It was years after watching Trading Spaces or What Not to Wear on TLC that I figured out what “TLC” actually stands for. I’d had no idea it was a clever acronym for a television network! It stands for (SPOILER ALERT)…

Tender Love and Care.

I remember reading what it meant and immediately thought— I’m a TLC-er.

When I’m 75, looking back on life, I hope other people will remember me as someone who loved and cared for them. Truly. Deeply. I hope I am someone who kept healthy boundaries, but who also laid down her own selfish desires at times to care for others in their time of need. Or to let them know they are loved by taking the time to tell them or show them.

And honestly, I’ve been trying to figure out how to do this as a business owner. How to be a TLC ambassador to clients I’ve never actually met face to face. How do I let my Etsy clients know I am FOR them? How do I communicate I’m rooting for their marriage? First of all, it starts with listening to their love story. It starts with reading their sacred vows. And what I’m learning, is that it starts with packaging and a little TLC.

I’ve received packages from Etsy shops in the past that had nothing but an ugly slip of paper in them. I was always hoping for a little something more. Even if it was a cool looking business card.

I don’t just want my clients to feel a little extra love. I want them to actually enjoy what they’re unwrapping. Visually. Aesthetically.

So as I’ve been refining my packaging process, I’ve been considering what I can do to go the extra mile. I’ve narrowed it down to pretty water color name prints or sometimes a calligraphy print of one of my favorite quotes. Either way, my clients, THE PEOPLE WHO PAY MY BILLS—- they get something a little extra. A small thank you from a big heart.

I thought it might be fun to share the process with you. This isn’t a mind-blowing snap shot of what I do. But it’s a fair snapshot of how I value my wedding clients.