We had the good fortune of connecting with Elyse Stokes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elyse, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I have always been an extremely creatively-driven person, beginning in my childhood. When my husband and I were married in June of 2018, I chose to create my own wedding stationery to send out to my guests. The entire experience was truly the definition of DIY, and there are SO MANY things I wish I could do differently now that I know what I know now. But I still absolutely fell in love with the entire creative process and when our wedding day came and went, I felt like there was an element of that creativity that I wasn’t ready to let go of yet. I first began to do research on how to write in calligraphy, and ended up discovering an entire community of wedding stationery designers online! The more research I did, the more I felt like I could potentially be capable of putting my own mark on the wedding world! I spoke with my husband about the budding dream I had to own a business and see whether I could find success by creating custom wedding stationery for brides looking for unique and personal touches to add to their big day. We did the research, and the more I learned, the more I felt that it was a business I would love to immerse myself within!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a watercolor artist and calligrapher, and I love creating meaningful, intentional details for my brides! I focus within my work on finding the perfect juxtaposition between elements, like modern and traditional, fun and romantic, exciting and formal. A project I am extremely excited about is a wedding stationery suite for a bride getting married on Halloween of this year! For her wedding stationery suite, we are including eerie yet whimsical details with custom skeletal watercolor portraits, a custom wax seal and crest, spooky vintage postage, all while keeping the overall look and feel of the suite very romantic and with proper etiquette. We have begun the in-house artwork creation of these elements, and I truly can’t wait to see how this project continues to come together!

I got to the point I am at today with a lot of hard work, as well as investing in mentors and my own personal enrichment. I’ve loved learning more about the art of creating watercolor paintings, and coming more and more into my style along the way. I also can’t deny the amount of support from family and friends has been monumental in helping me get to the place I am today. I am so grateful for the continual support and excitement from loved ones! The journey has definitely not been easy, but I am so grateful to have learned to practice mindfulness and remember that I have people I can always turn to for support.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of my favorite places to visit are the Avalons in Alpharetta! I love the entire strip of shops, restaurants, and there are plenty of places to sit, hang out, relax, and people-watch! I’d probably recommend getting an AirBNB or hotel on that side of town, because Alpharetta really has so much to offer. I’d also highly recommend Downtown Woodstock for a lot of the same reasons!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I definitely want to give a shoutout to my husband Harrison and my CFO (Chief Furry Officer) in charge of mental support, my sweet pup Champ. Our little family unit has provided so much love and support in ways I didn’t realize I even needed sometimes! Thanks to those two for keeping me sane on the daily! Genuinely, the support and encouragement of my husband has made all the difference within my business journey. Without his initial belief in me, I would not have been able to grow my business over the last three years. He is my biggest supporter and most major encouragement through every victory and every challenge!

Website: www.estokescreations.com

Instagram: instagram.com/estokescreations

Facebook: facebook.com/estokescreations

Image Credits
Glorious Moments Photography 13 Gage Photography

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