Our Story: Eco-friendly Lifestyle Stationery Studio

Listen, here's why nobody remembers your stationery; your vision and story are nowhere in it. Stationery is not "just paper" it is not "just a card", it is a part of our daily lifestyle, whether it is for weddings, events, work, home, kids, travel or even to say goodbye to a loved one.

Our studio started off with a focus on wedding stationery, because we felt there was such a gap between how the invitations and other pieces looked, versus the glitz and glam of the actual wedding. But more importantly, it didn't seem to capture the couple's true essence, their love story; it didn't seem like a true reflection of them. With invitations for instance, remember that your guests receive theirs way ahead of your event, so a poor quality invitation will speak volumes about what guests can expect.

We then saw that weddings and other events really had a lot of the same pieces anyway, so it made sense for them to flow together. But then, the curtains would close, the decor would be taken down, the garments stored in a bag, and the food... well! So, we were left with a question, what happens "after" the big day?

Our couples and clients still had lives outside of weddings and events, perhaps it was Valentine's day, or Christmas, or they were hosting guests at home. A lot of our couples then became parents, and they had so many other stationery needs even way after their weddings. Our founder Rina, after getting married in December 2023, realized she had no pieces to put up in her marital home! The photo books and portraits were gifted to the parents, many of them were not really in her style or aesthetic anyway. She desired pieces that truly reflected who they were as a new family, and pieces that could come in at any point of their journey.

In the hardest times (2024 for us), we had to say goodbye to many loved ones, and it was so heartbreaking to see the essence of someone's life simply slapped on any paper, designed, printed and bound without any regard to who this person was. Often an afterthought, people just needed booklets, print whatever is there, the cheaper the better! It's tough, it's painful, you often don't know how you will get through it, but with us, we try to honor your loved one's legacy through the pages of a book. One that you can look back on years later, and remember your person fondly.

Let's take a second to talk about our beautiful planet; sustainability has always been key for us, from using recycled paper and materials wherever possible, or maintaining eco-friendly practices in the way we work. For the last 2 years, we have been recycling paper, and towards the end of 2024, we started planting trees too!

This is why, from this year 2025, we are re-branding into an eco-friendly lifestyle stationery studio. We want to be more deliberate about how we are impacting the world, whether or not that impact is immediately seen. We also want to make sure that you are covered for different aspects of your life, and not just "covered" but valued, that your vision is captured, that your story is shared, and most importantly, that all things are done at the highest level of quality, precision, care, and attention to detail that you deserve. The essence of Mpenzi (meaning love, in Kiswahili), goes beyond a wedding, we need love in all areas of our lives, in how we interact with others, and even how we interact with ourselves. Who wouldn't want that?

If it's really not that important to you, that's okay too, but it's likely we might not be the right fit for you. We hope you find a stationer that aligns to your needs because everyone deserves good stationery at whatever level.

When all is said and done, your paper goods have a much higher chance of lasting for generations to come. How about having stationery you can look back on years later and still be proud of?