important as I prepare for maternity leave. The goal is to close temporarily for maternity leave from November 1st- January 3rd, but I'll need to stop taking orders early in order to get them all finished by November 1st. So... here's a little heads up with a basic outline of what to expect over the next few months:

Current Clients: If you've already placed and paid for your order, it will still be processed within the approximated times stated on your invoice... no changes for you!

Future Clients: If you're thinking of ordering soon... hurry up! Here are some important dates to keep in mind:

July 31st- The last day to order hand-painted items (aisle runners, table runners, banners, & parasols). The turnaround will still be three months as stated on our site.

August 30th- The last day to order personalized candles. The turnaround time will still be 4-8 weeks as stated on our site.

September 30th- The last day to order monograms and logos. The turnaround time will still be 20 business days as stated on our site.

As of November 1st I will be completely on maternity leave and the shop will be closed temporarily. I will be reopening January 3, 2011 and ready to accept orders for March 2011 weddings and beyond!

Real Wedding: Tyehae + Dustin

2010-07-12T08:06:00.004-04:00

Photos courtesy of www.schmidtphoto.com

I can't say enough how much I LOVE when we get love notes from our clients! Beautiful bride Tyehae just sent us over these fantastic photos of the custom parasol we create for her along with a super sweet note that reads:

I just wanted to personally thank you for the beautiful parasol. It made for beautiful pictures. I wanted to share the beauty that my photographer captured with your parasol. Thank you again. You guys made my wedding pictures timeless!!!!! -Ty

Congratulations to Ty & Dustin on their beautiful wedding!

Real Wedding: Nicole + Joey

2010-07-09T10:05:00.007-04:00

A huge thank you to the beautiful Nicole and her handsome hubby Joey who just sent us the sweetest note along with these incredible images from their day. Getting love notes really makes my day so I wanted to share with you all the kind words that Nicole wrote regarding the custom monogram she ordered from us:

I Do Originals team~

I have been meaning to say thank you for making our wedding so special! I recently shared your website with a friend that is getting married this fall and thought I should share some pictures with you as the logo you created for us was the design inspiration for our wedding. We used it for the inspiration for creating our wedding invitations, cake, cupcakes and even a go-bo!

Thank you for all of your hard work and partnership! We have used the monogram on our return address labels and I think it will be with us for a long time to come- it is now our signature! Thank you for being part of our big day!

~Nicole

Out of Studio 7/2-11

2010-07-02T08:00:00.002-04:00

Just a quick note that we will be out of the studio starting this afternoon (July 2nd) until July 11th. Please feel free to continue placing orders just know we will have limited access to internet but will get back to all e-mails and order inquiries as soon as possible although it may not be until we're back in the studio on 7/12. Thanks so much and have a wonderful 4th of July weekend everyone!

Monday Night Spotlight

2010-06-28T20:22:00.008-04:00

Just popping in to share some more goodies! Best wishes to all these lovely couples!

Shop is Re-Opened!

2010-06-26T18:41:00.013-04:00

Lots more goodies to share! Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. Also FIY the shop is back open and we're now happy to accept all orders!

Bella Magazine Luncheon

2010-06-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

The lovely ladies of Bella Magazine (we were featured in their Feb. 2010 issue) are having a super huge luncheon today and asked us to create a couple goodies for them. Of course I was happy to do so and provided them with two Bella parasols and two Bella banners... aren't they just so pretty? For all the lucky attendees be sure to look out for our goodies at the luncheon and enjoy!

Supersized Spotlight!

2010-06-23T20:05:00.024-04:00

Lots to share today! Despite being on all my restrictions I've really been able to get a lot of orders out recently. On a personal note baby is still doing great (got to see the little one today!) and I'm feeling wonderful... but doc still hasn't cleared me from my restrictions. Things are definitely going in the right direction which is wonderful news and hopefully I'll be cleared next week! I have to say taking this little break has really decreased my stress levels which I believe is really helping. I can't thank you all enough for your patience and support during this time... it means the world to me! I look forward to getting back to working full force again and taking all those new orders!

Love Never Fails

2010-06-18T14:17:00.004-04:00

These three simple words speak volumes... I'm crazy about this aisle runner we created for couple Lauren & Neal... what to know the coolest part? The first letters of each word are their initials... I love our creative couples!

Lots of Goodies + Shop Update

2010-06-17T08:00:00.002-04:00

I have to start by saying a huge thank you for all the overwhelming support I've received from clients (past, present, and future) as well as from so many of my industry friends. Just as a quick update... baby is doing great but I'm still stuck on restrictions for another two weeks so the shop will definitely be down until then, but hopefully I'll be cleared from all restrictions at that point and will be ready to get things back up and running again! Again thank you so much to everyone for all your support and patience during this time... I can't tell you how much I appreciate it (and so does baby!)

Important Announcement

2010-06-14T11:37:00.003-04:00

Hi lovies. Let me start by saying I regret having to write this and I'm so so sorry for having to do so. If you are a regular reader of my blog you know the exciting news that I'm expecting in December. Well unfortunately recently I've been having some complications with my pregnancy. After a visit to the ER I have to take things extremely easy for a while. So... while I'm still able to work on all of these pending orders for my lovely couples, it's taking me a lot longer to get things done at the pace I have to move at currently due to the restrictions I've been given by my doctor. With all of that being said, here is how this might affect you:

Potential Future Clients: I'm no longer accepting orders at this time and will be temporarily closed until further notice. I hate having to do this and if there was anyway possible to prevent this temporary close I would do it... but I really need to put my health and my baby's health first at this point in time. As soon as I can start taking orders again I will be sure to let you know.

Current Clients: All orders will still be completed in time for your wedding dates, it just may take longer than the current turnaround times listed on the site. How much longer? I'm not sure... I've never had to deal with anything like this before so this is all new to me but all orders WILL be completed in time for your wedding dates. I am so sorry for any delays this may cause and I really appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.

I'm usually not one to post about my personal life but I feel it's necessary to let you all know what's going on. I love my business and I love working with each of you but I unfortunately need to put my health and my baby's health first at this time. Please just know I'm doing everything I possibly can to get your orders to you as fast as possible with the restrictions I'm currently on and I will be taking new orders again just as soon as I possibly can. I appreciate everyone's patience and support during this time... prayers are appreciated as well!

xoxo,
Kristin Melissa
Owner, I Do Originals

Friday Goodies!

2010-06-11T09:32:00.012-04:00

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Oh. So. Busy.

2010-06-07T19:41:00.024-04:00

Lots more lovlies to share today! Enjoy!

Baby On Board!

2010-06-04T09:15:00.001-04:00

Rosey Sugar

I'm so excited to announce to my lovely readers, clients, and industry friends... I'm pregnant! That's right lovies, I'm due in December and couldn't be more excited. As you all are well aware by now, I Do Originals has been my baby for the past 4 years... but now there's a new baby coming and I've been trying to figure out ways to still work as long as possible but take care of myself and allow for proper rest at the same time. The goal is to close temporarily for maternity leave from November 1st- January 3rd, but I'll need to stop taking orders early in order to get them all finished by November 1st. So... here's a little heads up with a basic outline of what to expect over the next few months:

Current Clients: If you've already placed and paid for your order, it will still be processed within the approximated times stated on your invoice... no changes for you!

Future Clients: If you're thinking of ordering soon... hurry up! Here are some important dates to keep in mind:

July 31st- The last day to order hand-painted items (aisle runners, table runners, banners, & parasols). The turnaround will still be three months as stated on our site.

August 30th- The last day to order personalized candles. The turnaround time will still be 4-8 weeks as stated on our site.

September 30th- The last day to order monograms and logos. The turnaround time will still be 20 business days as stated on our site.

As of November 1st I will be completely on maternity leave and the shop will be closed temporarily. I will be reopening January 3, 2011 and ready to accept orders for March 2011 weddings and beyond!

Of course this all may change based on how I'm feeling, if the baby's late or early, etc. but as of right now this is the game plan. I'm so excited for this little one to come!

More goodies!

2010-06-03T08:00:00.001-04:00

Lots more goodies! Enjoy!

June Featured Couple: Vanessa + Grid

2010-06-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to our June Featured Couple Vanessa & Grid! They were married in October 2009 in Laguna Beach, California. They ordered a custom monogram aisle runner with monogram C1C from our classic collection which was the centerpiece of their seaside ceremony.

"Thank you so much for making our aisle runner picture perfect. Your attention to detail and creative talent was exactly what we hoped for. These memories will be with us for an entire lifetime." - Vanessa

Back to the Grind

2010-06-01T08:00:00.001-04:00

Hope everyone enjoyed their 3 day weekend! Can you believe it's June already? This year is flying by. Be sure to head over to iDoOriginals.com and find out who our June Featured Couple is! We'll be doing a post on them tomorrow but for now check out some of our latest goodies. Enjoy!

The Love Parasol

2010-05-28T08:17:00.005-04:00

Images by Christine Olson Photography

I thought I'd kick off the long weekend with this lovely engagement shoot by the super talented Christine Olson. Christine found us on ETSY and purchased one of our "Love" parasols to use as a photo prop for some of her shoots, which is how we came across her AMAZING blog filled with the most gorgeous images. There's something about the way she uses props in photos that just makes everything seem so enhanced (and of course I particularly love the way she utilized the Love parasol.) Head on over to her blog to see more of her incredible work!

Wishing everyone a fantastic Memorial Day weekend! As a reminder we will be closed on Monday to observe Memorial Day and will be back in the studio Tuesday to respond to all e-mails and orders. Thanks!

More Goodies!

2010-05-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

So many to share! There's nothing like wedding season... it's so much fun working on all these creations for our lovely couples. Can't wait to share more soon, enjoy for now!

Happy Monday!

2010-05-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! Here are a few of our recent goodies... we have lots more to share so stay tuned!

Recent Goodies

2010-05-18T09:19:00.009-04:00

Quickly stopping in to share some of our most recent. Enjoy!

Custom Aisle Runners with Graphics

2010-05-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

Loving all of these runners with embellishments... from flourishes, to starfish, to seashells, to florals, we pretty much do it all. Selecting a runner with a graphic element really adds that special something extra. We of course love all of our text only monograms as well but if you're looking for something a little different check out the monograms in our embellished, ornate, and themed collections.

Happy weekend!

2010-05-14T21:00:00.011-04:00

Happy weekend! We're still swamped... and definitely no end in sigh which is why blog posts have been a little slow. But not to worry, we're still going to be posting any spare minute we can find! Check back tomorrow for a post full of runners with beautiful embellishments.

Beautiful Butterflies

2010-05-12T09:05:00.003-04:00

Words cannot even begin to describe how in love I am with the items we created for Lisa & Nicholas' May 22nd wedding. I mean, just look at that aisle runner... amazing right? I have to say all the time that went into this runner was well worth it as the entire thing turned out so beautifully. The logo was created by Seanny at My Creative Vision and as you can see she's a super talented designer. Best wishes to Lisa & Nicholas for a beautiful wedding day!

Featured on Wedding Chicks!

2010-05-11T19:00:00.003-04:00

Just received cool news from the fabulous Trent Bailey that one of his photo shoots that featured our "Love" parasol was just published on Wedding Chicks! Go check it out and also be sure to check out Trent's amazing work!

May 22nd Weddings

2010-05-11T08:12:00.003-04:00

So far the biggest day of the year for weddings is hands down May 22nd. We have been working tirelessly on orders for this date for quite some time now... above is not even a quarter of the items we've created for May 22nd couples... it's such a popular date! From Hawaii to Texas to New York and everywhere in between there will definitely be no shortage of weddings on 05.22! A huge thank you to all of our fantastic May 22nd couples and best wishes for a beautiful day!

Featured on AOL's Aisle Dash

2010-05-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Fun news! Our etsy shop was featured on AOL's Aisle Dash as the "Best of Etsy" for handmade wedding items... what a nice honor! Go check out the great feature and find lots of other incredible wedding vendors on Etsy.

Thursday Lovelies

2010-05-06T08:18:00.009-04:00

I'm sure it's pretty easy to see how busy we are with all the posts of the recent creations from the I.D.O. Studio, but I just have to say this year is above and beyond any year in the past with how many orders continue to fly in and how many orders we have to pump out each day just to keep up! We unfortunately are running just a tad behind schedule so we've had to do a little jumping around to accommodate weddings that are approaching the quickest... but not to worry, we never miss a wedding date so while it may take a little longer than expected, all orders will definitely arrive in time for the big day! Thanks to all of our incredible couples for your patience and understanding during this crazy wedding season!

Lots of Monogram Aisle Runners!

2010-05-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

Stopping in to share a bunch of our recent aisle runners we've created for our lovely clients. I apologize for such short posts recently but we are just so swamped there's barely time to post at all! As always we're so thankful to all of our wonderful clients for all the referrals you send our way... you definitely keep us busy!

Recent goodies!

2010-05-03T18:53:00.009-04:00

Soooo busy. Quick post with some recent goodies! Check back tomorrow for a big aisle runners post. Enjoy!

May 2010 Featured Couple: Stacy + Trent

2010-05-02T08:10:00.003-04:00

Photos by Jacobus Photography

Congratulations to our beautiful May Featured Couple Stacy & Trent! The couple was married on September 12, 2009 in Ohio and purchased a monogram banner from our Classic Collection. Stacy also purchased a custom single initial monogram parasol and blank non-personalized parasols for all of her bridesmaids which made for great photo props. Congratulations Stacy & Brent and thanks for sharing your beautiful photos with us!

"The umbrellas were exactly what I wanted and everyone thought they were a unique touch!" -Stacy

Happy Friday!

2010-04-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

Crazy busy cannot even begin to describe how things have been recently at the I.D.O. Studio... we're going full speed with no signs of slowing down! Here are a few of our most recent creations, we are so passionate about each item we create that we just love to share them all! We'll be back soon with lots more so stay tuned. Happy weekend all!

More Custom Candles

2010-04-29T19:01:00.006-04:00

Told you we've been doing a lot of candle order lately! Here are a few more of our most recent... enjoy!

Lots of Lovelies!

2010-04-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

Stopping in to share some recent goodies... enjoy!

Unity Candles

2010-04-26T19:23:00.005-04:00

Happy Monday all! We've had a huge influx of orders for candles lately so we thought take a moment to share a few of our most recent creations! Aren't they just so pretty? We've had so many orders for these recently that our turnaround time will be increasing from 4 weeks to 6 weeks for these items for all orders placed today (4/26) and beyond, so please keep this new turnaround time in mind when ordering. Thanks!

Clever Ways to Use Parasols

2010-04-22T08:00:00.001-04:00

Our brides are so creative... Bride Britney ordered five single initial parasols, which spell out the couples new last name, how clever is that? The possibility for displaying the parasols are endless... and they're going to make for gorgeous photos!

Wednesday Goodies

2010-04-21T08:00:00.002-04:00

Press: Featured In Kentucky Bride Magazine!

2010-04-19T16:00:00.009-04:00

So thrilled to leaf through the glossy pages of the latest issue of Kentucky Bride Magazine and see a full page feature of one of our parasols! It's always so exciting to be featured in a major publication, and to have a full page feature is a huge honor. This entire issue is amazing... the ladies of Kentucky Bride really know how to put out a page turner! It's full of the most beautiful, inspiring tablescapes, real weddings, and amazing wedding finds. We are so honored to be a part of this issue!

Happy Weekend!

2010-04-17T12:56:00.009-04:00

Happy weekend! It's rare that we post on weekends but we have so many new items to share that we just couldn't wait till Monday! Hope everyone's out enjoying the beautiful Spring weather!