Are you a bride searching for creative designs, unique bridal party gifts, or wedding stationery? While planning a wedding, all these little details quickly add up. Luckily, we had the opportunity to go Behind The Brand with wedding stationer and bridal party gift-kit extraordinaire, Tasia Graham, of Taaenoelle + Co!
Starting her company in 2016, Tasia’s unique E-commerce store is a one-stop bridal shop offering one-of-a-kind designs ranging from stationery cards to bridal gifts, DIY templates, and more.
Her mission behind her brand stemmed from noticing a lack of representation in the stationery world. Accompanied by the birth of her daughter the same year, Tasia knew this was an issue she wanted to address.
I noticed a lack of women of color featured in wedding boxes, gift cards, etc. I wanted to change that and create something that allows us to see ourselves in the product.
– Tasia Graham of Taaenoelle + Co
Today, Tasia’s company continues to advocate for inclusivity and representation. Constantly creating new designs and products featuring illustrations of women of all skin tones is helping to push more diverse images into the wedding sphere. This is integral for her business and also for the vision she holds for her own daughter’s future.
Ultimately, it is so important for young girls and women of color to see themselves in the world. In everything from the wedding industry to the media, in books, and in the arts, representation matters. We are excited to see Tasia continue to create more beautiful designs showcasing beauty and love in all its forms!
Keep reading below for more on Tasia Graham’s journey into the wedding and events industry and about her company, Taaenoelle + Co.
- Brand: Taaenoelle + Co
- Owner: Tasia Graham
- Blog: Behind The Brand
Tell us about your upbringing and your journey into the wedding and events industry.
As a kid, I was always interested in art. My dad was good at drawing so I guess it passed down to me! I remember going into Hallmark as a child and loving the selection of cards. It was always fascinating to me. It wasn’t until I got into college and had an internship at a wedding invitation company that I realized this is what I wanted to do!!
When did you first realize your passion for art and design? And when did you decide to take the plunge and start your own business?
I realized my passion for art at a young age – I’d say around 4th grade. Having my own business was never the plan for me; however, after having my daughter in 2016, I had an epiphany to start my own invitation business online.
Explain the name of your brand (why Taaaenoelle? I’m curious!).
Taaenoelle (Tay-Noelle) is actually a combination of my name and my daughter’s middle name!
Where do you find inspiration for your products?
God gives me the ideas and I bring them to life in my notebook or on the computer. I browse Pinterest for trends but my ideas mainly come to me in my dreams.
The process…
How is your creative process while working with clients?
I like to keep it simple. And since I don’t offer any custom work, it’s pretty straightforward.
Share any challenges you have faced while building your brand and how you have overcome adversity.
I would say “SOCIAL MEDIA” has been a challenge.
The feeling of being invisible and all that comes with it! You work so hard at something, you post your hard work and then – BAM, crickets. It’s really annoying at times. It’s like ‘what do I have to do to just be SEEN’.
But I’ve gotten a lot better at that and just learning to not give social media that kind of control over my brand or my life in general.
Those people and those platforms are not what define me and they’re not the determining factor on my brand and its success.
What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs and fellow creatives trying to make a name for themselves?
Stay TRUE to who you are. It’s so easy to get caught up with trying to be like everyone else but AUTHENTICITY is what the people really want to see. Just know that you are enough!
Any exciting updates or announcements for Taaenoelle + Co.?
Hmmm… I’m working on quite a few things. Sometimes I feel like I’m all over the place. I do have some new products in the works so be on the lookout for that!
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