A day in the life: Wedding stationery designer Wendy Legg

I’ve never been a morning person. I used to hit snooze on repeat but then I became a mum, so now my day begins far too early with Peppa Pig and plenty of coffee.

Once my little girl is either at nursery or Nana’s house, my partner (in life as well as business) Matt and I embark on the long commute to the office - our loft! We’ve recently converted it into a design studio and it’s a great space to work. You couldn’t get any more convenient but it still feels very separate from the rest of the house.

I absolutely love working from home and believe it or not, I also love working with my other half.

A day in the life: Wendy Legg

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The first thing I do is attempt to clear my emails. We’ve recently made it much easier to order samples through our website so packaging these up can take a while. I still get excited every time a new enquiry comes through. I love seeing which designs and colours people are interested in and trying to spot trends. The rest of my day is generally a mix of designing, printing, ordering materials, emailing quotes and marketing.

I’ve been self employed as a graphic designer for nearly 10 years. When we started The Foil Invite Company in 2012 we planned on just producing the designs and outsourcing the printing.

However, it turns out I’m a bit of a perfectionist/control freak and we found the only way to ensure consistent quality was to do the printing ourselves. We use a traditional hot foil press which gives our stationery a beautiful metallic finish.

I spend a lot of time continually trying to improve and promote the business. We’re expanding our stationery range to offer complete collections - Save the Dates, RSVP cards, place names, menus etc. We now have a lovely girl, Rhiannon, who’s whipping our social media into shape and I’m always researching the best wedding fairs for us to show at. I’m very excited to be doing our biggest fair yet at Tatton Park this February.

Dress:

Usually slippers, sometimes a camera strapped around my neck.

What is the favourite part of your job?

Creating something that’s a part of one of the biggest days of most people’s lives. A lot of graphic design is very disposable but people will hold on to and remember a wedding invitation for ever.

What is the least favourite part of your job?

Dealing with couriers can be quite stressful. A few weeks ago we had some Order of Service delivered to the wrong address so I had to spend the morning driving to collect them in order to get them to the right place on time - a wedding is a deadline with no flexibility!

What would be your dream job if you weren’t doing what you do now?

I am part of a design studio called Stride and my dream is to have a premises where the two businesses can flourish in unison. Not just an office but a creative space where we could sell things we print, run workshops, host exhibitions, that type of thing.

How do you relax when you are not working?

I joined Old Hall Country Club a couple of months ago. I’d never been to a gym before in my life and I’m a total convert. It’s such a beautiful building and setting I find it the perfect place to escape and unwind. The pool there is especially tranquil and relaxing.

What is your favourite film?

Amelie.

What is your favourite book?

I haven’t finished a good book in far too long (I’ve started a few then got distracted). Is it wrong to say how much I enjoyed Harry Potter?!

If a film was made of your life, who would you like to play you?

I’m a big fan of Carey Mulligan, although I must admit I did think her and Michelle Williams were the same person for quite some time!

Have you had your 15 minutes of fame yet?

Not yet. We’re waiting for a phone call to ask us to do the invitations for the next royal wedding. Or Kate and William if you’re reading this, we do christening invites too.