Celebrating Creativity: An Interview with Mr & Missive

The wedding industry can sometimes feel a little crowded, with lots of suppliers offering similar things. So when I put a call out to chat with independent businesses, Georgie’s work instantly caught my eye. It felt different, thoughtful and unlike anything I had come across before.

Georgie is the creative behind Mr & Missive, a business that turns the handwritten messages from your wedding day into something you can keep on your wall forever. What started with her own guest book has grown into a way for couples to hold onto words that mean the most, stitched or printed with care, ready to be seen every day instead of tucked away in a box.

I asked Georgie a few questions about her journey, what inspires her, and why handwriting still holds so much power. Here is what she shared…

1. Let’s start at the beginning – what inspired you to start your business, and what does it mean to you today?  

Mr & Missive began with a simple idea a few years after my own wedding.  I found that there was no real lasting momento on show from our wedding, our photos were being replaced with those of our children and our traditional guest book was in a box somewhere in the loft.  I have always loved sewing since I was a little girl, so on a whim I decided to trace the handwriting in our guest book onto fabric and I hand stitched the messages to make a picture. It took ages, but I loved reliving the day and thinking about the friends and family that had written the messages, some of whom were sadly no longer with us.  I thought nothing more of it, but friends commented on how special it was to have the picture on display and then someone asked me to make one for their sister as a gift and the rest is history!

The concept has changed a little since my original picture as there is no way that I could hand stitch them all with the number of orders that I receive now, so they are a combination of printed messages with the option of a few stitched messages and the centrepiece. However, the sentiment of real handwriting from the people you love, on display to always remind you of that special day is still the same.  I feel so honoured to read all the amazing missives that my couples receive.

It’s become more than just a business to me now. It’s a way to help people celebrate their love and connection in the most personal way. Every message I digitise and stitch is a reminder of a special moment in time. There aren’t many times in your life that everyone you love is in the same room at the same time, so to help couples capture those feelings and relive them every time they look at their Mr & Missive is so special. 

2. What’s something you offer or believe in that you think really sets you apart from others in your industry?

I truly believe it's the way that we preserve ‘real’ handwriting that sets Mr & Missive apart. There are lots of lovely guest books out there, but most get tucked away after the day and never looked at again. The same applies to the audio guest books, after your wedding you get a USB stick with an audio file that you will only listen to once or twice. What we create is something you can see every day which will bring those wedding day feelings right back to you. It’s personal, it’s sentimental and it captures a moment in time in a different way to your wedding photos. One of my brides once said to me that her photographs showed her how everyone looked, smiling and happy on the day, and her Mr & Missive tells her how they all felt at being a part of that special day.

We don’t just scan or print the messages; we carefully clean and digitise each one so that every missive is the original handwriting. Then we print or stitch it onto fabric, which adds a beautiful depth and texture. It’s not mass-produced and it’s not generic. Every piece is completely unique, made with care, and designed to last. Our couples also have the option to include messages from guests that are unable to attend the wedding or those who are sadly no longer with us.  If you have some handwriting from someone special in an old birthday or Christmas card, then we can include it in your Mr & Missive to ensure that they are still part of your big day.

3. Can you share a moment, big or small, that’s stayed with you from your journey so far?

I remember that I was at one of the first wedding fairs that I had ever attended and I was really nervous because I’d only made pictures for friends before! A woman stood at my table for ages, quietly reading the messages in one of the samples that I’d made. After a while she looked up with tears in her eyes and said, “I have never seen anything like this before. This feels so personal. Like you’ve captured something that people usually miss, I have to have this for my wedding!.” I realised at that moment that the idea that I had for Mr & Missive was going to work! That she “got” that capturing the love and meaning behind the day in a way that lasts is what its all about and that it often gets forgotten in all the wedding madness.

4. How do your values show up in the way you work or the experience you give your customers?

For me, it’s all about care, quality, craftmanship and keeping things personal. Every order, no matter the size, is treated the same; I clean up each handwritten message by hand, make sure the design is balanced and use high-quality materials so the finished piece will last. My couples have the final say over message placement and design and we work on this until it is exactly right and they are completely happy.

I don’t use fonts or fake handwriting. Everything is created from the real messages, just as they were written which is really important to me as handwriting is personal and evokes feelings. You know how when you get a birthday card in the post and you know who it’s from before you open it because you recognise the loopy handwriting or the slant of the pen?

Sustainability is also something I think about a lot. I use eco-friendly pigment inks, reuse packaging where I can and try to minimise waste across the whole process.

Above all, I want the experience to feel calm and easy. Planning a wedding is a lot and can be really stressful. I want the inclusion of Mr & Missive in this process to feel simple, thoughtful and stress-free from start to finish.

5. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone dreaming of starting their own creative business?

Wow, where do I start! I would say start before you feel ready and then keep going! It’s really easy to get caught up in making everything perfect, but the truth is that you learn the most by doing the thing. You won’t have all the answers at the start but that’s ok. Focus on creating something that you genuinely care about. That passion will carry you through the really hard days. Also, don’t be afraid to show up as yourself. People connect with real stories and real people, not polished brands with no personality. Oh and be prepared to work hard with early starts, late nights and to always be thinking about your business and how you can move it forward!

So beautiful, thank you so much for sharing Georgie! You can find Mr & Missive online here and on Instagram here.