Features Industry Profiles

Luscious Verde has heralded many a memorable wedding with its distinctively die-cut designs. But the Beachwood, Ohio, house of stationery was also the setting for two of its employees, jack-of-all-trades Megan Jenny and operations manager Jim Szelagowski, to meet. When the two decided to marry, it was obvious where they’d procure their stationery!

Luscious Verde is distinguished by its ability to tell any story while still staying true to its brand — and this suite was no exception. “We wanted the invitation to reflect both our styles!” Jenny recalled. “Jim had a lot of input in the design, which may be a little unusual for a groom-to-be.”

Overall, “we wanted a mix of a media for all pieces,” Jenny noted. This tied into their industrial garden theme, a mix of natural and man-made elements. “We selected double-sided wood veneer, avocado card stock and die-cutting to create something that was uniquely ours and set the tone for our event.”

Following a traditional ceremony at Szelagowski’s family church, St. Charles Borromeo, the reception for 150 guests was held at Ariel International Center. “Ariel is in an industrial part of downtown Cleveland with the city to the west and Lake Erie to the north,” Jenny explained. “The building was overhauled about four years ago and the owners kept the exposed piping, brickwork, stone beams and many of the early 1900s elements. It was the perfect spot!”

The couple spent a lot of time and effort infusing the reception with their personalities and histories — set to the strains of the band Hepcat Revival. “The reception was really a hands-on experience. We made terrariums for each table months in advance with unique plants and little plastic toys, animals and memorabilia. We had a wall with our parents’ wedding photos, a Libation Station Menu (and) a funny pre-nuptial agreement for people to read.”

No wedding is complete without dessert, and since Jenny is also head cupcake wrangler at Cleveland Cupcake Company, a 12-foot dessert table was essential. “It sounds crazy, but we had cupcakes, cakes, chocolate, gummy worms and cookies,” she laughed.

In the end, the wedding stationery not only expressed the couple, but made excellent heirlooms long after the nuptials passed. Jenny had some wise words for others looking to do the same. “Take your time selecting invitations because the more that they reflect you and your fiancé’s life, the more they really can catapult the event. Look around at what you both love to do and take elements from those events and places. It’s a lot easier looking in a magazine and choosing off-the-shelf, but the extra effort is well worth it!”