Light up letters to light up the room and temporary tattoos - Introducing Doris Loves
MC Loves Doris Loves. And you guys love Doris Loves too and so it’s just one big ol’ love fest, isn’t it? With their range of incredible light up letters (all sustainably made), their neon lights and their famous temporary tattoo station, they’re the perfect solution to creative decor that literally lights up the room and entertainment that lights up your guest’s lives. We chatted to the lovely Emma, who you’ll know from Most Curious if you’ve been before, about what they offer…
Tell us a little about your business
Hi, I'm Emma the owner of Doris Loves, and I've been running the company for 2 years now (wow where has the time gone!) with Doris Loves being started almost 7 years ago. I had the opportunity of running DL after 15 years of being a Civil Servant. It's the best decision I ever made and I enjoy every moment. Doris Loves has evolved into a company that hires battery powered light up letters, neons and all sorts of LED wonders, to making letters, neons and anything made out of wood (with or without lights) for people. The other half of the business is temporary tattoos. We hire out our tattoo stations for weddings, parties and all sorts of events with over 100 different designs of tattoo that were designed by us. We also offer custom designed tattoos for weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc., so if you want your guests to have your faces on their arms, drop us a line!
A little bit about me - I'm married to Dom, my geeky husband (IT consultant by day, general dogs body for DL the rest of the time) who will often be seen wheeling our letters around at shows, trying to work out what the 24 letters are supposed to spell whilst carrying an electric screwdriver and duct tape - he is often the saviour of other suppliers (he always has a tool kit with him). We have 3 doggies - 2 are sisters and 1 we rescued from Italy - a long story that involves a 3,200 mile round trip in a car to get our passports stolen all in order to save a dog that had found us on holiday (yes we are quite that mad!). I am a clarinet playing, football supporter, who loves sharks and is obsessed by storms (maybe not together although Sharknado is one of my favourite films - its soo bad its EPIC!) especially watching the weather channel in America.
What’s the coolest/best moment of your career so far?
That's a difficult one as these last 2 years have been a whirlwind. We have done lots of exciting weddings, parties, collaborations with companies - but if I had to choose - having our lights in Kensington Palace was pretty special!
Who or what inspires you?
I am inspired by the fact that every day is a new day. I really think there is an opportunity in every day, especially when you are building a business. You never know what is going to come. There isn't a better feeling than waking up of a morning, wondering what the day has to bring.
What do you love most about your job?
Meeting new people, talking about their wedding plans - its great to be working in an industry where anything goes! The creativeness of couples and wedding suppliers blows me away!
What's the most curious thing about your business?
We are always trying new ideas, new lights, new ways to evolve. The light up letter market in particular is quite a crowded field, and so standing out from the rest is vital. This is why our letters are hand made by a craftsman, using sustainable wood. They are battery powered, which means you can take them anywhere you want - they have hung from trees in woods, been in castle ruins, on top of hills, stood on beaches and lighting the way to a Palace. We converted them all over to rechargeable batteries this year meaning that they can last over 30 hours of continuous use now. We have some pretty exciting plans in terms of product development which we hope to start to roll out over the next few months!
What's your top advice for couples getting married?
Have the wedding you want, try not to be swayed by other people, as it is your day, not theirs.