When you want your wedding day filled with special handmade touches but your crafting prowess teeters on preschool Popsicle-stick level, it’s time to turn to Etsy, a shopping website where crafters can sell their wares (as well vintage items and supplies). There are tons of shops from which to choose, but we’d like to point you toward a Wisconsin shop full of bridal pretties: Icing101.
Owned and operated by Hannah Irlbeck, Icing101 came to be in 2009. “I have a background in fine arts and have always made things,” says Irlbeck. “When my son was born I wanted to find a way to support us and stay at home with him. My shop started with an online fabric flower tutorial. I started making these flowers and getting all these ideas about what to do with them; everything has spiraled a bit since then.”
Irlbeck manages every aspect of the business--creating designs, filling order, shipping, shop upkeep, and more. But instead of finding the more tedious tasks daunting, she believes it makes each item she sells more special. “I feel very grateful to be able to do work that I love,” she says. “I love getting to know my brides, creating the accessories that they dream about, and making sure I do my best to create unique designs with meticulous craftsmanship that help them feel amazing on their special day.”
Recently adding more pieces to her shop, Irlbeck paired up with local photographer Nikki Nischke of Nikki N Photography to elevate the details of the items featured in Icing101. Irlbeck says her designs are inspired by art, fashion, nature, history, and anything that can spark a creative idea, and Nischke captured these aspects beautifully! See for yourself, then scroll to the bottom to enter the I’m with Cupid Contest!
