Our Story: A Timeline of Creativity & Growth
From a single drawing to over a million prints, our story has been one of passion and dedication. Over the years, we’ve grown from exhibiting at small fairs to being featured in leading publications and stocked in some of the UK’s most prestigious stores. Each milestone reflects our commitment to design excellence, quality craftsmanship, and a deep appreciation for the customers who have supported us along the way.
Explore our timeline to see how it all began and how we’ve grown into the brand we are today.
| Year | Milestones |
|---|---|
| 2002 | The journey begins with the creation of our very first illustrated wedding invitation. |
| 2003 | Exhibit at the UK Wedding Show, Wembley. Featured in Wedding Venues Magazine. Exhibit at various shows across Epsom, Hungerford, Reading, Newbury, Weybridge, Cobham, Kempton Park & Guildford. |
| 2004 | Appearances in Brides, You & Your Wedding, and Wedding Day Magazine. Exhibit at The National Wedding Show (Feb & Sept) Olympia and Earls Court, Cobham, Farnham, Guildford & Weybridge. Awarded membership of The Guild of Master Craftsmen. |
| 2005 | Exhibit at The Designer Wedding Show (Nov) & The National Wedding Show (Feb & Sept), plus Cobham, Guildford & Weybridge. Featured in Brides, You & Your Wedding, Wedding Day Magazine, The Independent, and Red Magazine. |
| 2006 | Exhibit at The Designer Wedding Show (Feb & Nov), The National Wedding Show (Feb & Sept), Guildford & Weybridge. Voted Top 10 Wedding Companies by Wedding Day. Launch of Baby Stationery Company, Little One Cards. |
| 2007 | Exhibit at The Designer Wedding Show (Feb & Nov) & The National Wedding Show (Sept). Appear on Wedding TV and in Brides, You & Your Wedding, Wedding Venues, and Cosmo Brides. |
| 2008 |
Exhibit at The Designer Wedding Show (Feb & Nov). |
| 2009 | Launch greetings cards range. New website goes live, including an online stationery store. Permanent retail marquee at Winchesters Art & Design market. |
| 2010 | Work stocked in Fenwick, Bentalls, RHS, Liberty & beyond. Launch of Two by Two Express. Exhibit at Spring Fair, Autumn Fair, and Top Drawer. Permanent retail marquee at Winchesters Art & Design market. |
| 2011 | Join Not on the High Street. 11 card agents represent our work in the UK. Southern TV films our story. |
| 2012 | Exhibit at PG Live Show & Top Drawer. Move premises in Winchester. Illustrated skylines for The New Yorker. Exhibit at Winchesters Christmas Market |
| 2013 | Greetings cards sold in John Lewis, Liberty's and 180 UK stores. Exhibit at Spring Fair, Autumn Fair, and Top Drawer. Exhibit at National Wedding Fair and Truman Brewery, Brick Lane. Appointed Wedding Industry Awards judge. Featured in Wedding Ideas, Mid-Hants Observer & Vogue. |
| 2014 | Full-scale shop window skyline commission. Featured in Not on the High Street seasonal calendar |
| 2015 | New website launch! Chosen as Top Picks for Christmas on Not on the High Street. |
| 2016 | Move to a state-of-the-art warehouse & studio in Hampshire. Begin manufacturing art prints, wedding stationery, and gifts. Ant and Dec commission work for Saturday Night Takeaway. The Daily Telegraph selects us as one of the best to buy from at Christmas. |
| 2017 | First Christmas with products to buy online! Open first pop-up shop in Hampshire. |
| 2019 | Production moves to global locations. Expansion into clothing and tech accessories. Start selling direct to the USA with representation. |
| 2020 |
Brexit, Friday 31st January 2020. The Global pandemic, March 2020. Somehow we survive this year! |
| 2021 | European production moves to Spain. Set up additional production in the Netherlands and Australia. |
| 2022 |
We now ship US orders from the US. Our global network of suppliers is complete. Launch on Etsy. |
| 2023 | Covid is no longer a global health emergency. |
| 2024 | Star Seller on Etsy. Etsy selects wedding illustrations as a must-have product. |
I am so proud to be heading into our 23rd year. Entirely down to the team of incredible individuals who create my beautiful products, and coordinate a seamless experience.
As Natalie Ryan Design continues to grow, our passion for illustration, design, and quality craftsmanship remains at the heart of everything we do. Every product, from personalised gifts to art prints, is created with care, creativity, and a deep appreciation for the people who bring our designs into their homes. Thank you for being part of our story.
I'm excited for what the future holds, and look forward to designing even more beautiful, meaningful pieces.
