Green Bay Wedding Vendor Love: Jenna Kast Studio

I was first drawn to Jenna Kast’s work when I saw her witty mugs and tumblers at the Green Bay Farmers’ Market. The clever, bold sayings made me laugh out loud (I’m a personal fan of her “Kick Today In the Dick” coffee mugs!). Allow me to introduce you to Jenna, the artist behind Jenna Kast Studio. She’s a calligrapher, artist and graphic designer, and she use those skills to provide a wide variety of services to wedding clients. She creates everything from custom invitation design to envelope addressing and reception calligraphy like escort cards, seating charts, table numbers - you name it! I invited her to talk about what makes Jenna Kast Studio such a unique and needed wedding vendor in the Green Bay area.

What areas do you consider yourself most successful in helping your wedding clients?

Most couples are first-time brides and grooms, and so the timeline of planning is new to them. There is a LOT that goes into designing custom invitations and creating calligraphed items for the wedding and reception, so establishing a timeline is the most helpful thing for couples. Once they find out how the stationery timeline works, they feel a lot more relieved about the planning process.

If you could give any advice to wedding planning couples, what would it be?

Invest in the details. These things aren't "just paper" or "just photographs" - they're physical keepsakes that will renew your memories of this special day as time goes on. Imagine being able to pull out your invitation suite on your 50th wedding anniversary. What a joy that would be!

What makes your service unique?

Pre-designed wedding suites are everywhere, but the items I create will never be duplicated. They are you through and through. Not only are they custom designed for you, they feature artwork - like calligraphy, sketches and paintings - that was created just for you.

How many years have you been providing services to wedding clients?

I've been providing wedding services for about a year, but it was mostly upon request due to interest in my calligraphy. In 2018 I've streamlined my services, and started offering a full range of services to couples.

How many wedding clients do you take on each year? Do you take on other clients as well?

I have a variety of clients, since my business straddles a few different industries - brands and small businesses, wedding clients, and retail. I can pack quite a few wedding clients into my year, since the services they need vary, and I usually have several months over which to spread out the work for one wedding.

What type of wedding client will be happiest with the services you provide?

Couples that will be happiest with my services are those who value things that are unique and special - couples who appreciate the time and effort invested in something that is carefully crafted just for them over something that is factory made for the masses.

What are some of your favorite wedding details to work with? What are some of your favorite, unique items/ideas you've seen couples bring into their wedding day/wedding planning?

I love creating custom invitation suites, because the variety of paper types, colors and finishes is so fun to work with. Working with couples to design a custom suite is like designing the perfect wedding dress - you add all the right details and end up with something that makes your guests say "wow!" It's a great way to make a stunning first impression with your guests.

What is the price range of your services?

Prices vary according to the service and the complexity of what we're creating. I have a listing of my wedding services and prices available for download on my website at jennakaststudio.com/weddings.

What areas in Wisconsin do you service?

I service all areas of Wisconsin, as well as couples from all over the country. An advantage of my work is that everything can be done over the phone, video chats, and using digital proofs. It's incredibly convenient for couples.

How far in advance do you recommend couples book your services? Are you available on short notice?

For custom invitation design, I recommend couples book as soon as they can if they want their Save the Dates to coordinate with their suite. Otherwise I recommend booking 16 weeks out from their wedding date. For non-invitation services, like envelope addressing and reception calligraphy, those items will be started 3 weeks before the wedding, BUT brides will still want to book in advance so they know the time will be reserved to create these pieces for their wedding day.

What do you think is most important for wedding planning couples to consider when they are researching vendors in your field of services?

Everyone has a niche, look, or specialty. Mine is that I don't just design a suite - I incorporate unique handmade elements I've created, like lettering, watercolor pieces, custom designed crests and monograms, etc. It's better to pick a designer that fits with your vision than choosing someone and asking them to deviate sharply from what they normally do.

What do you think is potentially the most stressful part of wedding planning? Do you have any tips on how to avoid this or get through this easily?

The invitations can be stressful, because it's the first big decision you've made that your guests will actually see. With everything else you have until your wedding day to get it right. But invitations need to be sent about 6 weeks prior to the ceremony. Working with a stationery designer can help put you at ease - they know what the process is like, they know the timeline, and can help you navigate the process.

Are there other area professionals in the wedding industry that you've been really impressed with (besides KLEM Studios ;) )?

Some brides might think that they have to look outside Wisconsin to find great wedding vendors, but the quality of vendors in Wisconsin - from photographers to stationers and everything in between - increases with each passing year. The markets might not be as saturated as larger cities, but the talent is definitely here.

When you're not working, what are some of your favorite hobbies or past-times?

I'm a mom to a six-year-old girl and wife of ten years to my high school sweetheart. Family time is so important to us, and we love going on road trips and spending time outside, whether that means biking, hiking, or visiting fun attractions.

Is there any other information you would like researching wedding couples to know?

Allocating your budget to your many different vendors can be a difficult decision. Years down the road you'll only have your memories and physical reminders of the day. Things like photography, signage and stationery are great keepsakes. Think about the details; how do you want to remember the day as it's happening, and how do you want to be reminded of the day 10, 20 or 50 years in the future? When you invest in the details, you invest in your memories.

You can find out more about Jenna Kast Studio at jennakaststudio.com