Brent Ellis is the founder of Dear Elouise, a Buckhead-based boutique creative paper studio, and Buckhead Printery, a custom print shop. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and worked in advertising before going back to school to study design at Atlanta’s Portfolio Center. She began designing invitations for friends and family, and business took off, leading her to officially launch Dear Elouise in 2015.
"Buckhead is where I grew up, and when I moved back to Atlanta, I knew I wanted to raise kids here. I love the neighborhoods within the area, the parks, schools, trees and access to restaurants and city activity," says Brent.
Dear Elouise started as a fully custom studio, and today, the business now also offers stationery that can be personalized for life’s most treasured moments, including birth announcements, holiday cards, personal stationery for adults, babies and kids, and wedding stationery. Brent's semi-custom wedding collection includes invitation suites, save the dates, shower and party invitations, and day-of wedding stationery like ceremony programs, reception menus, escort cards and more.
Named for Brent’s grandmother, Dear Elouise has garnered national attention, and Brent has collaborated with brands like Sister Parish Design on special collections. Brent has become a trusted fixture in the Southeast and around the world for her hands-on design process that strikes a seamless balance between traditional and contemporary. Whether fully custom or part of her semi-custom collections, each stationery piece embodies client preferences around print method, ink, paper, envelope, font, script and pattern.
In 2018, Brent purchased a print shop and rare historic engraving machine that dates back to 1892. She renamed the business Buckhead Printery. The beloved print shop is committed to preserving the art of antique printing techniques by handcrafting fine stationery for Dear Elouise clients and other paper designers across the country. It specializes in creating paper pieces using age-old printing techniques (engraving and letterpress ) and more cost-efficient options like lithography and thermography. Brent has three letterpress machines, two engraving machines (including a rare historic engraving machine that dates back to 1910) and a foil press.
Dear Elouise prides itself on high-quality paper goods and boutique design. "We collaborate closely with each of our clients to create a design that distinctively reflects his or her style. Our approach is a collective one from start to finish," says Brent. "Each of our clients brings his or her own unique vision to the table, and we are dedicated to bringing that aesthetic to life. We listen to and work closely with our clients, perfecting custom stationery that embodies their preferences."
Throughout the process, Brent's team provides honest, thoughtful guidance while crafting refined, elegant and timeless designs that accent each event from beginning to end.
In a world where communication is constant and instantaneous with the click of a button, Brent believes that there’s something so special about receiving a keepsake-worthy letter in the mail.
1428 CHATTAHOOCHEE AVENUE NW
678.644.3844
Brent has become a trusted fixture in the Southeast and around the world for her hands-on design process.
