Local Vendor Highlight: Hand Painted Weddings

Hand-Painted Weddings, a unique twist on paper goods with beautiful watercolor detailing that creates a special inclusion to every wedding. Allison Krosnick, owner of Hand-Painted Weddings believes that “weddings are an awesome opportunity to express a couple’s unique journey”, and custom made paper from Allison is the perfect way to transform those special memories. We had the chance to speak with the marvelous artist Allison Krosnick to chat about Hand-Painted Weddings, and get the insiders knowledge about the artist and the company.

1. How did you get Hand-Painted Weddings up and running, and what is the concept behind your company?

I launched Hand-Painted Weddings on my birthday in May 2012, but it all really started 3 years prior when I was planning my own wedding. Having never been one of those little girls who dreamed of her wedding when she was young, I really had a lot of decisions to make as a bride, because I had very few pre-conceived notions. While maneuvering all the ample inspiration in the wedding market, I kept coming back to this deep-rooted desire to be authentic and for our wedding to feel like us. While authenticity seems like a natural stand to take on this monumental day, I found that a lot of people were swayed by what was traditional, even if it had nothing to do with them as a couple. I found myself time and time again encouraging people to be creative and take risks with their wedding, which is where Hand-Painted Weddings got its start. Hand-Painted Weddings came out of my desire to help couples embed their unique personalities into possibly the most epic expression of their love, their wedding.

2. Tell us a little bit about your journey, who is the woman behind the brush?

I am an artist; I am also a businesswoman. I find my peace in my daily yoga practice; I find my energy in this gloriously energetic city. I find that this balance between opposites is where I seem to fit. It is also how I paint; I have chosen watercolors as the perfect medium for Hand-Painted Weddings because while it is loose and flows organically, I paint in a very detailed manner, creating that sexy balance between the two in my work.

3. What do you love most about your work, and what steered you into the wedding industry?

I love to get my hands dirty and create things that mean things to people. I love hearing the ideas couples come up with for their wedding paper. Wedding paper encompasses not only the first impression guests will have of a couple’s wedding, but it also is the glue that holds together all of the pieces throughout the wedding from the ceremony programs to the escort cards, menu cards, table numbers, favor tags, guest books, and ending with the thank you cards. I love working with couples on their full paper packages because the designs morph and change from one piece to another adding more depth and personalization to the designs.

4. What has been your most unique design thus far?

Last fall I worked with a couple who wanted to feature their engagement spot on their wedding invitation because it had such a touching story. The proposal happened on this beautiful bridge in Italy in a small town called Bassano del Grappa. The couple shared with me that this was so special to them because it was the same spot that the groom’s grandparent’s got engaged decades earlier. This is one of my favorite invitations I’ve done.

5. Have you ever encountered any difficult challenges from clients?

Many couples come to me with a concept or idea for their wedding paper, but sometimes couples have no idea. These challenges are fun for me because I get to ask more questions and learn more about the couple and the details of their wedding. One of the special things about getting your wedding invitations from Hand-Painted Weddings, is that you will be working directly with me from start to finish. You will have the opportunity to brainstorm directly with the artist, creating your custom invitations in a personalized fashion.

6. Do you have any outside projects your working on, or any new exciting things to come for Hand-Painted Weddings?

This year is the year for custom wedding designs! I am eager to take on more custom clients this year, while expanding my shop to include custom thumbprint guest prints, signature drink signs, kutubahs, ceremony programs and menu cards. I am also excitedly connecting with many of Philadelphia’s amazing wedding vendors, which will hopefully lead to more collaborations and creative styled shoots for Hand-Painted Weddings.