Hey all! Darian here... It's March and you know what that means... it's time for our Vendor Highlight of the Month!! This is #3 for the year and I personally think you all are going to LOVE this one. I won't give too much away but her story is incredible. From her childhood to the details of her work. You are bound to leave feeling so inspired and filled with so many ideas for your wedding day and or upcoming event... becasue she does it all!

Without further ado, meet Nikki Hess with Lavender and Sea Calligraphy!

Vendor & Company Name:

Nikki Hess - Lavender and Sea

What you specialize in:

Calligraphy and Hand Lettering

A little about The Owner:

My name is Nikki and I love being artsy and creative! From the time I was a very small child, I always loved art and creating things. I really owe a lot of it to my parents, who never shut down my creativity, but allowed me to flourish. As an 11 year old, my parents let me plan out and paint an entire zoo mural on my wall. At the time (being an 11 year old) I never realized how amazing it actually was that my parents allowed me to do this. My creative passions have jumped around since I was 11, from bubble lettering in Jr.High (does anyone remember that?!), to acrylic painting, to knitting and finally landing me here, with calligraphy. My dream has always been to own my business, and once I found calligraphy there was this "A HA!" moment where I realized this was it. I am so thankful to all the people who hire me and admire my work, it really inspires me to continue on this journey.

**Tell us little something special about Lavender and Sea:**

Lavender and Sea is a boutique calligraphy studio. It is run solely by me (Nikki) and I care so much about my clients and their big days! I love collaborating with brides/couples to bring their wedding day visions to life. However, weddings aren't the only calligraphed items I create! I create anniversary gifts, holiday gifts and home decor items - people can special order from me just about anything they'd like that involves calligraphy.

What about your industry do you love most?:

The ability to express your creativity with lots of freedom. Although I understand that brides often have a very specific vision of what their big day will look like, I often find that brides are very open to my opinion and welcome my creative input. Not to mention, weddings are some of the most spectacular events on earth, who wouldn't love being a part of that?!

Any big goals for 2018:

To offer invitation suites! It's been a goal of mine for quite some time. I'm old school in terms of my art. I use tangible items to create my work, BUT in this day and age you must be able to digitally render your work. I'm currently taking a course to make this happen.

Who is your ideal bride or client:

This is a tough question. I had a bride once tell me "Do whatever you think looks best, I'm not creative at all. I trust you." It felt really good to have a bride trust me and let me just go for it ... however I also had a lot of unanswered questions about the look and feel of her wedding. On the flip side, I've had brides who have a very clear vision and send me a Pinterest board that looks like it was curated by Lauren Conrad (my personal idol) and I love that too! It's hard to say who my ideal bride or client is, if I had to narrow it down I would say a client who is kind and loves my work is ideal. :)

Tell us something special that goes on behind the scenes that not everyone knows about:

My clients probably don't know this but I think about their projects A LOT. For example, sometimes I'll go on a hike and the entire hike I'm just brainstorming ways to make their project a little bit better. I'm obsessed with my work. Also, if I'm having a mental road block creatively, I go outside, soak up some rays and then come back to. It's all part of the creative process.

Most memorable event from 2017:

This is the nerdy calligrapher in me, but writing on cigars for a styled shoot was kind of my highlight. Don't get me wrong, it was extremely challenging, but the result was pretty cool.

What do you love most about your industry:

The people! I have gotten to work with and meet so many wonderful people. Plus, weddings are usually such a happy time in people's lives and the energy around them is incredible.

Where can our brides expect to find you next:

Well, I've recently done about 4 styled shoots and we are waiting for them all to be published. I can't say where just yet but I'm hoping for one particularly popular bridal magazine!

What can our brides expect to receive when hiring Lavender and Sea:

My brides can expect excellent customer service and heart felt, dedicated work. In terms of packaging I am very flexible. I know there are some calligraphers who have a minimum budget they require from each bride but I don't do that. Since it's my own business I am able to do small projects, as well as large projects. I work with each bride individually to determine what is needed for them on their wedding day, as well as what their budget will allow. I love my work and what I do, and I believe that really shines through to my clients.