One Person I Admire In The Wedding Industry & Why…

…In Honor Of The 2009 Wedding Pledge!

A few weeks ago,  I decided to take the 2009 Wedding Pledge started by Bride Tide.  I know, I was a day late.  Oops!  While there are so many people in the wedding industry and in my life that I admire and would love to mention today, there is one who has constantly been a driving, motivating force and huge support behind this blog.  My aunt, Denise Johnson – the owner and letterpress designer behind Bellis Studios!

The day Denise married into our family was the day I gained another amazing aunt, friend and now mentor too!   To know her is to love her, and I definitely do.  I am blessed with a wonderful family and I’m so happy she is now a part of it!  Her kindness is simply unmeasurable.  As is her generosity, patience and talent!

When my husband and I were planning our wedding, she surprised us by offering to design our invitations and programs for us.  They turned out amazing.  It was then I realized just how creative she was, and we immediately clicked.  Since our wedding, she has also given her time, using her extreme talent and creativity to design invitations for my other family members and friends.  I know, how lucky are we!? 

On her Bellis Studios Blog, she writes,

“I married a man with three sisters and they all have daughters…seven of them (and one, very out numbered, son)!!  I wasn’t in the picture when they were little.  I came along when they were teenagers and I’ve watched them grow into beautiful young women.  And now, I’m getting to know them better…through their weddings.”.

While I love her and am so grateful for her designing all of our invitations, it’s not the only reason I’m spotlighting her today.  After realizing how much we had in common and that we both enjoyed being creative, we became even closer.  I always tell her that she’s not only an aunt, friend and mentor to me, but she’s also like the older sister I never had.  I hate to say older because she doesn’t look it one bit!  She’s beautiful.

(Photo by Bellis Studios) 

Now that I’ve told you a little about her, let me skip ahead a few years.  After our wedding, I began helping friends and families plan their weddings, showers and events.  The corners in my home were beginning to pile up with magazines, pages torn out, tucked into folders which I hoped to eventually organize to share but just never found the time.  I was becoming an inspiration pack rat!  Somebody had to stop the madness.  Seriously.

So like a fairy blog mother, Denise came to the rescue and brought to me the idea of starting a blog to keep all of my ideas and thoughts in.  With a blog, I could more easily share ideas (without the cluttered mess).  It was then, that my blog, “It’s A Jaime Thing” was born.  All thanks to Denise for encouraging me to start it!

For days and days, I would sit at my computer and write, posting pictures I loved, craft ideas, shoes…you know, pretty little happy things.  Days turned into weeks, weeks into months and months into years.  The title of my blog was never really planned, it was just “me”.  This blog was something that became my hobby.  Filled with things I loved.  It became my own little creative outlet in this world – my own little corner of the web.  It turned into a “Jaime” thing.

Since, I’ve had the opportunity to keep my “creative juices” flowing, all while hoping to inspire others along the way.  I’ve also been blessed and lucky to meet some amazing people in the wedding industry and attend some really fun, inspiring events!  Each day I write, I learn something new and push myself to find even more ideas to share with you.  I enjoy every single second of it!  Soon, with the help of Denise, I’ll even be launching my upcoming, newly redesigned site.

Denise has stood right beside me through the entire time, supporting me, designing the new site and helping come up with ideas for it!  That’s one thing I didn’t tell you about her yet.  Not only is she an amazingly talented letterpress expert, but she’s also quite handy at graphics and web design!  She’s helping me turn my new blog into something sweet for you…and I can’t wait to share it!  It’s coming soon…I promise.

After taking the time to read this (thank you!), I hope you can understand why I admire my aunt, Denise Johnson so very much.  If you’re planning a wedding, I encourage you to consider her and her shop at Bellis Studios as your invitation and creative source. 

She’s not only great to work with and talented when it comes to design and color, but she’s truly a wonderful, caring, sweet person as well, who I’m lucky to have in my life.  Cheers to you, Denise!  Thank you for all you do, from the bottom of my heart!

Like I said, to know her is to love her…