Who I am
My name is Christine Wilkins. I am a 38 year old wife and mother of two beautiful girls, Ella and Grace. I am a Brooklyn native, but moved to Staten Island 10 years ago to be closer to my then boyfriend, now husband. I attended the Fashion Institute of Technology from 1991-1996 for advertising design. As a child I was always artistic, creative and good with my hands. But it was at FIT that I fine tuned my creativity and designing ability by learning how to use font styles and images, shapes and colors on a professional level. I have always used my artistic talent throughout my entire life and find it therapeutic when I have the time to exercise it.

How The September Rose was created
In the past I dabbled in many craft-type adventures and projects, everything from topiaries to sewing, greeting cards to floral arrangements. I guess I wanted to use, so I wouldn’t loose my creative eye. About two years ago, a friend asked me if I would make her a small quantity of wedding invitations. I happily agreed and a snowball effect happened from there. Soon I found myself doing Sweet 16’s, engagement and baby/bridal shower invitations for family and friends. After time, my skills an invitationist grew and began designing wedding invitations. And even though at this point in time wedding invitations seem to be my specialty, I still continue to design custom made shower, Sweet 16, save the dates and milestone birthday invitations.

I try to find inspiration in all of my surroundings. I often find myself aimlessly walking up and down aisles of local craft stores trying to find unique material to use on invitations to add to my portfolio. I am ecstatic to say that this business happened almost accidentally and it is constantly growing. I would like to think that my invitations speak for themselves and are my tool to help promote future business. I promise that since I have been handed this gift, I will continue to grow and add to my business things that my clients will find useful while they plan their big event.

The Name
The September Rose was named after my first daughter Ella Rose, who was born in September 2003. Her middle name came from my grandmother-in law. No one knew her, she passed away before any of her grandchildren were of acknowledging age. But my family and my husband’s family have been friends for years and I used to hear wonderful stories about her. Talk about her spirit always fascinated me and I grew attached to this woman I had never known.  For some reason, even before I started dating my husband, a piece of her has always been with me. So when we found out we were having a baby girl, we gave our first daughter her name. I still feel like she is with me now, watching over us.

How it works
After our initial conversation, we decide when a good time would be to meet in person. At the time of your free consultation, I invite you to the relaxed, laid back atmosphere of my home. I ask that you bring in pictures of invitations that you like, bridal party dress colors and designs and anything else you might find useful to help me identify your individual style and tone of the wedding. Then we discuss the details. Next, it’s off to the drawing board. I sit down and review our notes and begin to make samples to your preferences. We then meet again to review the samples and tweak it so it becomes your uniquely designed, “Perfect” invitation. It’s that simple!

Why choose to use The September Rose?
Each detail of your wedding is a personal reflection of your style and overall feel of your wedding. Each Piece of it is carefully thought out, talked about and strategically planned to make your day, THE DAY of your life. It is no different with the invitation. The invitation is the first taste of your day to your guests. It sets the tone for the entire event. And you have the chance to tailor it to whatever you want it to say. It is a guests first hint of the bride that you are and the affair they are going to attend.

Most of the traditional invitation books and printers cannot offer what I can. I spend time getting to know you on a personal level and work with you for months to ensure that every detail of the invitation is the exact why you want it. You are invited to my home as a guest while we work out all the details. I am available day or night, by phone or by email to act as a resource not only to talk about invitations, but as a guide to many other bridal services (Hair and make-up, cakes, favors, etc.). In addition to being a resource and advisor, I am also someone who understands that every move you make as a bride costs money and I do what I can to work with you in your wedding budget. I was a bride once too!