I'm back again for my first July feature and aside from being shocked that it's July (JULY!!), I'm so happy to be popping in today because this blog is all about one of my favourite things - stationery. Yep, I'm a paid up fangirl of all things paper so it's a huge pleasure to welcome Rebecca of Darling Rose to Festival Brides. Read on to find out more about this super talented designer (who you'll also find in our festival wedding directory) and it's absolutely a-ok if you have a little swoon over her gorgeous designs too.

Take it away Rebecca...

My name is Rebecca Sims, founder of Darling Rose, and I've always been passionate about art and design since childhood. Printmaking, specifically, came to be an interest at University and much of my work since has involved similar forms of design.

I get a huge amount of my inspiration from my surroundings. I adore the great outdoors, nature and the changing landscapes with the different seasons. I have spent a great deal of time living in cities, the countryside and by the coast and I love the contrast between all three. I am also madly in love with art galleries and am lucky to have an array in London to choose from!

I've been a graphic designer for more than 10 years and have always dreamt of having my own company. Having studied in Cornwall, worked in London and am now living near the beautiful Essex countryside, I feel constantly inspired by my surroundings. I have always wanted to share my designs with others and even better, to use them to bring people joy. I got married in the Summer last year and after producing my own stationery, I had a lot of people telling me that I should design for other weddings. I worked incredibly hard and launched Darling Rose in January this year.

Darling Rose is such a new venture but a real highlight has been seeing the company grow from an idea into a reality. The positive feedback has been amazing and a real push to help the brand develop. I am very excited for the future of Darling Rose!

I personally have always been fond of floral prints. I love everything from old botanical diagrams to abstract watercolour florals used in fashion. I find it very interesting that flowers and other plants are represented in such a varied way. There is a real beauty and delicacy to flowers that I find fascinating. I also love that you can really experiment with colour when working around floral prints.

However at Darling Rose, we pride ourselves in answering briefs that cover a variety of styles. We love collaborating with other artists and always make sure we incorporate our clients ideas into each design. The most important thing to us is quality! We put a lot of care and attention into finishing every piece to a high standard.

We have a series of in-house designs available for you to personalise. These are perfect for couples that either aren't too sure on a style for their day and need a helping hand, or a couple that already like a design they see - but fancy adding their own personal touch to it!

We've tried to reflect the tone of Darling Rose in these six collections - our influences from the great outdoors, our love of colour and a real passion for great design produced on quality materials. Each is designed with love and printed on beautiful GF Smith paper.

The order process for these is simple, find a collection that you like online, fill in the form and we will get back to you asking for your details that you would like included.

The bespoke service gives you the opportunity to turn your ideas into something truly individual. First of all say hello! Get in touch and tell us exactly what it is that you are looking for and we will get back to you with a selection of price options. Once you are happy the fun begins! This is the time to tell us all of your wonderful ideas - we love this part!

We encourage our clients to share mood boards, poems, music - anything that is inspiring their special day.

The design process will take between three and four weeks. We will work on ideas with you and always get your thoughts and feedback along the way. We let you be as involved as you want to be, however we are also there to give advice if you are a bit unsure. We offer a variety of in-house papers and printing processes, however if a client would like something outside of what we normally provide, we are always happy to try and outsource - so don't be afraid of suggesting things!

The wedding save the date and invitation is the first detail of the wedding guests will see. The most important thing is that the invitation conveys the personalities of the bride and groom. The invitation sets the tone for the entire event, from the quality of the invitation to how much care and thought have been put into it. Take your time to think about these details - it'll be worth it in the long run!

It's the first thing that you'll see written on our website - 'we care about every last detail' - and it's true. We will be by your side every step of the way and we won't cut any corners. We focus on bringing you quality designs, that thoughtfully present the tone of your big day, leaving a lasting impression for years to come.

Thanks Rebecca, it's been fab to have you with us today. If you'd like to find out more about wedding stationery from Darling Rose, click on over to the website or check out Rebecca's listing in our festival wedding directory.