Most Asked Questions from the Portland Bridal and Wedding Expo

I had the greatest time at the Portland Bridal and Wedding Expo last weekend! It really made my heart so happy (see what I did there?) to meet and talk with so many people interested in my signs!

I got a lot of the same questions so I decided to make a post with all the answers in one place.

Q: Can you write on other surfaces?

A: While I only provide mirrors to rent right now, I can write on other surfaces. If you have a vision for your day and it includes my writing and another type of surface, I’ll definitely work with you to figure out how we can make it happen.

Q: Do you only rent mirrors?

A: At the moment, yes. I have a million different ideas of what I want to offer and add to my rental inventory in the future but right now, mirrors are the focus. But, like the previous question, if you have an idea and want to work through it with me, let’s get in touch and figure it out!

Q: Can you write on my own mirrors if I provide them?

A: Absolutely! If you have your own mirrors, I’d love to write on them for your wedding day.

Q: Do you travel?

A: Technically, yes. But, the set up / breakdown fee will cost more if your venue is farther away. A good gauge would be anything farther than 30 miles from Portland will cost more.

Q: Do you write all these yourself?

A: Yes! I handwrite everything! I don’t use any stickers, vinyl, stencils or anything else. I spend so much time making everything perfect so you can have a unique, one-of-a-kind piece for your wedding day.

Q: Can I mix and match items?

A: Yes. I have pre-selected packages available with the most popular rental groupings to make it easy, but you don’t have to use those. You can choose whichever sizes you want to create your own custom package.

Q: Can I pick up the mirrors to bring myself?

A: In some cases maybe, but technically no. Most of my rental pieces are big, heavy, very fragile and have to be professionally handled and secured.

Q: Do you do illustrations?

A: I definitely specialize in calligraphy and handwriting, but if you have something you want drawn on your sign, let me know and I’ll make it happen for you!

Q: Do you write on chalkboards?

A: I can but I don’t specialize in chalkboards. I am looking to add some to my inventory in the future but I don’t offer any chalkboards for rentals at the moment. If you have a chalkboard you want me to write on, I would be able to do that!

These were the most asked questions I got at the Bridal Expo. Send me an email at happyheartartco@gmail.com or fill out the Contact form if you have any other questions for me.

A special thank you to all the brides, grooms, future mother in-laws, father of the brides, brother of the grooms and everyone else that stopped by our booth at the Expo! Thank you for taking the time to stop and chat, take pictures and ask questions. It meant more than you know!

PORTLAND BRIDAL AND WEDDING EXPO

Hey everyone! Oh man, it has been a little hectic over here at Happy Heart Art Co. I am gearing up for a very exciting event in a couple weeks - the Portland Bridal and Wedding Expo!! This is my first ever event like this and I am SO excited to connect with all the brides and couples coming to the expo!

I have been doing a ton of research because besides not having done an event like this before, I’ve never even been to something like this. I am going in completely blind and have no idea what to expect, or what is even expected from me! I know I have high expectations of myself so I’ve been hard at work brainstorming the best ways for everyone to have a great experience at my booth.

I’m still deciding what mirrors to showcase at the event but I know I’ll probably bring at least two of my extra-large ones, one (maybe more) of my large mirrors and a bunch of medium and smaller ones! I was talking to my best friend (and small business partner in crime) and she was laughing at me as I was listing off all the mirrors I wanted to bring. Let’s just say there are over 15 I want to bring, but I somehow don’t think it’s possible to display all those in my 10x10 booth! I’ll definitely try to bring as many as I can so people will be able to see all the different things you can do with my rental mirrors!

I'm also looking forward to meeting all the awesome fellow wedding vendors out there. It is such a crazy industry to be in right now. The wedding industry is BOOMING since so many couples weren't able to have their weddings in 2020. I'm excited to meet other vendors and see all the beautiful work they do.

Well like I said, I can't wait to meet and talk with all the wonderful brides and couples planning their special day. Let me know if you’re coming to the expo!! If you stop by and see me, you may be able to get a discount on a rental package but shh, you didn’t hear that from me ;)

W E L C O M E

If you don’t know me, hi! My name is Bella and I am the owner and creator of Happy Heart Art Co. I think everyone remembers a little time called March 2020 when the world suddenly stopped. I was working in a restaurant at that time (along with various other part time jobs), got laid off and suddenly had a lot of time on my hands. I went through all the quarantine phases including sleeping a lot, binge-watching Netflix (although I can proudly say I did not ever subject myself to Tiger King), working out (that lasted a good three days) and of course aimlessly scrolling through TikTok. I started seeing a lot of calligraphy and lettering videos on TikTok and I loved watching people write. I got inspired and thought, hey I can do that! So, I got some brush pens and a sketchbook and started practicing.

I got it in my head that I wanted to start a business. Now, did I know how to start a business? Absolutely not. Do I now know how to run a business? Still no. But, I’m taking things one day at a time and figuring things out as I go along. And, I’m having a great time! There are so many challenges and I have Googled the most ridiculous questions but I am determined to succeed!

A little about my business -

I started seeing a lot of weddings on Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok. I love love and weddings and pretty things so I was all about this kind of content. I started thinking about what all goes into weddings and how much freakin’ stuff you have to buy. Plus, Facebook Marketplace is filled with people selling stuff they purchased for their weddings like plates, decorations, tablecloths - all things that will never be used again. There’s a lot of waste at weddings. I wanted to start a business that kind of minimized that waste. I started buying ornate mirrors that I could write on with semi-permanent ink (so it would stay on throughout the duration of an event), but it would come off with a good scrub so I could reuse them. I offer rentals of these mirrors that people can customize to say whatever they want, I write on them with pretty writing, drop the signs off at the event and pick them up when it’s over. That way, the couple doesn’t have a ton of signs left over saying welcome to our wedding and here’s the dinner menu cause who really wants that after the wedding is over?? No one, that’s who. Once, I got a lil inventory built up, boom! Happy Heart Art Co. was formed.

What’s in a name -

I knew I wanted to start this business but I struggled for a long time trying to figure out what to call it. With one of those Google searches I mentioned before titled “How to come up with a business name”, I quickly became overwhelmed. You see, there are a lot of criteria and things to think about when naming a business, apparently. You want it to be simple so people can remember it, but not boring. You want to be unique but also when you think you’re being unique, that name is already taken. It was a struggle. I was talking to my boyfriend about it trying to come up with a name and he asked me a very important question: What do you want people to get from your business? I thought about it and I said I want people to have an enjoyable experience when working with me and I want their hearts to be happy seeing the products I have created for them. Well what do you know?! There’s my business name.

What’s next -

I have a ton of plans and ideas for directions I want to take my business. But for now, I’m focusing on building a network within the wedding industry here in Portland and booking more events for my rentals. We’ll see how I do with this whole blog thing!

Thanks for being here!