Metropolitan Weddings Podcast
Metropolitan Weddings Podcast
Meet The Wedding Pro - Melissa with Melissa Casey Designs
Step into the whimsical world of custom wedding signage with us as we chat with Melissa Casey of Melissa Casey Designs. Discover how Melissa transforms simple materials like acrylic and wood into stunning personalized creations that add a special touch to any wedding or event. From elegant welcome signs to vibrant birthday backdrops, Melissa shares her secrets on engraving, painting, and layering techniques that make each piece truly unique. Plus, learn about the innovative trend of incorporating QR codes for interactive guest experiences and how you can integrate personalized signage into your wedding theme using fonts and colors from your invitations.
Our exploration doesn’t stop there—uncover the magic of personalized wedding decor that turns ordinary items into unforgettable keepsakes. Imagine the charm of flower box welcome signs or seating charts adorned with floral displays, and get inspired by unique guest book alternatives like large wooden cutouts. We celebrate the artistry of local artisans who bring a distinct touch to wedding decor, offering handcrafted pieces that stand out from the mass-produced options online. Wrapping up with some light-hearted anecdotes and humor, we remind you to subscribe for ongoing wedding tips and resources through Metropolitan Weddings, ensuring your wedding planning journey is as smooth and creative as possible.
Welcome to Metropolitan Weddings. I'm Meg, I'm Dawn, and we are here to educate couples with information from wedding professionals in the industry.
Speaker 2:Our goal is to make the wedding planning process as seamless as possible by providing you with insight from industry professionals.
Speaker 1:Okay, couples, let's get this party started. Good morning listeners. We are here with Melissa Casey. Melissa, please introduce yourself and your business.
Speaker 3:Hi, I'm Melissa Casey. With Melissa Casey Designs, I make signage for pretty much all occasions, primarily weddings, but also for businesses, birthday parties, whatever event you have. I've done some stuff for high school graduations and, gosh, what did I do For a high school reunion? That was pretty neat.
Speaker 1:Honestly everything. Because, you've even, like, made signs for my house.
Speaker 3:Yep, I can do that too.
Speaker 1:You literally can. So let's talk about what we mean by signs. What all kind of signs are we talking about, like exit signs?
Speaker 3:So, like birthday backdrops, I've done a few of those. I made one not too long ago. It's pretty neat. It was a rainbow, which was very hard. I may have blown out my elbow, but it was super fun and very colorful, nice. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to make an arch on a rainbow and to get it straight and accurate. It's very difficult, but, um, I did that. It was for a cute little three-year-old birthday party. Um, let's see. Let's see. So, like welcome signs for weddings. Uh, can be on any material acrylic or wood or a mixture thereof, if you want. Like a wood welcome sign with acrylic accents, I can do that too. Let's see what else I'm drawing a blank.
Speaker 1:So I know, yeah, I know you do those beautiful. Well, those welcome signs are super popular right now, Like an acrylic with the acrylic on top and you also, so you do it kind of layered, like where you could layer on top or you can I guess we call it engrave it.
Speaker 3:Yep, I can do both. I know a lot, so a lot of the popular welcome signs that I've done have just been acrylic. So an acrylic piece like a 24 by 36 with the names on the top of it, also cut out of acrylic and then applied to it, so like a two layer thing, and it can be a mixture. It can be a mixture of the cut acrylic on top of the acrylic, or you can do that along with vinyl. So it just kind of depends on your pricing. That you want to go with, okay, um. Or if you want it engraved on the acrylic, I can do that as well and then just paint, fill it in where you can see it yeah, that's perfect.
Speaker 1:So there's different price points for different kinds of things, or you can go crazy and do all three, but then you make your matching table number signs. Um, I love your bar signs that are like drinks are on us, hangovers on you very accurate. Yeah, yeah, love you just have, like anything you find like online or that you've seen at another wedding or that you think of in your mind, like all of these fun signs, unplugged wedding signs and what other signs do you guys see at weddings?
Speaker 4:I mean it's, it's kind of all of that Like people will have little cutesy signs for desserts, for the doughnuts and cupcakes and things like that for the donuts and cupcakes and things like that. Guest book signs for signing the guest book.
Speaker 4:If they're doing some kind of like the Polaroid or Fuji photo things, they'll have a sign for that. So it goes way beyond just the table numbers and the welcome signs and even the like table layout, like where you're sitting and everything. Yeah, people are using every opportunity they can to give instruction to guests in a cute way, I know.
Speaker 1:And it can all match. It can be customized, it can be, you can do, like the font that they had on their invitation, right? So everything.
Speaker 3:I can match fonts and colors. It is a little harder to match a color with acrylic because I'm just limited to what my suppliers have. But then again there's hundreds of colors. But I can paint, match colors of paint. So if you want it on wood, I can just paint it wood although I have started doing this is another fun thing where I can paint the back of clear acrylic to still match your colors, so that gives kind of like an added layer to stuff. Um, that's something that I can do if you are very specific to wanting acrylic, so that's something you need to do so when you say paint match, what would a couple need to do?
Speaker 4:would they need to just give you like an entire runner or like what works?
Speaker 3:so what I have used before is imitation. So if you want it to match your imitation color, just provide me with imitation and I can bring that down to Lowe's. They are very good at their job, where they just run it under whatever magic thing they have, I don't know. They can match the paint color to it, so it works out pretty well. But yeah, I've done that a few times, but it's mainly been with invitations only. I guess I could use any other medium, though if you have something, as long as it's a solid color background, not like sheer, then I'm sure they could do it. That makes sense. Not sponsored by Lowe's.
Speaker 1:I'm sure Home Depot could also do it, or Ace.
Speaker 3:Hardware? Obviously they can, but Lowe's is in Republic no.
Speaker 1:So the bottom line is really sky's the limit when it comes to the ideas and the thoughts, and how many signs like all of these? Oh, because the QR codes are fun. When you have like a little sign that's got a QR code, like you know, send me your pictures here or for businesses.
Speaker 2:They use those QR codes a lot.
Speaker 3:Go ahead. I see that a lot with me, actually with the photos. I've done a few weddings with that where they'll like create a website or a webpage landing page to go to and then provide a QR code for it landing page to go to and then provide a QR code for it? Um, where guests can upload any pictures that they've actually taken to the couple's website and then you know, later on you can go on there and look at all the pictures from your guest point of view, which is a super cute idea Um, especially if somebody can't afford, I guess, a photographer maybe, even if you know that's an idea um which I can't imagine living without a photographer. However, if you want both you know you want the photographer's point of view and your guest point of view then they can take pictures and upload it. So I've done a few of those Um.
Speaker 3:Also the? Um the little ring ring signs where there's a phone and you can record a message. Those have been super popular lately, so I've done a couple of those signs. Let's see what else. Oh, seating chart. I love specialty seating charts, love them seating chart.
Speaker 1:Love them Pretty much. If you can see on Pinterest, I can do it. So you made this a very like, customized, unusual one that was like wood, with Moscow mule mugs. Yes, it was very elaborate. Tell us about that one, because that, I mean, this is like the kind of out of the box thinking that you're good for. So the Moscow mule seating chart I got to use it in the magazine cause I loved it so much.
Speaker 1:It's so unique and out of the box and different, and that's what I love about a business like yours. It's not just you go through a list of things that are offered to you. It's like this is something that's unique and special to me and my fiance and we, like you know, we love Moscow mules. It's our thing, blah, blah, blah. So they want to share that with their guests and they did it in such a unique way. I'm going to let you tell it. I'll calm down. Yeah, you tell the story.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so, yeah. So I had a wedding planner contact me about it, just sent me a picture, said hey, can you do this? I'm like, yes, love it, love to do it. It was, I think it was four, three or four wooden panels stained to their color and it had hooks on it for them to hang Moscow mule mugs on it with their engraved name and I believe it had their wedding date on it for a seating chart that had little tags coming off of it for the person or I think it was maybe grouped by families possibly, so they got to take a mug home for each person. So it was kind of like a take home for your guests, along with the seating chart as well.
Speaker 3:Very, very time consuming, but the idea was so fantastic that I love doing it. So, really, any type of different seating charts that you can think of I would love to create, and all I really need is a photo Like hey, I want something like this, what would it run? What's the price range? Sometimes that's not always in your budget and that's totally fine, but I can work around that to maybe add or subtract some things. Just kind of brainstorm of you know what's your budget, what can you afford. I can create something based off of that budget. So even if you you know you see it online and it's great, but you know it's going to cost a lot of money, I can always take a picture and then design something that will fit your budget, especially with seating charts, because they can be completely customized with different items. That could make it a lot cheaper.
Speaker 2:So okay, that I know right yeah, that you can like think of ways to like make it, you know, in someone's budget is really cool yeah, they can still get the effect they want in the price range that works for them. That's awesome.
Speaker 3:Absolutely oh, and coming soon. Eventually I did not engrave those mugs, but I will be able to. This year, um, as soon as I play around with my new fun toy and get it perfected, I'll be able to engrave stuff like that as well.
Speaker 1:Nice, what if I'm well? We'll talk later. Okay, so let's not forget, you can do. I'm going to start naming off some other things that I remembered Cake toppers.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, cake toppers, absolutely. I've done some crazy ones. What's crazy? So I had to do a tree, a very big tree, with a couple standing in front of it with a cat by their feet and a cat on a branch with their name. That took a while, I'm not going to lie.
Speaker 2:But it can be done.
Speaker 3:It can probably be done, and it was very different. Right for a wedding cake topper, that is very different, but it was their style and it was what they wanted. So yeah.
Speaker 1:So basically definitely with the acrylic you can do cutouts, names, just all kinds of like. If you can show her a picture, she's got you Absolutely. So. Another fun trend that I'm loving are these flower boxes, like the welcome sign. That's the flower box, yep.
Speaker 3:And I have it on my list of something that I want to create, of something that I want to create. So, yes, I could do the flower box signs where it's freestanding, or you can put it on an easel where it will hold your flowers and you can put whatever you want on it. I do also rent the one that I have, so if it's not in your budget to purchase one, then I do have one available for rent, but something in the back of my mind I would love to do so, if any listeners are listening to this, there is a seating chart, one that I've seen, where it's very tall and wide. It's a seating chart but also has little spots for flowers, so like three or four little boxes that'll go on the front where you can put flowers in your seating chart as well. Super cute idea I would love to do that Okay Challenge accepted, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I also remember a wedding that you did where you did like the little drink markers like a circle that had their monogram of their. You know if they've got like a monogram that they're using or their name and date. Just a fun little takeaway that also made the drinks look cute.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, just all about the details. So it was just a little circle with their engraved name. I think it was just the initials, if I remember right, went on top of a wine glass, so it was free sitting. How do I put this? It had a little cutout where it could go on the glass itself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was super cute.
Speaker 3:Super cute idea. I've also made some drink stirrers. So if you have a fun idea for, like a bachelor party or, sorry, bachelorette party I don't know where I was going with bachelor party Bachelors don't do those things Do they Adam, I don't know?
Speaker 1:I disagree, I'm thinking bachelorette party.
Speaker 4:Hey, you never know, I totally disagree.
Speaker 1:There's so many grooms out there that are like they want all the fun too. They really really do.
Speaker 3:You don't want to go into details, okay, okay, my bad, but yeah, little drink stirs that go in your cocktails or something like that, that have, I don't know, high heels on them or rings or something like that. That's cool. So I've done a few of those. Or even, if you want them for your wedding, of course you could do that as well. Um, let's see, let's see, have you done.
Speaker 1:I feel like you've done like the large, like a large letter or cut out maybe of wood or something that they use as the guest book, where they can just sign and then take it home, and they've got kind of their initial for the house.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely, um, so it could be any size. Really, if you have, you know, not very many guests, you can make it just a small um, a small piece with your names engraved on it, or I can cut out your names and apply it to wood where you can just hang it on your wall, or you can go really big with it as well. If you have a lot of guests and you want, I don't know, like a 24 by 36 piece to hang on your wall with your guest names written on it as well, then maybe a cute keepsake just to hang around your house.
Speaker 1:So yeah, speaking of keepsakes, I love it when you do like the guest's name, when you do like the acrylic cutout of the guest's name and that is on their place setting. It makes it's super cute, and then they get to take it home and they have their little name to remember.
Speaker 3:I like you can put it on your desk, like this is my desk, I'm gonna put it here.
Speaker 1:It's your nameplate you're like this is where I work. Or the mr and mrs signs for the back of the chair at the table. I could go on and on.
Speaker 3:Really, you could, you could, go, go ahead.
Speaker 4:You know what I love about this. In a world where everybody buys everything online, a lot of the stuff that she does is people just start like Googling to try to find things you know and then they're just kind of limited to what somebody's Etsy store might have or Timu or something like that, and we have somebody local that you can go to and you're not limited to just what you see on that website, which is the coolest thing.
Speaker 3:You know, this isn't.
Speaker 4:This isn't like a photographer, videographer, florist. This is truly unique things that you have to buy from someone who does it, and she's right here, right?
Speaker 1:that's crazy, exactly no, no, your your business blew up within the merchants in the industry.
Speaker 4:I think once they all saw your signs at the first show.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was like Melissa's at the first show and then at the second show. Like Melissa, signs were in everyone's booth.
Speaker 4:All of a sudden, everyone had like their own yeah.
Speaker 1:You were like that first year was rough guys.
Speaker 3:It was um it was a lot of sleepless nights. I'm not going to lie, that's okay, I don't mind. One thing I did mind is I work in my garage and late at night.
Speaker 1:I'm not all about that eventually you'll get your own studio.
Speaker 3:I don't know. I don't know I have. I have a room in my house that I've now dedicated for stuff like that as well good.
Speaker 1:I'm glad you're not in the garage anymore making name tags and big signs for merchants and QR codes anymore. But yeah, it was such a surprise to see how big you blew up, but I'm honestly not a surprise because they really are beautiful. Thank you. Who wants like a printed piece of paper anymore.
Speaker 4:after you see Melissa's stuff, yeah, yeah, and I'll say this from the venue side of things, where we have some decor in our thing, we got some table stuff from Melissa and then we have some table stuff that other people had bought online. The quality difference is night and day.
Speaker 2:Oh, massively yeah yeah, it's ridiculous.
Speaker 3:Wow, that's good to know. I, I like that. I like that too, yeah, and I will say I. So I do have a net see shop. However, I have not put any of the wedding stuff that I do online number one, I just don't. I know it sounds crazy, but I don't want to get so big to where I can't do stuff locally anymore. So which I? I mean I would love to do more business, but I think if I start to put that stuff online, I don't want my quality to go down just because I'm trying to get stuff out more. So that's kind of where I prefer to do local stuff, so I can keep it at my own pace, where you can order online. If you order online, it's kind of guaranteed I have to get that out in a certain amount of time, um, just with Etsy policies and stuff like that, which is fine, um, but I'm a one-woman show so I can only do so much.
Speaker 1:It's true, but I just love your stuff. It's really really pretty.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 4:Yeah Well, I mean a true testament is everybody in this industry just started flocking to her Right Like, hey, we want that stuff.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 4:We think it's super cool. I mean, what better testimony for a customer than for us to be saying, hey, this is who we use? This is who we like.
Speaker 3:Yeah for a customer than for us to be saying, hey, this is who we use, this is who we like. Yeah, I appreciate that I have had quite a few people come to me and you know, just tell me that so-and-so sent me you can you do this? I'm like, well, yeah, of course I can. So I think that that really, to me, is kind of the best, um, it's the best advertising advertising. But also it lets me know that I continue to do quality work, which I love. Um, if you love your stuff enough where you're going to send somebody else to me, then that just kind of it says it all for me.
Speaker 2:So well, we all love you and you do such great work, so and it ain't because of your personality, because it sucks.
Speaker 3:But it does. I'm pretty dry.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4:I'm glad people get you Adam, otherwise you'd be just coming off as a real jerk right now.
Speaker 3:You can't laugh at yourself, that's right.
Speaker 2:He's really trying to say that Melissa is the sweet, sweetest person ever she's fun, she is she makes us laugh
Speaker 3:well melissa.
Speaker 1:I believe that I've thrown like enough ideas to spark the creativity in the couple's minds so that they can have their own ideas. Um, If somebody is interested in kind of like you know, just chatting about ideas that they have and letting you guide them down a path of all the things that you can help them with, what is your preferred way to get a hold of you?
Speaker 3:So you can message me on, you know, instagram or Messenger. Either way is fine, or you can email me Instagram or messenger, either way is fine, or you can email me. Email is the quickest point of communication where I can get back to you and then we can keep track of going back and forth on ideas and then at that point we can just call on the phone or meet in person. Either way, my email is melissakasiedesigns at gmailcom. Pretty simple, it's just my business name.
Speaker 1:With an.
Speaker 3:S Designs With an S, yep, designs, yep, and then we can go from there. So my preferred method of kind of going back and forth to see your ideas just send me pictures. Look, if you see something that you like online, send me a screenshot of it and I can kind of tell you yes, I can do that. You know how much it might be designed from yours, but not completely copy somebody else's work. I don't prefer to do that, but I screenshots are best to give me an idea of what you're looking for.
Speaker 1:Perfect, and if they want to see some of the things that we've been talking about, like on your. Instagram page. What is your handle?
Speaker 3:Melissa Casey Design. Okay, just my business. Yep, nobody had that name, thankfully Nice, that's crazy.
Speaker 1:You're unique.
Speaker 3:That's good.
Speaker 1:That is good. Well, it's been super fun talking to you today and telling you all the things that you do yeah, appreciate that sometimes I forget about things that I've done.
Speaker 3:So getting a refresher, I'm like oh yeah, I did do that, that was fun. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I love. It well, I guess we should let you get back to work out in the garage. Oh, I mean inside room now.
Speaker 3:That's right, get the upgrade. Well, it's been fun talking to you guys. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 4:You too, go have fun sniffing some plastic oh my gosh.
Speaker 3:All right, we'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 2:Why, Adam?
Speaker 1:Why.
Speaker 4:I don't know Does burnt plastic like kill brain cells.
Speaker 3:He's not wrong, it smells so bad Girl we need to get you a ventilation. I have ventilation. It just goes outside into the world.
Speaker 4:Osha, do not listen to this.
Speaker 3:Just don't come in my neighborhood at night time, I love it.
Speaker 4:Oh, my gosh All right.
Speaker 1:Well, we'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 2:Okay, bye, melissa, bye, bye.
Speaker 1:Thank you for joining us for Metropolitan Weddings Engaged podcast.
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