Melissa Haley of M. Haley Design, LLC

Coffee Talk with Melissa Haley of M. Haley Design, LLC

WC: What inspired you to start M. Haley Design?

MH: The primary inspiration for M. Haley Design was my own wedding. During my engagement, I found it difficult to find exactly what I wanted, and even more difficult to find affordable custom services. On top of that, I actually enjoy doing the projects myself so that was another consideration. This convinced me that there must be others involved in the planning process facing the same marketplace. My intention was to create a unique catalog of customizable products that could be scaled and changed to work with any style of wedding design and any budget. For those who love DIY (do-it-yourself), we offer do-it-yourself pricing options for nearly every item we sell.

WC: What do you offer to the planning bride?

MH: We have a number of different offerings such as...

1. Paper products like save-the-dates, wedding invitations, programs, menus, place cards, and thank-you notes.
2. Guest Favors
3. Do-it-yourself options for our product catalogue or the bride's design

WC: Do you have a brick and mortar store or do you strictly conduct business on your website?

MH: I tend to think of M. Haley Design as a local business that has a website. We primarily conduct business via phone conversations, email, and personal consultations. It is our intention to provide brides, mother-of-the-brides, mother-in-laws, and bridesmaids with ideas and information via our website, but our preference is to communicate with our clients directly. We enjoy building relationships with our clients, plus it helps to eliminate confusion and errors.

WC: How is M. Haley Design different from other online retailers focusing on special events?

MH: At M. Haley Design, we use quality materials and only carry quality merchandise. Many products available in online stores look really great in the pictures, but the real thing can be dramatically different. We do a quality review before we ever offer a product to our clients.

We also provide personal service unlike a "generic web store." We enjoy hearing about all of the details of our clients' events, and love to collaborate with them to develop exactly what they had in mind. It is our client satisfaction that drives us.

WC: What are some of your favorite paper products offered at M. Haley Design, and why?

MH: We offer two signature paper items, the "Bio Book" and our "Words of Wisdom" booklets. The "Bio Book" can include any biographical information about the couple that they choose, including tales of their meeting, engagement, career or personal goals, and their at-home information. The "Words of Wisdom" booklets can contain excerpts from readings, poems, or songs from the wedding ceremony. This is a nice way to share things that have influenced your life with your guests. Quote a family member or loved one and they will feel honored, without a doubt! The cover and ribbon can be fully tailored to your wedding theme, color scheme and personal taste. These booklets can be presented to the guests at the reception, and will be quite the conversation piece.

I really like the personal touches that these items bring to a wedding. They make such a nice keepsake for guests and create a unique way for the couple to share themselves with their guests.

WC: What about your favorite favor products?

MH: I have two real favorite favor items, the butterfly boxes and the wildflower seed packets. Both of these items are my own designs and I believe them to be a unique addition to any occasion.

WC: Do you work with brides outside of the St. Louis area or are you strictly local?

MH: We do work with brides all over the country; however, we focus our effort on those who are located "in town". We are more than happy to work remotely with brides, it is just important to build in time to allow for mailing and exchanging samples and feedback since we do not have the opportunity to meet face-to-face.

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