I was lucky enough to be introduced to the lovely Erin, the lady behind the gorgeous company BerinMade, via email by one of my online friends Jillian. I remember Jillian mentioning that when I moved to London we HAD to meet up and that we would just love one another. Well, I can say I am so thankful she introduced us because yes, even though I have only known Erin for a short time, I can say, she is pretty sweet and absolutely amazing. One of the sweetest designers I have ever met, she has turned into one heck of business women! Originally a fine arts degree major, Erin left her full time job to move full speed ahead with her design business and wow, how it has bloomed! For me, the girl who has always been obsessed with pretty stationary, always popping into Paper Source in the States and browsing every beautiful card shop in London, discovering BerinMade was a little bit of happiness!
{Image by Babb Photo}
I always find so much inspiration in hearing from entrepreneurial women in the events and creative business and am so happy to share Erin's thoughts on her business today!
When did you start your business?
BerinMade officially launched in the Summer of 2011, but I had been working and researching on the idea for about a year beforehand.
{Flourish Wedding Suite | photo by Marianne Taylor Photography}
What advice do you have for younger women looking to start their own business?
Just follow your heart. If you’re creating/doing something that makes you happy, then work hard on a unique product and the rest will follow.
{Chapin Wedding Suite | photo by Kirsten Mavric}
How would you describe the ideal Berin Made couple?
Authentic, in love, playful and creative. We are often sent photos of the day long after the stationery has been designed, printed and sent out because we’ve built such a great relationship with our couples—and I’m always blown away by the authenticity and love in their wedding photos.
Do you have a trademark style?
Our aesthetic is feminine, whimsical, and playful. We are inspired by fashion, colours and an abundance of florals.
{Circle Menu Card on Style Me Pretty | photo by Ed Osborn & Rose Garden Wedding Suite}
What is your favourite part about running your own business?
Favourite part: making new products! We have a couple of new lines in the pipeline so that is really exciting, and definitely the best part of the job.
What is your LEAST favourite part?
Least favourite part? I’m not sure. Perhaps the admin!
{Thank You Photo Cards | photo by Marianne Taylor Photography}
Best moment of your career so far?
Winning two national awards in two consecutive years was pretty exhilarating, and definitely the “milestone” for the business. That was the Wedding Industry Awards. But I would have to say that the everyday is what makes it sweet. I love conceiving designs, mood boarding, chatting with lovely brides, bringing designs to life, the packaging, the marketing… so it’s a lot of little great moments in the everyday.
{Polka Peony Wedding Suite | photo by Kirsten Mavric}
What is NEXT for Berin Made?
You may have seen some jewellery on our instagram that I’ve designed. We have a few more unique items like that up our sleeves. Basically we want to create a line of lifestyle items that are very unique in the market. We also have a stationery line launching in January 2015, so that’s a pretty big project. I know that seems like a long time away, but in the life of a small business owner it goes by like a split second!
{Berinmade Instagram Account | ….can we say I'm in LOVE, 1year anniversary gift?!??!}
{Phoebe's Birth Announcement on Oh So Beautiful Paper | photo by Kirsten Mavric}
As you can see, Erin's scripty lettering and gorgeous painted flowers caught my attention immediately! If I was planning our wedding all over again I may have to incorporate some of those peony invites somewhere! However, I was able to have her create some custom, gorgeous table names for us, yay, a little BerinMade on our big day!
{Picture from Instagram Account}
It's inspiring to see how Erin's art has turned into a gorgeous stationary company full time and is now growing into a lifestyle brand, amazing! With a lot of hard work and dedication, I'm pretty inspired to get there!
xoxo - Becca
*If you liked this post you may enjoy Working Women: Jay Archer | Working Women: Make Merry! | Working Women: Elizabeth Duncan Events
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