August 13, 2021
Summer Wrap Up
What a summer! If you hear panting, it’s just us trying to keep up with the crazy-busy pace we’re running at (or, it’s Stella… who are we kidding? It’s definitely Stella). Usually business slows down for us in the summer because this is Florida and it is really tough to hold a wedding on the surface of the sun. However, we had so many re-scheduled weddings from 2020 that we were busier than ever!
So with that in mind, we wanted to take a moment and fill you in on all we’ve been working on over the past three months.
OUR FIRST BIG MILESTONE
We kicked off the month of May with a HUGE change. Right after graduating college, I (Andi) stepped into a job working at my local church in a position that evolved into something we’ll call “Creative Generalist.” I did graphic design, created and installed environments for events and holidays, took photos, and had a hand in basically everything creative. I worked with an incredible team at the church to build God’s house for seven years! But as AM+Co grew, I felt the tension between the demands of our business and my responsibilities at the church. I was at a tipping point, but the idea of making a move this big was scary. I would be leaving a job I loved with people who were like family, and saying goodbye to a steady paycheck I could count on when our studio’s business ebbed and flowed. After a lot of prayer, Tyler and I decided it was time for me to take the leap. May 11 was my last day at the church and my first day as a full time employee of AM+Co! And even though we definitely feel the pressure to succeed now that this is our full-time gig, I still can hardly believe that what started as me painting in a spare bedroom of my parents’ house has grown into my dream business, working alongside my best friend (and my best dog). I’m beyond thankful to God and to each one of you who have made us part of the biggest days of your lives. We are ready for what the future holds!
@andimejiaco Today I went full time with my business ??? thank you Jesus for entrusting me with this! ##SipIntoSummer ##RefundGlowUp ##LoveMeMode ##smallbusiness
TIME TO CREATE
Even though it has been a full summer, it was really important for us to take time to be intentional in our creativity. We focused on building new rentals and pushing the boundaries of creativity for weddings that we may not have had the space to create during our normal work schedule.
We also did quite a few styled shoots this summer. A styled shoot is a collaboration between wedding vendors where each brings the best of what they have to offer. We allow our creativity to run wild for styled shoots, and even though they are a lot of work, the effort pays off because we can showcase our new inventory and new ideas to potential clients. Plus, without any constraints on our creativity, we can think outside of the box (see: our vending machine – we’ll get to that in a second!). We built this dreamy tassel seating chart in less than 24 hours for a styled shoot.
NEW RENTALS
Bella Collina, one of the most breathtaking wedding venues in Central Florida, hosts their Bella Bliss event that showcases wedding vendors and inspo, and they invited us to create all the signage. We built everything custom for this event and it turned into our new rental collection – Jardin! These natural wood signs blend traditional lattice with retro-modern pill-shaped signs. They can be used as seating charts, directional signs, welcome signs, and more!
The making of the Jardin Collection. Stella is a great supervisor!
PUTTING UP WALLS… IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE
Champagne walls are quite popular now, but we are a signage company so they are not something we would normally offer. However, this client asked for a champagne wall with a twist – not only could guests grab a glass of bubbly on their way in, but they could also find their seat on the side with the seating chart. This was right up our alley so we said YES! This wedding was held at the beautiful Clay Theatre, right outside of Jacksonville, Florida. If you’ve been around me for even a little bit you know that I love all things pink, but for this wedding, we wanted the wall to complement the historical design of the venue, so we went dark and dramatic. Our friend Rochelle from Gather and Grace Designs provided the stunning off-white florals.
@andimejiaco Couldn’t have picked a better place for this baby? #wedding #DADMOVES #PerfectAsWeAre #weddingtiktok #tiktokart
One day I was having a conversation with my girls. Somehow it evolved into us dreaming about how cool it would be to have our very own AM+Co vending machine in the studio. That little talk sparked an idea and I sent the dimensions to Tyler and soon he was building it! The vending machine is my pride and joy, and I love it especially because it originated purely out of creative time. It wasn’t built for a particular wedding or event, it was just a simple “what if…” moment that yielded really fun results! Even though the day we built it was the hottest day of the year and Stella hyperventilated the whole time, it was worth it to us because it was fun to challenge ourselves and to make something out of pure enjoyment. 
Another fun project that came out of time spent dreaming are these AM+Co fannie packs that have our motto embroidered on them: What’s done in love is done well. We made them for our team, but who knows? They may be available to a wider audience soon when we launch something exciting we’ve been planning this fall… hint hint. 😉
Oh, and we also did all of this:
Hope you had an amazing summer too! We’re even more excited for the fall and we’d love to serve you with your wedding invitation and day-of signage needs! Find out more about what we offer here and then fill out our inquiry form – let’s create something beautiful together!
