News

WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards® 2015 January 17 2015, 0 Comments

Effingham's Own Design Pro Wins a WeddingWire Couples' Choice Award® 2015

Effingham, IL  – WeddingWire, the nation's leading online wedding marketplace, named Design Pro as a winner of the prestigious WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards® 2015 for Wedding Stationery in Effingham.         

The WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards® 2015 recognizes the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. The esteemed awards are given to the top local wedding vendors in more than 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their professional achievements from the previous year.          

While many industry award winners are selected by the host organization, the WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards® winners are determined solely based on reviews from real newlyweds and their experiences working with Design Pro. Award-winning vendors are distinguished for the quality, quantity, consistency and timeliness of the reviews they have received from their past clients.          

"It's always exciting to start the year by honoring the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Network who represent more than two million reviews on our website," said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. "Each of the businesses recognized are committed to quality, professionalism and all around top-notch service. We applaud Design Pro for their impressive achievements within the wedding industry."           

As a Couples' Choice Awards® winner, Design Pro is highlighted within the WeddingWire Network, which is comprised of more than 200,000 wedding professionals throughout North America and abroad.          

Design Pro is proud to be one of the top wedding stationery providers in Illinois in the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding sites such as WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. “We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. We value all of our clients and truly appreciate the positive feedback that helped us earn the WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards® 2015,” remarked Tanya Pedersen, owner and graphic designer of Design Pro.           

For more information about Design Pro, visit their website at www.designpro1.com or their WeddingWire Storefront at www.weddingwire.com/designpro1.         

To learn more about the Couple's Choice Awards®, visit www.weddingwire.com/couples-choice-awards.    

    

About WeddingWire

WeddingWire, the leading technology company serving the $100 billion wedding and events industry, is the largest online vertical marketplace connecting engaged couples with event professionals. With more than two million consumer reviews, it is the industry leader in consumer reviews. The site enables engaged couples to search, compare and book from an extensive database of more than 200,000 recently reviewed event professionals, from venues to photographers. WeddingWire provides event professionals with the technology they need to serve their clients, including a SaaS platform, which powers advertising, marketing, and CRM needs of local wedding and events businesses nationwide.

 


Upcoming Bridal Expos October 30 2014, 0 Comments

It's bridal expo time!  Design Pro will again be participating in local bridal shows.  We really enjoy meeting all of the newly engaged couples and discussing the ways we can help you create your dream wedding stationery.  We hope to see you at one or more of these shows!

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014
Walnut Street Weddings
314 W. Jefferson Ave.
Effingham, IL  62401
5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
No admission fee!

SUNDAY, JANUARY 4, 2015
Carriage House Event Center
8 W. Carriage Ln.
Altamont, IL  62411
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
No admission fee!
There will be a grand prize drawing at this event.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2015
Thelma Keller Convention Center
1202 N. Keller Dr.
Effingham, IL  62401
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Brides and grooms get in free!
Admission is $5.00 per person.
Runway fashion show is at 12:00 p.m.
Finale show is at 2:00 p.m.
There will be a prize drawing every 25 minutes.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 18, 2015
Cross County Mall
700 Broadway Ave.
Mattoon, IL  61938
12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
No admission fee!

 


Wedding MBA Convention September 22 2014, 0 Comments

Tanya Pedersen, graphic designer and owner of Design Pro, along with in-house copywriter and proofreader Dawn Pedersen, attended the 11th Annual Wedding MBA (Merchants Business Academy) Convention in Las Vegas, NV Sept. 16-18. Over 2,000 wedding professionals representing each state and over 20 countries attended the three-day event.

“Design Pro believes strongly in engaging with other wedding professionals and keeping up with the best practices and latest trends in the wedding industry in order to provide our clients exceptional service and design ideas,” stated Tanya Pedersen.

This year’s convention featured over 60 innovative seminars presented by the top leaders in the wedding industry, such as The Knot, WeddingWire, Perfect Wedding Guide, TLC Network, Martha Stewart Weddings, and more. Speakers engaged attendees at the Las Vegas Convention Center with a variety of topics ranging from insights on wedding planning trends and preferences to the ever-changing world of technology.

Since 2008, Design Pro has provided custom wedding and event invitations and stationery from Suite 25 in the Lincolnland Building in Effingham. Additional information can be found at www.designpro1.com or by contacting Pedersen at tanya@designpro1.com or 217-342-3946.
   

Carriage House 2014 Bridal Show March 10 2014, 0 Comments

Thanks to everyone who visited with me at the first Bridal Show held at the spectacular Carriage House Event Center in Altamont.  I was happy to see some of the brides I am already working with as well as brides whom I met for the first time and look forward to working with in the future.

Special thanks to Janet Ramsey of the Carriage House for sponsoring this event.  This was our first time at this venue, although we had already heard amazing things about it from many of our brides.  Well, the Carriage House was even more amazing than we imagined!

Everything about the facility is state-of-the-art and first class.  The staircase is absolutely breathtaking and don’t even get me started on the ladies’ room!  Janet displayed the vast array of décor she has available.  Her backdrops, centerpieces, and linens were absolutely gorgeous.

It was a great experience all around, and it was even warm and sunny when we left the show.  We had another first, eating at the new Joe’s Pizza location.  Loved the new building as well as the delicious pizza.  Great day from start to finish!


And the Winner Is... March 03 2014, 0 Comments

Did you watch the Oscars last night?  I thought Ellen did a great job.  Didn’t you just love the celebrities, the gowns, the performances, the film clips, the envelopes?

That’s right, the envelopes.  The actual envelope containing the names of the winners received a lot of “Oscar buzz” in the press.

Here are some facts about the hundreds of envelopes used at the Oscars:

  • Each one weighs a quarter-pound
  • Each envelope costs about $200
  • Each one requires 110 hours to make by hand

The designer of the envelopes, Marc Friedland, says that “the amount of emotion, spirit, heart and soul contained in that envelope will last a lifetime for that winner and will bring them back to that moment when their name was announced.”

With that kind of effect, perhaps brides should think about splurging on the many options that can make your invitations really stand out.  Jeweled embellishments, shimmer paper, and lined envelopes are just a few examples.  At Design Pro we have all kinds of colors, styles, and designs to choose from to make your invitations real winners!


The Importance of Proofreading February 13 2014, 0 Comments

This is an actual email advertisement received from a well known stationery company.  Their website boasts being in business since 1919 and having over 250 employees.

You would think with all that experience and the number of employees, this mistake would have been caught.

Take a look at the black wedding invitation.  The image has not been altered in any way.  Cocktalk?  Really?

You can trust Design Pro.  We may be smaller, but we know the difference between "cocktalk" and "cocktail."


Upcoming Bridal Expo December 18 2013, 0 Comments

You may not know what you’re looking for, but you’ll know what you want when you see it!

If that’s how you feel about your upcoming wedding, you can see it all at the 24th Annual Bridal Expo at The Thelma Keller Convention Center on Sunday, January 12, 2014, beginning at 11:00 a.m.

You will save countless hours from traveling all over in search of the perfect vendors for the most important day of your life. 

You can see the best of wedding products and services and discover all that is new and different in just one afternoon. 

Just a suggestion, you might want to bring along pre-printed address labels.  Many vendors will invite you to enter their drawings for special gifts and prizes, so having these labels will save you from having to write your information countless times. 

I am looking forward to meeting with as many brides as possible at my Design Pro booth.  Please stop by to see how we can create the wedding stationery of your dreams. 

Happy Planning,
Tanya