Sara Keltsch returns from seminar

Sara Keltsch, owner of The Monogram Shoppe was a seminar speaker at the July Atlanta Gift Show. She along with three other gift shop owners were panelists at a seminar about promotions, merchandising and other hints for gift shop owners on Friday, July 11th. The seminar was sponsored by the Larry Lucas Showroom at the Altlanta Apparel Mart. The hour long seminar was a question and answer time to learn what promotions and ideas work best. Keltsch spoke about the Bridal Academy and how joining with other like businesses can help promote education for the brides to be.

Welcome back Sara.

Make a list and check it twice...

A couple of weeks before your wedding take a couple of minutes to put an email together for your wedding professionals. “Why” you might ask in the midst of all the wedding chaos? An email ahead of time that shows your wedding timeline gives you the opportunity to touch base and make sure all the players are on the same page.

As an example, if you change your reception start time from 7pm to 6pm and only confirm that with the venue, your band or DJ may be scampering around to get set up by your new start time. You might be hitching a ride with friends if you forget to let the limo or trolley know your modification. And your baker may be setting up your beautiful sugar confection while your guests are enjoying cocktails.

Give yourself peace of mind and ask your wedding vendors to reply to your timeline email so that you know they have received the schedule. If you do not hear back from them in 48 to 72 hours, make a phone call. This will save you a world of headache and heartaches right before your wedding. You need calm and serenity right before you get married, not a frantic search on the internet and all night on the phone trying to find a replacement for something/one you thought were already set in stone.

Happy Planning

Dawn Quick returns from 2 Be Bride Convention

Dawn Quick (owner of the Wedding Place) just returned from Nashville, TN. 2 Be Bride unveiled the new 2009 collection of breathtaking bridal gowns.

The Wedding Place is one of the only exclusive shops in Indiana to carry the 2 Be Bride collection. 2009 brides will find many fashion forward dress options for their special day.

Dawn talked to Terri (one of the 2 Be Bride) designers about where she finds inspiration for the gown designs. Terri finds inspiration “everywhere” so each one of these dresses will be original…not just another dress on the rack. Brides will be able to find beautiful dresses right here in Fort Wayne.

"Sweetheart Table"

A “Sweetheart Table” is a wonderful way for your and your new husband to share some time as a couple in a dedicated “space” at the reception. This table is a focal point where you can enjoy your meal together and reflect on the moments of the day. Guests will be able to focus on the two of you during dinner and still give you a bit of privacy.

As you see with Lisa and Jon’s table, the color and décor flows with the other tables and can be decorated with even a more elegant feel for the event.

Fall 2008 Sessions Announced

Bridal Academy is for newly engaged brides-to-be as well as upcoming brides who are working on their wedding planning. Bridal Academy presenters are all experienced wedding professionals from the Fort Wayne area. They feel passionately about helping brides make their wedding a truly splendid experience.

Each bride is encouraged to bring one guest with them to share in the learning experience. Please call 260-482-1250 today to reserve your spot as space is limited. Hope to see you there!

Thursday, August 14, 2008
The Monogram Shoppe
6410 West Jefferson
Registration 6:45pm
Bridal Academy 7pm-8pm
Q&A and light refreshments 8pm

Topics for this August session will feature:
Bridesmaids ... Your Special Friends
*Showers and Bachelorette Parties
*How to Have Happy Bridesmaids
*Bridesmaid's Responsibilities
*Unique Bridesmaids Bouquets

Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Wedding Place
4618 Speedway Drive
Registration 6:45pm
Bridal Academy 7pm-8pm
Q&A and light refreshments 8pm

Topics for September session will help you:
Getting Started
*Wedding Themes
*The ABC's of Choosing Entertainment
*Invitations ~ They set the Tone

Thursday, October 23, 2008
The Wedding Place
4618 Speedway Drive
Registration 6:45pm
Bridal Academy 7pm-8pm
Q&A and light refreshments 8pm

Topics for this October session will assist you with:
Pampering and Preparation
*How to Shop for your Wedding Gown
*Gifts for your Special People
*Spa Style Pampering
*How to Determine what's Important to You!

Thursday, November 20, 2008
The Monogram Shoppe
6410 West Jefferson
Registration 6:45pm
Bridal Academy 7pm-8pm
Q&A and light refreshments 8pm

The topics for this November session will aid you with:
Wrapping it All Up!
*Honeymoon Tips
*Thank You Notes
*Gown Storage and Preservation
*Great Closers for an Awesome Reception

Journal Gazette features article on the Monogram Shoppe

Stationery but growing

Monogram Shoppe expands store, clientele by adding products from defunct neighbors

By Sherry Slater~The Journal Gazette

Garland's Art Galleries. Jorgensens. Oz Gallery & Gifts. Hoffman Collection.

One by one, over the past three years, high-end retail stores have closed in and around Covington Plaza.

The trend worries Sara Keltsch, who owns The Monogram Shoppe in that west-side shopping center. “Each time one of those stores closes, you think, ‘Am I going to be next? Have I made the right choices?' ” she said.

Customers and mentors say Keltsch has made some savvy choices in her stationery and gifts store. Those decisions include adding Mariposa, Byers' Choice Ltd. and Crane products - popular lines once sold by the closed stores. By reaching out to those loyal local customers, Keltsch has increased her own base with shoppers who are grateful they can still find their favorite collectibles in town.

But Keltsch has been highly selective, resisting the temptation to stray beyond her niche.

The Monogram Shoppe is in its seventh location in 28 years. The store started in Time Corners, where it had four addresses, before moving to Covington Plaza, where it is in its third space.

In July, Keltsch moved the store next door from about 1,700 square feet to about 3,300 square feet. The larger space includes an area that's visible but set apart from the rest of the store.
“Our wedding business increased a great deal, and what we needed to do was showcase our lines,” she said.

Her success, Keltsch's supporters say, stems from her ability to stock the store with items that perfectly suite her clientele.

Carol Lupke, a customer since the store opened, depends on the store for small rhythm instruments she gives her young dance students as Christmas gifts.

“Sara has always been able to find a source for the perfect item,” she said. Lupke also buys her personal and business stationery from Keltsch. “I don't know how I would get along without Sara and The Monogram Shoppe,” she said. “Sometimes I just walk in the door and say, ‘Help!' ”

Rolene Popp, another loyal customer, favors the Mariposa line of serving pieces, including platters, bowls and tongs. Mariposa, which markets its lines as a blend between elegance and whimsy, works well for informal dining, Popp said. She likes that it doesn't need to be polished like silver does.

Popp bought the brand at Jorgensens before that family-owned store closed in January 2006. Jorgensens, an expansive 18,000-square-foot store, carried dozens of china, silver and crystal patterns and dozens of other items. Popp thinks Keltsch made an astute choice to look past the rest and choose Mariposa to sell.

When Oz closed in March, The Monogram Shoppe picked up the Byers' Choice line of collectible Christmas caroler statues. When Hoffman Collection closed in December, Keltsch picked up the Crane stationery line and some etched glassware that's identical to what Hoffman sold, even though it's a different line.

When those retailers were open, Keltsch resisted duplicating their specialties and even referred her customers to those neighboring stores when they asked for certain lines of collectibles. Now that they've closed because of poor sales or retirement, Keltsch has reached out to their loyal customer bases.

Maurice Keltsch, Sara's father, co-owned Keltsch Pharmacy for about 50 years. His retail experience allows him to advise his daughter when they take early-morning walks with her dog.
He doesn't believe in trying to flood the market with merchandise. Just because you sell 10 of something doesn't mean you can sell 50 more of the same thing. But, the father stressed, his daughter makes the final decisions.

“She has the ability to decide what is something that really will sell,” he said. “I think she has a good sense of business and sometimes might go overboard, but she works her way through it.”
Larry Lucas, president of Larry Lucas Inc., also gives Keltsch business advice. He's an Atlanta-based manufacturers' representative for 100 children's lines and sells to higher-end retail stores and boutiques.

Lucas, who has been in business 42 years, guides Keltsch on what the hot new items will be. He also encourages her to know her market but diversify within it. Keltsch has expanded beyond the initial stationery focus of her store to include baby shower gifts, birthday gifts, items for tweens and items geared toward indulgent grandmothers.

Lucas also steers Keltsch away from some items. Maybe they are too expensive for her customer base. Or maybe they're unlikely to sell well. Or maybe another manufacturer makes a similar but superior product.

“She's very receptive to new ideas and suggestions,” Lucas said. “She definitely has a great flair for merchandising.”

Her particular blend of “clever, interesting” merchandise attracts middle-class shoppers who want to splurge during good times and upper-class shoppers who don't want to travel all the way to Chicago during bad times, Keltsch said.

“I've got nothing that if people didn't have them, their life would be horrible,” she said. “But having it makes their lives more fun.”

Keltsch said the best business advice she's received was to stay focused. She remembers that when past customers from closed neighboring stores ask her to pick up more lines those retailers carried.

“I'd rather have a small thing I'm perfect at than be a generalist and not be good at anything,” she said. “A lot of times you try to be everything to everybody. But then, you can't.”

Are you expecting a “perfect wedding day?”

The idea of perfection is ideal although truly expecting perfection on your wedding day is too difficult for anyone to fulfill. Anticipate a wonderful wedding day and set reasonable expectations. Truly, the main goal is getting married. Everything else is just icing on your wedding cake.

Take the time to plan and organize your wedding. Give yourself and your fiancé enough time to enjoy your engagement and reduce the pre-planning stress. Place responsibility in your wedding vendors. You hired them because they are professionals. Keep the communications lines open and your expectations will become a wonderful wedding day reality.

Try to take time to enjoy the days leading up to your wedding. Pamper yourself and set time aside for pre-wedding relaxation with your groom or bridesmaids. Get plenty of rest and try not to overindulge in libations.

On your wedding day, don’t sweat the small stuff. Have an emergency bag packed with items to take care of “problems” that might arise. Make sure that you eat breakfast even if it a light one. Drink plenty of water and try to hold off on enjoying the champagne until the reception. Remember to enjoy the day for what it is…your wedding day!!

Have a “terrific” wedding day!!