Today we’d like to introduce you to Ally Parker.
Hi Ally, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I taught myself to hand letters when I was bride-to-be back in 2016 and couldn’t find anything that felt just right for our big day (or our budget)!
After our wedding, I had SO many signs with no real use, which made me wonder…
Why do brides BUY wedding signage, but RENT the rest of their decor?
From there, Madly in Love Designs was born and my obsession with all things hand lettering began. I love to dabble in digital illustration and try new things! While my favorite projects are usually wedding related, I love branching out and creating something never seen before!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As a small business owner, I learn something new (mostly what NOT to do) every day.
I am constantly making mistakes, learning from them, and revising my business model daily. Working in the event industry often means counting on the change as the only constant.
Styles change, client preferences change, and vendors enter and leave the market – which means no day is the same as the last. Our biggest challenge has been keeping ahead of the pace of that change.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I create wedding decor – primarily wedding signage, wedding favors, centerpieces, invitation suites, and bridal party gifts. This market can be incredibly saturated, so we focus on delivering high-quality rental pieces for our clients. You may be wondering, why rent?
At Madly in Love, we believe that it is a total MYTH that you have to spend an arm and a leg to get customized wedding signage that doesn’t look just like everyone else’s decor. Our rental signs are customizable, cheaper to rent, and overall less wasteful. (Come on – we know you’re not going to keep that Cards and Gifts sign after the big day anyways!). Our classic collections include wood, chalkboard, mirror, and painted acrylic.
We recently started offering a DIY Bride package, which includes design consultation but allows brides with smaller budgets to print custom signage at home or at a local print shop for a fraction of the cost of a standard sign rental.
We are proud to offer options for every budget, but love showing our brides how far their budget can go!
What are your plans for the future?
In addition to expanding our rental inventory and launching our DIY Bride collection, we look forward to starting hand lettering classes in the Memphis area.
These would be beginner-level classes that would introduce the basics of modern calligraphy and brush lettering, as well as digital lettering.
Pricing:
- Our cheapest rental is $1.
- Our DIY Bride collection items start at $3 apiece.
- Our classic rental collections range from $5-$100+ per sign based on size and customization.
- Signs to purchase vary based on size, material, and design.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://madlyinlovedesigns.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madlyinlovedesigns/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madlyinlovedesigns/
