09/14 – 09/15/13
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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
Stationery expert’s work is always inviting
Devon Fahner
photography by joel lerner
■ by angelika labno Since an invitation sets the tone for an occasion, stationery expert Devon Fahner of Cheree Berry Paper in Winnetka is passionate about giving clients a customized creative process. “She has such a clear love for anything paper-related and she treats it with importance, which is very refreshing,” said Angela Rogna, a former downtown Chicago wedding planner. When Rogna and her husband, Christopher McNicholas, were planning their Aug. 17 wedding, Rogna chose Fahner after seeing her devotion to the process with previous clients and to her parents’ 30th wedding anniversary. With little guidance, Fahner nailed a natural color palette, suggested calligraphy and came up with the idea of a monogram that was used throughout the event, such as on banners and menu cards. “The second you sit down with Devon, it’s almost like she’s reading your mind,” said Rogna. “She knows what direction she wants to go but still gives you options.” Wedding clients get an all-in-one package, as Fahner is also a former vice president of a Washington, D.C. wedding planning firm. Rogna contacted her with questions several times throughout the months leading up to her wedding and even put her in touch with her florist. Fahner came to Winnetka after marrying a Chicagoan and was introduced to Cheree Berry through a former colleague. Cheree Berry Paper, which is based in St. Louis, has a downtown studio and Winnetka office. Cheree Berry, founder of the eponymous firm, had done most of her clients’ wedding invitations, and Fahner, too, was
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a client four years before joining the team. Because she had done so many weddings, it was hard for Fahner to narrow down the options. She instead gave Berry an idea, and she ran with it. The colors of the tie her husband was wearing at their first meeting became the color palette, and the invitations came with a charming “How-To” on tying a tie. “We really try to focus on playful details, and incorporate little surprises or touches that make it feel like opening a present in the mail,” Fahner said. “There’s a time and place for online invitations, but because you receive so many e-mails, it makes it all the more special to receive something like that. Once you work with a custom stationery place, you’re kind of hooked.” (Examples of clients’ invitations can be found at www. chereeberrypaper.com. ) The bubbly character enjoys building friendships with her clients beyond their first order. Many that started off as brides continue utilizing Fahner›s designs for baby announcements, graduations and even play dates. The North Shore clients particularly want to throw parties that are one of a kind, she says, and the cards get people excited to come and keep talking about after the party is over. As the company expands, Fahner is starting to focus on corporate partnerships and local business logo branding. She recently worked with the 75th anniversary of a law firm because the owner›s daughter was a bride that worked with her. “You know that you can trust her with your invitations,” said Rogna. “She wouldn't give you something that she wouldn't put her name on.” ■
Spring 2014
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