Back by popular demand, we are excited to reintroduce our Chic Vendor Spotlight posts, showcasing some of our favorite vendors, artists and designers across New York City. Today, we’re featuring the lovely Lion in the Sun . The landmark Park Slope paperie is responsible for creating some of the most beautiful city-centric invitations and paper goods in New York, making them a go-to resource for many Manhattan brides. 
Merci New York was thrilled to chat with owner Melinda Morris about the development and philosophy of Lion in the Sun and share some of their gorgeous work with our readers…
So, tell us about yourself!
As a child, I worked at the original Lion in the Sun in Huntington, Long Island for my parents {which I affectionately recall as slave labor}. Then, after a career as an event planner, I decided to open my own store that specializes in printed invitations because I wanted to be in a business that revolves around happy occasions. That store is located in Park Slope, Brooklyn, my home since 1996. And it is in that store that I met my future husband, David, who lived around the corner.
I opened Lion in the Sun with the idea to create a paperie with beautiful cards, gifts and wrap and custom invitation studio atmosphere — with a low-key, laid back, no-stress, no pretension atmosphere and a focus on local artisan and designers.
For the custom invitations, we try very hard to never say “No, you can’t do that” or “We can’t do it on a small budget.” We believe that every wedding is important and special whether they have $500 or $5,000 dollars, and we make sure that everyone feels that we can help them achieve their vision for their wedding invitations. I love the idea of being able to do almost anything. Our inspiration comes from our clients; they come to us with the greatest ideas. We also do a lot of design that is inspired by New York City and our city-centric surrounding, including the locations where our clients are getting married. I think we are unique in the market in that we offer affordable options and custom design along with our experience in event planning and etiquette – all in one package.
As cliché as it sounds… In September of 2001, the combination of turning 30 and 9/11 {which happened in the same week} really shocked me into pursuing what I really wanted. I realized that my parents business {the original Lion in the Sun based in Long Island – still going strong} was a great model, and I remembered what I had always loved about the biz is that you get to work with people celebrating happy moments, and lend a meaningful experience to their important events!
Most importantly, I realized that my neighborhood had nothing like it. It was brimming with young couples with new babies and growing families – and nowhere to buy beautiful paper. Additionally, I know so many wonderful designers right here in Brooklyn that I wanted to offer a place to showcase their work. So within 6 months I had quit my well-paying job, had begun renovations and was sourcing vendors for my own paperie.
I am so lucky to do what I do. Just about every day we get to hear happy stories of love, new babies and family celebrations. We get to help guide them through the process that can be scary, stressful and expensive. It is rewarding to see them come out happy on the other side. My favorite {and seemingly most helpful} thing we tell all our clients is “Relax, it’s just a party!”
I am most proud of our great reputation and that our clients become family. We are proud to support our clients quirky, offbeat requests and revel in the successes of making their vision come to life. We are so grateful for their appreciation and the loyal customer base we have. We believe in being honest and supportive of our clients. We work hard to help people navigate a potentially overwhelming and stressful time, and instead, make it meaningful and fun for them. {We understand that sometimes it’s not just about the paper!}
