Darling Darby

As one of the Middle Tennessee’s established paper product designers, Darby Locklear of Darby Cards has created pieces for bachelorette parties, weddings, bridal showers, and baby showers for more than five years. However, Darby recently experienced the most sentimental event of them all: designing her own wedding!

Darby has had the pleasure of working with previous brides for years, and she used their ideas collectively to help reign in her own. “I have worked with some really creative brides so they actually helped me! As overwhelming as it can be to know the limitless options, it helped me to get creative…and it was really fun to design for myself,” says the newlywed.

Although married in the spring, Darby sees many trends from current clients that will be demanded for Fall 2016 weddings. “Gold foil is all the trend right now. It is absolutely beautiful and adds a touch of elegance to any paper piece.” Fall color palettes consisting of burgundy, charcoal, and plum will be a common feature throughout this autumn.

When beginning the process of planning, Darby encourages brides to set the tone and focus on the invitation. More importantly, Darby advises brides to do this: “Make your wedding planning a fun experience, relax and do what is most important to you. ‘Wedding Week’ is one of the fastest but most incredible weeks I have ever experienced and it would be such a shame to miss out on it because you get caught up in the stress and details.“

As for Mrs. Locklear, the future looks bright for Darby Cards. With the launch of her new collective, this allows young designers to establish a presence. “This expands our look as well by having different designers with us now. We have one in particular that has been with us since the beginning who amazes me when she sends in her new designs. [She] definitely has a more funky and modern flair where I am an old soul traditionalist,” says Darby.