Business Name: Porridge Papers, Inc.
Location: 1422 South Street, Lincoln NE 68502
Service or Product Offered: handmade, imported, and specialty papers, as well as custom invitation and letterpress services. Coming soon: DIY classes for letterpress, paper making, and bindery arts.
How long in business: Porridge Papers has been bustin’ out the awesome handmade papers since 1996! 16+ years!
How did you get started in the wedding industry? Did you always plan on someday helping couples achieve their “dream” wedding? Since the beginning, we’ve created custom and specialty papers for our clients, not long after, we picked up custom letterpress for printing options. Brides and Designers have actually been drawn to us for the flexibility and one-of-a-kind nature of what we do. The combination of handmade paper an letterpress printing makes for wedding stationery that is lush and tactile, it really can’t be compared to standard invites!
What is the one thing you would advise the couple to get a “jumpstart” on? As far as the invitations go, I would say the design process. Since everything we do is custom, our clients provide us with their designs and ideas, and it can be a lengthy process to get everything nailed down just right. Its common for a couple to be working on their design up until the due date, and they don’t realize that the papermaking and printing can take several weeks after the design is final.
What personality traits do you possess that allow you to effectively interact with the couple on their wedding day? We know our papers and we know our processes well. We work with our clients every step of the way to make sure they get the most impact out of their design and materials. We also have a wealth of past experience of working with well know designers and brides directly which allows us to help them incorporate components important to them while staying within their budget.
Even though this day is stereotypically all about the bride, we know that’s not true! Do you have any advice for the groom and his groomsmen? We think it’s important for the groom to be involved in the planning of the wedding, if for no other reason than to just take a bit of pressure off of the bride to get everything together. This makes for a much less stressful wedding planning, and a better celebration in the end.
Have couples and their wedding priorities changed since you first started in this industry? If so, how? Many more couples lately are concerned with being environmentally friendly so they come to us because our papers are 100% recycled. We also feature plantable papers that grow when planted and soy and water based inks for our printing services.
Are there any changes for your business in the near future you would like to share? We’re working on adding more of a selection to our retail area, as well as offering DIY letterpress, papermaking, and paper arts classes and workshops!
From your experience in working with brides and grooms, is there any piece of advice you would like to offer? Set a budget, and talk about what your priorities and wants are before you meet with your vendors.
What would you put in your “Wedding Day Survival Kit”? Patience. And time for yourself to take a breather and relax before the big moment!
If you could describe your company as ANY item (piece of cake, unity candle, etc.) at the wedding, what would it be and why? We would be the DJ booth and the turntables! Because we rock and know how to make an impression!
What is one popular wedding song you never get tired of hearing at weddings? “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin! .. or something by the Cure.
What is one common misconception about your profession that you usually have to educate your clients about? (Example: for photographers – the amount of time it takes to edit photos, for limo drivers – the amount of money it costs to fill up the tank in the LimoBus) For us it would be the amount of time and energy that goes into making custom invites. Many of our invitation packages feature paper that is made by hand, and each one is printed one by one – by hand – on a machine that’s over 100 years old. Many people are used to putting in an order and being able to pick it up the next day, with us it’s closer to 4-6 weeks before we’re finished with a package (though we can do it much sooner!)
Please provide a quick description of the services or products you offer and your contact information: We offer custom paper and letterpress printing for invitations and stationery. We’re also a source for great imported and specialty papers including plantable paper. Our website is www.porridgepapers.com or www.plantableseedpaper.com, we can be reached by phone at 402.742.5415, or you can come by our studio at 1422 South Street in Lincoln. Our hours are Monday-Friday 10am-6pm and Saturday 10am-3pm.
