Business Person of the Week: Melissa Dinwiddie
Jay Lillie
August 06, 2009
What got you started in your profession?
In 1994, when I was planning my Jewish wedding, my husband-to-be liked the idea of including a ketubah in the ceremony. Ketubot (the plural in Hebrew) are wedding contracts signed by the bride, groom, and officiant, and since Jewish tradition calls for religious articles to be made as beautiful as possible, they´re often illuminated with calligraphy and artwork.
I didn´t even know what they were at the time, but I immediately liked the idea since it was art from our special day that could be on display in our home for a lifetime. Ours was made for us by an artist who also became a friend. After the wedding, I found myself getting back into art, a childhood passion, and picked up some calligraphy pens that I had been given in high school… a couple of hundred thousand letters later, I realized that calligraphy had become a life passion, and it was natural to want to express that passion in ketubot and other wedding documents. I did all the calligraphy for my best friend´s interfaith (Christian/Catholic) wedding that year, including an illuminated marriage certificate with calligraphy, painting and gold leaf. Soon, I was getting calls from other couples wanting similar certificates and before long I built up a good business providing custom ketubot and other wedding certificates. In 2001 I came out with my first print, and quickly added more, and in 2005 I created my line of matching invitations. I add new designs constantly, and this year I added chuppah canopies based on my art, and a line of premium invitations.
What do you want others to know about you?
I want my clients to know that I´ve been through my own wedding, and helped with hundreds more, and I know that wedding planning is a stressful time of life. I sweat the details and make everything as smooth and simple as possible for my clients. I have staff behind the scenes, but I always answer the phone and respond personally to email—it will always be me answering your questions and guiding you through the complexities of a traditional ketubot or chuppah design, and I´m always happy to work with you on invitations that really express the spirit of your wedding day.
What do you like and dislike about your community?
I love the quiet of my neighborhood - it's very peaceful, which makes it easy to create without distractions. I do miss being in the heart of a city, though, where everything is within walking distance. I think my ideal—maybe not totally impossible—would be to live in big, bright loft with a yard in a quiet cul-de-sac, just a few blocks from a bustling downtown, a few minutes' drive from both the ocean and the mountains!
What's your most memorable moment in life?
There have been many. Speaking at my college graduation was definitely a peak experience. I didn't tell my parents, so they discovered I was speaking when they got to their seats and looked at the program! I don't think they could have been more proud.
What are your hobbies?
I'm a jazz singer, though it's actually a second career rather than a hobby—a few times, I´ve even sung at weddings that featured my wedding artwork! I call it my "night job," fine art and design being my "day job"! Before I became an artist I was actually a dancer, and I still dance for fun, mostly Argentine Tango these days.
How can people find out more about your business?
They can find me online at www.weddingartworks.com and www.ketubahworks.com
In 1994, when I was planning my Jewish wedding, my husband-to-be liked the idea of including a ketubah in the ceremony. Ketubot (the plural in Hebrew) are wedding contracts signed by the bride, groom, and officiant, and since Jewish tradition calls for religious articles to be made as beautiful as possible, they´re often illuminated with calligraphy and artwork.
I didn´t even know what they were at the time, but I immediately liked the idea since it was art from our special day that could be on display in our home for a lifetime. Ours was made for us by an artist who also became a friend. After the wedding, I found myself getting back into art, a childhood passion, and picked up some calligraphy pens that I had been given in high school… a couple of hundred thousand letters later, I realized that calligraphy had become a life passion, and it was natural to want to express that passion in ketubot and other wedding documents. I did all the calligraphy for my best friend´s interfaith (Christian/Catholic) wedding that year, including an illuminated marriage certificate with calligraphy, painting and gold leaf. Soon, I was getting calls from other couples wanting similar certificates and before long I built up a good business providing custom ketubot and other wedding certificates. In 2001 I came out with my first print, and quickly added more, and in 2005 I created my line of matching invitations. I add new designs constantly, and this year I added chuppah canopies based on my art, and a line of premium invitations.
What do you want others to know about you?
I want my clients to know that I´ve been through my own wedding, and helped with hundreds more, and I know that wedding planning is a stressful time of life. I sweat the details and make everything as smooth and simple as possible for my clients. I have staff behind the scenes, but I always answer the phone and respond personally to email—it will always be me answering your questions and guiding you through the complexities of a traditional ketubot or chuppah design, and I´m always happy to work with you on invitations that really express the spirit of your wedding day.
What do you like and dislike about your community?
I love the quiet of my neighborhood - it's very peaceful, which makes it easy to create without distractions. I do miss being in the heart of a city, though, where everything is within walking distance. I think my ideal—maybe not totally impossible—would be to live in big, bright loft with a yard in a quiet cul-de-sac, just a few blocks from a bustling downtown, a few minutes' drive from both the ocean and the mountains!
What's your most memorable moment in life?
There have been many. Speaking at my college graduation was definitely a peak experience. I didn't tell my parents, so they discovered I was speaking when they got to their seats and looked at the program! I don't think they could have been more proud.
What are your hobbies?
I'm a jazz singer, though it's actually a second career rather than a hobby—a few times, I´ve even sung at weddings that featured my wedding artwork! I call it my "night job," fine art and design being my "day job"! Before I became an artist I was actually a dancer, and I still dance for fun, mostly Argentine Tango these days.
How can people find out more about your business?
They can find me online at www.weddingartworks.com and www.ketubahworks.com
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