Spring 2019

9 Jess Dick founded Lancaster-based Jeccabox in 2017. As a specialist in bespoke luxury wedding stationery, the company was recognised in LUXlife Magazine’s 2018 Wedding Awards programme as the ‘Wedding Stationer of the Year’ in North West England. We sat down with Jess to find out more about her extraordinary work and ethos. To start, please tell me about Jeccabox – what do you do? I’m a wedding stationer- it still gives me a thrill to say that! I used to work as a marketing director in a national company; I enjoyed the buzz and challenge, but I was getting increasingly fed up with the ‘rat race’ and started daring to dream about working for myself. I’ve always been creative- I have a BA in Interior Design- and founding Jeccabox in 2017 was the opportunity to lift out the specific, creative parts of the job which I loved and go it alone. It was a big leap, but it’s already been so rewarding. Most of my work is directly with couples all over the UK and beyond, including those getting married or based overseas. I also work closely with hotels and other suppliers in coordinating weddings and other events. Let’s focus on the wedding industry for a moment. What services do you provide for that sector in particular? I provide stationery which covers every wedding requirement! Guests appreciate all the special touches on the day, but of course the momentum begins months or even years before. A beautiful invitation or ‘save the date’ card has always captivated me and running Jeccabox has underlined their significance. They’re so personal and set the tone for the whole wedding; my clients all say how vital it is that their stationery reflects their personality or theme. Following that, I also design all aspects of ‘on the day’ stationery, including orders of service, signs, table plans, menus and favours, through to mementoes and thank you cards, all tasks ticked off in advance! Are there any major developments or challenges that have been affecting the wedding sector recently? How has Jeccabox adapted around these? When looking for inspiration, couples used to use ideas from other weddings they’d attended and articles from magazines. Now people have a massive range of influences to choose from. Besides specialist shops, wedding fairs and websites, there’s literally millions of images online, from friends on Facebook to professional influencers on Instagram. This can provide inspiration, but also be overwhelming. Whilst easy to order online, if you’re simply clicking through hundreds of options on a website, you can feel very swamped and directionless. It thrills me to get compliments about how nice it is to get a personal service; taking a couple’s ideas and personalities to create something special and individual to them. On the other side of things|: no one can predict the full impact of Brexit. It may affect the cost of materials, but as I deal with small local suppliers where possible, I hope not. It may mean fewer people go abroad to get married, boosting UK venues and services, but also meaning they book up earlier. If people do have to start planning and booking earlier, Oct18502 knowing they have access to a simple, friendly bespoke service for their wedding stationery means it’s one less thing for them to worry about! Every business has to adapt and respond to changing markets and lifestyles. Throughout January we tested offering ‘trial packs’ via our website and Facebook page. I forecast we might get 200 requests across the month, and we actually sent out almost 900, so there was a definite market for them out there! At the moment, Jeccabox is a one-woman company - Do you have any plans to recruit? Up till now it’s been just me. While this works well with the personal, artisanal nature of my service, it can be a lot to juggle. I'm lucky that my partner, Will, is also a self-employed creative (he’s a wood worker), so he understands the pressures and is great to talk things over with. As the business expands, I’m looking to employ someone else later this year and move into an office rather than work from home. Because I work so closely on everything I have a very clear roadmap in my head, and it’s essential that the content we put out reflects the ethos of the business. It’s vital anyone coming to work for me (or rather, with me) shares Jeccabox’s vision and passion, so even now I’m starting to think about the interview process to ensure I find just the right match. What does the future have in store for Jeccabox? Launching the online shop later this year will give Jeccabox a direct shopfront and make consultations even simpler. There really are no limits online; a bigger platform will enable me to showcase how our design service can be applied to assist a wide range of people with individual requirements: celebrations, parties, business and conference stationery, etc. Weddings will of course always be what makes my heart beat faster. Whilst employing a member of staff will make a huge positive impact on the business; however amazing they are, I don’t think anyone could wrestle my wedding designing from me! Is there anything you would like to add? Any self-employed person will know it’s a lot of hard work, but I feel so lucky to be following my dream. Being nominated and winning awards is the icing on the cake; but working with lovely people on different challenges every day keeps me creative and engaged. Website: http://jeccabox.co.uk/ & Jeccabox on Facebook Contact [email protected] Jeccabox : The Finishing Touch toYour Perfect Day