Continuing on in our quest to showcase some of the best wedding vendors in town, today I'm so happy to introduce you to Mel at Paper Halo.
What an absolutely beautiful soul she is, I felt I'd stumbled on one of Adelaide's best-kept secrets when I found her. And in a very Adelaide coincidence we'd actually met before in our previous lives as barista and travel agent! Melissa is a talented graphic designer who loves weddings, and works really hard to capture the unique vibe of every couple she works with. She's super-fun to hang out with and I always feel happy after a coffee-date with Mel. (She's also one of the few people I can confess my over-the-top love of stationery to, we both share a passion for all the pretty paper things).
Hope you enjoy this little insight into who Mel is, and why you need her on your wedding team. Emma xo
Tell us a bit about yourself and Paper Halo
I'm Mel and wear a few different hats daily! I'm a wife, a mum to two year old Ava and we're about to have our second bubs in a few short weeks. I also have a background in primary and middle school teaching, which I've been juggling on the side of running Paper Halo for almost three years. I'll often refer to myself as a complete stationery addict and font queen who loves the occasional chocolate and glass of red wine!
Paper Halo started in early 2015, when I finally decided that I had to stop talking about starting a design and invitation business and to just jump in and do it! It was born from the love and passion I have for graphic design, I was teaching at the time and felt that I simply wasn't filling my creative bucket. I wanted an outlet where I could play around with beautiful fonts and graphics so I put my idea of running my own business into motion after several courses in graphic design. I started by doing everything and said yes to a whole range of jobs, I think I got too excited and simply wanted to 'do it all'. I quickly found my feet and have narrowed down my products and services to the wedding and event industry where I love working with brides and event planners to create unique and beautiful stationery. I've worked out I'm a true people person and not only love working with my clients, but also with local South Australian vendors such as wedding planners, stylists, photographers, and venues, who have truly helped my business flourish. I am super proud to say that I have worked with clients in every state and territory in Australia and even New Zealand!
What's your favourite part of the job?
I feel the expectation as a reply to this question is to simply say that I love all the pretty fonts, graphics and elements I get to play around with and make come to life. This is without a doubt a huge love of mine, but I've quickly realised that working with fabulous couples, mothers, business owners, event planners, and the likes is what I love most about what I do. Exploring the ideas of bringing something to life that will set the scene for a wedding or birthday with someone, whether they know what they want (or not!) is my favourite part of what I do. I love reflecting back to the start of the process and then hearing how much they have loved the final product. I love working with people and creating new relationships (many of my clients are now friends!) and I simply love just hearing that I listened to what they wanted and I nailed the design! Customer relationships are central to how I run Paper Halo and I think meeting new people with new challenges and ideas is a number one love of mine!
How would you describe your design style in three words?
Timeless. Fresh. Bespoke.
Are there any trends that you absolutely love, or would love to see brides leave behind?
I've just chuckled to myself! When I was married in 2013, the trend was rustic. Lace, glass jars filled with gyp, hessian runners and banners, kraft brown card and an overall rustic style. I'm seeing less and less but I would really love to give it the heave ho!
On the other hand I am really loving the timeless designs which have only two or three beautifully paired fonts, which do all the work. Typography is a huge passion of mine and I love playing to make the font work in different ways. I also love the bolder colours at the moment. The burgundy, navy and deep, rich golds that can work by themselves or together to create some beautiful moody stationery.
What tips do you have for couples choosing their wedding stationery?
You don't have to follow the trends, follow what you like and work out how you want to tie it all together. Some couples I've worked with really struggle with the stationery needing to match every item that might appear at their ceremony and reception and it's really not the case. I am loving the simplicity of a pared down wedding set. Reducing the overall cost of the set but also helping the environment, a simple wedding invitation and details card which has all the relevant info (like transport, accommodation, rsvp details returned electronically or via sms and even a wishing well poem included) makes life so much easier!
What stationery item is worth splurging on?
Oh a good one! You know my love for Officeworks, Kikki.K and every other stationery outlet is strong, so this is a really tough one. I would have two items, a beautiful pen and a really fab planner. I love planning out my weeks and months and have gotten really picky about how I do this! I love spending a little bit more than I usually would on these items because I find that they set the scene for how I spend my time.
What has been your most rewarding creative project to date?
Oh I have so many! So many that haven't been published or even seen the likes of any social network, but without a doubt my favourite project was working with a bride who planned to elope on one of the stunning mountaintops in New Zealand. Not only was the stationery we created unique and a little different to what I would normally produce (I do love a challenge!) but it was truly special to be able to work with her, knowing that I was one of only a handful of people that actually knew what was going on! She was so super-organised and also asked me to create her stationery for the wedding party that was held back in Adelaide months down the track. Something I won't forget in a hurry!
What's the last thing you watched on TV?
I am really into a Netflix show called Black Mirror, a show different to what I would normally find myself watching and right now I'm trying to get in as many episodes as I can.
Are you into green smoothies?
I like every other colour! I haven't jumped on the green smoothies bandwagon and would much prefer something with a kick of caffeine!
What do you do to take time out and relax?
Oh so much trickier with a two year old! I love reading. I love getting away and travelling South Australia with friends and family, and you'll often find our car packed and ready for a road-trip of some sort. I do enjoy a little bit of quiet time and have found that five minutes will usually do the trick, enough to relax and go again.
Thank you Mel, we love you! If you'd like to contact Mel or see more of her work you can find her in the following places - www.paperhalo.com.au | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
