The history of weddings is steeped in some really old-fashioned and frankly, misogynistic ideals.
White dresses used to symbolize virginity and purity, and rings were about ownership.
At Gates Paper Co, we don’t care about the conventions of a wedding. We don’t care about what you “should” do or what’s “proper.” We care about celebrating love. Your love, your way.
This is why we hate cut-and-paste wedding design.
Because our hot take is that anyone can get married, but few are lucky enough to fall madly in love, build a good relationship, and publicly declare that it’s forever.
We believe that the magic of a wedding is about making memories and celebrating a couple’s one-in-a-million love.
We know we’re not for everyone. But we believe that our modern philosophy about weddings is what drives us to prioritize creating truly unique art that means something.
It all started from Isabel’s dissatisfaction with receiving wedding invitation after wedding invitation that was basic, boring, and frankly, not worth the paper it was printed on. She knew every invite was just ending up trashed and forgotten.
That dissatisfaction turned into outright frustration when she searched for her own wedding invitations.
It seemed like there were about 3 aesthetics to pick from, no matter what price point, and so many stationers seemed to be making the same thing for all their clients.
Where were the designers who designed around the couple and their unique wedding?
When we design, we are inspired by the couple’s relationship, their intentions for the wedding, and all those fun and unique little details about their event that will make their guests remember it.
1. We really connect with the couple.
2. When we design, our inspiration isn’t other wedding stationery. It’s the couple and their wedding.
3. We source materials based on their wedding vibe, so every piece is unique.
4. Our illustrations are all done custom for the client (unlike many stationers that get their illustrations from the internet!)