A dream has become reality for Katy Ackerman.
After starting Lewes Lettering Co. in her home five years ago, Ackerman finally found the perfect opportunity to open a storefront in downtown Lewes.
On Front Street across from 1812 Park, Ackerman’s shop features greeting cards, invitations, announcements, personalized stationery and a design studio where she can meet with clients to customize wedding invitations.
The timing worked out perfectly for Ackerman. She learned the space was available in mid-April, at the height of coronavirus restrictions. And with help from her best friend, Ackerman used the next few weeks to plan, renovate the space and set up her shop.
“I wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to come into town, so we jumped at it,” she said.
When Ackerman started Lewes Lettering Co. in 2015, she used her calligraphy skills to design customized addresses for envelopes. It quickly snowballed into full invitation design.
“I was a business major in college. I have no art background,” she said. “But I started doing invitations, and that is like my favorite thing in the world to do.”
Prior to opening her shop June 15, Ackerman had only offered wedding invitations through the Lewes Lettering Co. website.
With the shop opening, she now offers a larger selection of invitations for birthday parties, wedding and baby showers, and cards for baby announcements and other major life events. Right now, she said, wedding invitations are the only fully customizable options she offers.
Everything else in the shop is sourced from Ackerman’s favorite brands. Other offerings include journals, notebooks, planners, desk accessories, art supplies and even some how-to calligraphy sets. She also offers some personal artwork.
In terms of wedding invitations, Ackerman schedules a 90-minute consultation with a couple in her new design studio, which is in a separate room of her new shop. She and the couple go over every aspect of the invitation set. Ackerman then works on a proposal, and if she gets the go-ahead to move forward, she sends a proof.
“All the invitations are pretty personalized, pretty unique to every person,” she said. “We start from scratch every single time and build it from there.”
Lewes Lettering Co., 112 Front St., is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. To learn more, go to www.lewesletteringco.com or call 302-703-7035.
