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We’re very excited to launch this new Interview feature, where we’ll be interviewing some of the most talented and interesting people in the wedding industry!

Our first guest is Mackenzie Sala of Kenzie Kate Invitations and Something Old, Something New, the blog with the most fabulous wedding finds.  I first met Mackenzie through Ladies Who Launch 4 years ago when we were both just starting out. It’s been exciting to watch our businesses grow together! Mackenzie is not only talented and beautiful, she is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet. She truly loves working with each of her brides to create the invitation of their dreams.

Without further ado, the guest of the hour!

How did you start your business?

I was working at a little coffee shop in Park Slope, pouring lattes for the Brooklyn commuters when I decided I was going to start my own business. I had toyed with the idea for a while, made a few inquiries, but I didn’t commit to it until one day at the coffee shop. There was this regular… (the real ornery, lonely type) and I think he asked for butter, but I gave him cream cheese on his bagel (horrors!). He wasn’t happy about it. He wrote the nastiest letter to my boss, telling her what a bad person I was for ruining his breakfast with my thoughtless schmearing. Anyway, the boss asked me to think of a way to apologize to him. As you can imagine, this did not appeal to me in the slightest, and it woke me up out of my indecision. I went home and composed my list that night. The list was my commitment to do everything I needed to do to get my business up and running, and to not quit until the last thing on that list was done- no matter how annoying or time consuming the task. I quit my coffee shop job the next week, and concentrated ONLY on completing that list for the next 6 months. When the last thing was done, I had a business to run!

How would you describe your work/style/aesthetic?

I try and design my invites for a bunch of different aesthetics, to accommodate a bunch of different wedding scenarios. I believe that the invites have to speak boldly of the event to come. If you are having a fancy, retro party, you need fancy, retro invites, and likewise with a laidback modern affair. So I try and design for all sorts of parties.

That being said, I’d say that all my invites are all tied together by  a certain neatness. I don’t like lots of clutter or confusion. I like order, and I like a little fun to go with it: a hand drawn graphic, a little ribbon, a striking pattern, a great color. While I love neat, plain isn’t my thing! I have a particular passion for pattern that I hope really comes across in my invitations.

What are some common mistakes you see brides and grooms make?

Keep it simple. If Uncle Bob doesn’t have down to the mile-marker directions from his hotel to your ceremony site, then to the reception site and back, it’s ok. He’s a big boy. He can figure it out! You must trust that your guests can, for the most part, take care of themselves. By all means, give suggestions if you have them, but there’s really no need to clutter your invitations with information that can easily be had with a quick internet search.

Leave time for yourself or your calligrapher to address the envelopes. Calligraphers will need at least a week or more during the busy season. Book your calligrapher around the same time as you find your stationer and ask them how long they will need so that you can plan your schedule accordingly.

Calculate carefully. If you are having a 150 person wedding, you do not need 150 invitations. You probably need more like 75-100. Each couple gets one.

Get samples. Lots of people are ordering their wedding invitations online, as well they should! The selection is unbeatable, the convenience is fantastic, and you can spend as much or as little as you like. That being said, KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GETTING. Order samples before you place your order. It takes a little extra time, but you won’t be sorry you did. Knowing what you’re getting for your money is totally worth it!

What is your typical day like?

I never realized how THE SAME everyday is for me until I made this list. I work for myself because I value my freedom to do what I like, when I like… but now that I think about it… I do the same darn things every single day!

8:30 am- Wake up, snuggle with dog/husband. Make self presentable.

9 am- Breakfast with the hubs while simultaneously catching up on blogs, people.com, and facebook.

10 am- EMAILS (the answering of them, the sorting of them, the deleting of copious amounts of junk mail).

11 am- Review iCal for today’s to-do (I would fall to pieces without my iCal)

11 am- My assistant, Rachel arrives and begins building the day’s invite orders (gluing, folding, counting, the making of piles)

11 am -1pm - Miscellaneous work (pre-pressing invitation orders, phone calls to brides (and sometimes their moms), proofs to clients, paper and ribbon orders, calls to printer, exercising of checkbook, etc…)

1 pm - LUNCH!

1:30- 5pm - Back to miscellaneous work…

5 pm - Rachel leaves for the day, I walk the dog around the neighborhood, sometimes stopping for a ball toss at the dog park.

5:30 pm - workout time. This is the most variable part of the day. Sometimes I do it. Sometimes I do not.

6- 8 pm - various dinner related activities with the hubs (grocery shopping, cooking, going out, ordering in, cleaning up…)

8 -10:30 pm - maybe watch a movie, watch TV, work on something crafty, call my mom/sister/friend, or (lately) take a nap.

10:30pm - 12am - research for the next morning’s blog. Troll the web, dig up old bookmarks, stalk Stylehive… until I find something I want to blog about, write blog, post blog.

12am- BED!

What are 5 random things about you?

1) If someone asks me how much I paid for something, I will usually lie and tell them less than what I actually paid. I don’t know why I do this.

2) My number one fear in life is being eaten by an animal. I do not understand how this isn’t everyone’s number-one fear.

3) I am both a food snob and a lover of snack cakes. Yodels are delicious.

4) I know a lot about sharks. I’m very keen on shows about sharks, and all things sharky. I don’t love sharks, in fact, I’m scared to death of them (see #2), I just really like to learn about them. Shark Week is like… my favorite week.

5) My purse is filled with trash - receipts, gum wrappers, and old grocery lists mostly. I call this condition “garbage purse”. I only clean it out when I go on airplane rides, at which time I believe it is imperative to be organized.

Thank you so much for giving us a glimpse into your life Mackenzie!