Today we’d like to introduce you to Vicki Ferdig.
Hi Vicki, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have always been a crafty person. I loved doing craft shows when I was younger and enjoyed meeting different people. Fast forward, two adult kids later, and my youngest was getting married in 2013. She was pinning away on Pinterest all of the ideas that she wanted to implement for her wedding. One thing she really wanted was a personalized hanger for pictures of her dress. I knew that the wire would have to be soft and pliable but strong enough to hold the name, so I went out in search of a memory maker! I found some wire at a local craft store and created her hanger. After the wedding, I was really sad because it was so much fun making all these details for her. So I made a hanger for a friend that was getting married. She loved it so much that she wanted me to make them for her bridesmaids. I began to wonder, so I created a Facebook page named That Special Wedding Touch. I went that direction because it’s those little special touches that make a wedding pop!! I added all sorts of details using wire, like cake toppers, wine glass charms, guest book alternatives and more. A few years ago, I started making wire ornaments in the shape of various animals, personalized with their name, and they are so much fun!
Almost two years ago, I started playing with the idea of wire words mounted on various unique pieces of furniture, like cabinet doors, door panels: drawer fronts, table leaves and so much more. When I saw that my business was really being divided up between wedding and home decor, I changed the name to That Special Wire Touch. Just one word change and it opened up so much more! Here we are, eight years later and over 2,200 followers, and I have no plan on slowing down.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing. There were times that I wouldn’t get an order for months. I would get discouraged and think that this fad was just gonna go away. My husband, who is such an amazing supporter to me, kept encouraging me to share about what I do on the various social media platforms. Every time I would, an order would come in. Eventually brides would post in the wedding groups that they were looking for someone to do a personalized hanger. It was then I realized just how much my clients meant to me. One after another would tag my business and say the kindest things. It literally meant the world to me!
Another thing was finding affordable supplies. I would go back to the craft store and pick up as much of the 12 gauge wire that I could find. I found that I was driving all over looking for wire. Of course, I could order it online but then I had to pay shipping. My brain wasn’t calculating all the gas I was wasting! So I started searching and found an art supply house online that I’m able to get my hanger wire in bulk. It was a game-changer!
Obviously, 2020 was rough for all wedding vendors. Many of my brides ask for the date on their hanger and would message me to see if I would be willing to change the date because they had to reschedule. Of course, I did it at no charge because it wasn’t their fault, and it was my way of chipping away at their heartbreak.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I create. It’s really that simple. I have had so many clients message me and ask the question “can you make a…” I so love the challenge that they give me. Sure the craft stores now have their own version of a generic bride hanger or maid of honor hanger. But the personalization that I provide and the extra special touch that I give to make this memory exactly what they are looking for is the thing that I am the most proud of. Sometimes the bride will say what color ribbon do you have. I always respond with what color ribbon do you want. For example, I had someone request lime green, I mean bright lime green!!! So I found some and made her hanger. Three years later, I still had the rest of that spool of lime green ribbon thinking that I’ll never have another client wanting it. Lo and behold just recently, I had a bride request lime green ribbon! I had a bride request a plum ribbon. What I had, although I thought was dark enough, just wasn’t what she wanted. So I found something online that fit perfectly for her vision. I had to buy a large spool of it but it truly is gorgeous!! It’s so important to me that I give them their vision. I love collaborating with my clients.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Patience. When a couple gets engaged, just imagine being inside the brain of a bride. There are so many ideas and desires that are ever-changing. They buy all of the bridal magazines, they re-search the color trends, and they change their minds several times. I’ve had people change their minds and want to add something or take away something. Sometimes I’ve had a hanger make it into my show inventory because a bride changes her mind completely. I could be hard-nosed and say that they still had to pay for the original item. But normally, I am able to reuse most of the components and as I said, I get to add to my show items for when I do venue open houses. Also, what I offer tends to be at the end of their budget. I’m sometimes in the category of “if we can afford it, I want to get…”. Patience. They will get to me eventually!!
Pricing:
- Hangers start at $12 and go up to just under $30 depending on the details chosen
- Pricing for other items can be found on the website.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.tswtouch.com
- Instagram: @tswtouch
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/tswtouch
