An Exclusive Interview with Vaishali Shah of Ananya Cards
Ananya Cards is an award-winning wedding and event stationery business established in 2006, owned and run by Vaishali Shah.
With bases in both Dubai and London, offering an impeccable experience from design to delivery, Ananya is known for creating stunning culture-led designs with materials of the finest quality.
Ananya Cards creates the finest bespoke wedding and event stationery for celebrations in Dubai, London, and internationally. Lead designer Vaishali is well respected throughout the industry and, since launching the business 17 years ago, she has enjoyed numerous press features in publications worldwide. She specializes in working closely with her couples and her couples' families to thoughtfully honor multicultural backgrounds, infusing a contemporary twist to her unique wedding invitations while also providing on-trend, fashion-forward designs that tell the story of the couple in a truly personal way.
We have had the chance to ask Vaishali Shah, owner of Ananya Cards, a few questions and this is what she had to say:
Tell us some details about your brand and how long you have been in the business
Here at Ananya Cards, I work with international, design-led clients to create luxurious stationery for all of their celebrations of life.
In particular, we specialize in sophisticated designs for multicultural weddings and parties and work closely with our clients to bring to life completely bespoke stationery suites that tell the story of their rich heritage and family backgrounds.
I have over 2 decades of experience working in design, and next year will have the great joy of celebrating Ananya Cards’ 17th business birthday.
What is the first step when it comes to a bride choosing her wedding invitations and stationery?
Brides and grooms’ first step is identifying the designer they want to work with, which is all about exploring their social media and website and matching their own vision with the designers’ style, the finishing touches they use, and their personality as well.
Once a couple has chosen a designer, the next step is a consultation (in person or a video call) in which we discuss stationery styles, timescales, the design process, the details of the content, individual items, printing options, and pricing.
The rest of the journey is all about refining the colors and motifs, personalizing each element, and working through the design and printing timeline together – up until the big day!
Now that online invitations are trending, do you see them replacing actual wedding invitations?
Although it’s definitely true that more and more couples are choosing to incorporate a digital element into their stationery, such as save the dates or wedding websites filled with on-the-day details, we still believe there will always be a place for tangible, gorgeous paper stationery.
Most couples still want to surprise and wow their guests with that physical, luxurious little bit of mail – which marks the start of the aesthetic story of the wedding and is also a keepsake for many family members.
We don’t see online invitations replacing physical ones, but we do think there are some creative opportunities for creating complementary elements in which physical paper leads guests to online platforms that facilitate the RSVP, travel, and information-gathering process ahead of the wedding itself.
Are there some top trends you have been seeing when it comes to wedding stationery?
The top trends we are discussing with our couples and colleagues in the industry include the hyper-personalization of details, the inclusive representation of different cultures, sustainability and mindfulness, bespoke illustrations, immersive and multi-sensory guest experiences, and – more than ever – multiple-day destination weddings.
We have also been seeing some gorgeous colors come in for next year, including feathery, sheer, and ruffled textures alongside deep greens, purples, shades of teal, and rusty, burnt orange hues.
Retro 80s palettes are making their way into weddings with contrasting sunset colors placed side by side. Almost all of our couples are choosing to infuse their decor with a bold pop of color, which we love!
