CW Designs

What CW Designs does

CW Designs is a privately held, founder-owned custom wedding stationery and design studio operating as a sole proprietorship under Carol Wilmot Sullivan (also branded as 'The Map Chick') and based in McKinney, Texas. Founded in 2008 after Sullivan created a map for a friend's destination wedding, the company has designed over 1,000 custom wedding maps and hundreds of invitation suites, serving a primarily consumer base of brides, grooms, and event planners globally — including destination weddings, luxury weddings, and corporate clients such as HBO, MTV, Facebook (Meta), Moet, and Viacom.

The core product is a custom illustrated wedding map, created by hand by Sullivan, that combines directional guidance with artistic stationery and can be incorporated across save-the-dates, invitations, itineraries, direction cards, and day-of materials. The broader catalog spans custom invitation suites, save-the-dates, full day-of stationery (seating charts, menus, programs, place cards, signage), three tiers of monograms (Ready to Go at $65, Signature at $145, Exclusive at $450), and add-on event products such as wax seals, custom cocktail napkins, koozies, shatterproof cups, acrylic signs, vellum save-the-dates, Hindu wedding program icons, and a $1,000 Party Package bundle. Underlying production relies on Adobe Creative Suite and supports multiple premium printing methods including letterpress, foil stamping, digital printing, and thermography, with assembly, calligraphy addressing, and mailing offered as additional services.

Revenue is generated entirely through one-time project-based and unit-priced sales, with no subscriptions, licensing, or external funding. Custom engagements require a $1,000 upfront retainer and average $3,500–$15,000 per project. Distribution combines direct consultation-driven sales (in-studio and via Zoom booked through an online scheduler), the company's own website storefront, an Etsy shop (CWDesignsTheMapChick), catalog distribution via Carlson Craft, referral/affiliate links to Basic Invite, and marketplace listings on WeddingWire, The Knot, myWedding.com, and The Perfect Palette. Lead generation relies on an active blog, Instagram (@themapchick), email newsletter with a free digital download lead magnet, and earned editorial media coverage in bridal publications such as Brides, New York Weddings, Chicago Style Weddings, and Style Me Pretty.

Name

CW Designs

Legal name

CW Designs by Carol Wilmot Sullivan

Website

https://cws-designs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CW Designs is a McKinney, Texas-based custom wedding stationery studio (a.k.a. 'The Map Chick') founded by Carol Sullivan in 2008, specializing in hand-illustrated custom wedding maps, invitation suites, save-the-dates, and day-of stationery for brides, event planners, and corporate clients worldwide, with projects averaging $3,500 to $15,000.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Wedding Stationery Design

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Graphic Design Services (54143)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Theming, Mood Boards & Concept Design (HSACAOAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Signage, Props & Custom Installations (HSACAOAG), Custom Printing & Decoration Services (Screen Print, Embroidery, Laser) (BPAFAMAL)

Keywords

• Custom wedding maps
• Wedding invitations
• Wedding stationery
• Save the dates
• Custom monograms

Headquarters

HQ city

Mckinney

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Custom Design & Stationery Services: Custom wedding map invitations, full invitation suites, and day-of stationery designed exclusively for each client. Revenue generated through project-based pricing with 50% retainer upfront. The average client investment ranges from $3,500 to $15,000 per project. Additional services include assembly, calligraphy addressing, and mailing.
2. E-commerce Product Sales: Pre-designed and semi-customizable products sold directly online: monograms ($65-$450), wax seals ($1.40), custom cocktail napkins (from $55), koozies (from $95), 16oz shatterproof cups (from $85), acrylic signs ($209), vellum save-the-dates ($2.50), Hindu wedding program icons ($40), Frisco tea towels ($22.92), and holiday cards. Sold via own website storefront and Etsy shop.
3. The $1,000 Party Package: Bundled invitation and signage package including 100 invitations, 100 save-the-dates, welcome sign (24x36), bar sign (8x10), and seating chart (24x36). All printed on 130lb stock with 3 design proofs and shipping included. Must be paid in full before design starts.
4. Third-Party Retailer Integration: Catalog sales through Carlson Craft Invitations (CWDesigns.carlsoncraft.com) and Basic Invite. Affiliate/referral links to external platforms. Holiday cards sold via Etsy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

CW Designs is a custom design studio that creates hand-crafted wedding map illustrations, full invitation suites, save-the-dates, day-of stationery, signage, and coordinated event accessories for weddings and corporate events. The founder personally designs every map, and projects typically combine consultation, custom artwork, multiple printing methods (letterpress, foil, digital), assembly, and mailing for clients worldwide. The studio also sells a portfolio of pre-designed and semi-custom products such as monograms, wax seals, napkins, koozies, acrylic signs, and digital downloads via its own website and Etsy.

Product overview

CW Designs is a custom wedding stationery company led by designer Carol Sullivan (The Map Chick), specializing in custom wedding maps and invitations. The core offering centers on custom illustrated wedding maps—a signature product that has generated over 1000 designs—combined with full invitation suites, save the dates, and day-of stationery. The product portfolio includes three monogram tiers (Ready to Go at $65, Signature at $145, and Exclusive at $450), event accessories (wax seals, 16oz shatterproof cups, custom napkins, koozies), signage products (24x36 acrylic signs), and the bundled $1,000 Party Package. Services include calligraphy for envelope addressing, letterpress and foil printing options, invitation suite assembly, and mailing services. The company operates primarily as a custom design studio with pricing ranging from $3,500-$15,000 for full stationery suites, with an initial design fee of $1,000.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 custom maps created for weddings worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WeddingWirecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCW Designs maintains a storefront on WeddingWire, a leading wedding vendor marketplace. They won the WeddingWire Couples' Choice Award 2019. WeddingWire serves as a discovery and booking channel for wedding stationery clients, providing reviews and portfolio exposure that drives customer acquisition.
• The KnotminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as a vendor on The Knot, a major wedding planning marketplace and platform. The Knot serves as a referral and discovery channel for wedding stationery services.
• Carlson Craft InvitationsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCW Designs has a dedicated storefront on Carlson Craft Invitations (CWDesigns.carlsoncraft.com), a wholesale stationery and invitation supplier. This provides catalog distribution for pre-designed invitation products.
• Basic InviteminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCW Designs promotes a 40% off referral code for Basic Invite, a major online invitation retailer. This drives customers to Basic Invite's platform while CW Designs may provide custom design services or referrals.
• Etsy (CWDesignsTheMapChick)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCW Designs operates an Etsy shop (CWDesignsTheMapChick) for digital downloads, customizable products (table numbers, seating charts), and personalized items. Etsy serves as a global marketplace for DIY and budget-conscious wedding clients.
• myWedding.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCW Designs is an official member of the myWedding.com wedding planning community, with a profile badge displayed on the website. This provides listing visibility within the myWedding.com ecosystem.
• The Perfect PaletteminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed on The Perfect Palette wedding vendor directory, driving discovery and referrals from couples using the platform to find wedding vendors.
• Little Postage HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured on the CW Designs blog in an interview-style Q&A. Little Postage House curates vintage postage stamps for wedding invitations and stationery. The companies collaborate on invitation projects where postage design is incorporated into custom stationery suites. Little Postage House provides vintage stamp curation services that complement CW Designs' custom stationery.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Shutterfly: Shutterfly is a large-scale custom print and stationery platform offering wedding invitations, save-the-dates, and personalized products. While broader and more mass-market than CW Designs, it competes for share of wedding stationery wallet, particularly via its lifestyle-brand sub-brands.
• Paperless Post: Paperless Post is a major online invitation and stationery platform offering both digital and printed custom designs for weddings and events. While primarily digital-first and broader in scope, it overlaps directly with CW Designs' invitation suite offering for tech-forward couples.
• Zazzle: Zazzle is a large custom products marketplace where independent designers sell wedding stationery, signage, and event accessories. It competes for the same Etsy-adjacent, design-savvy wedding buyer that CW Designs targets with its monograms, signage, and customizable products.

Direct peers

• Basic Invite: Basic Invite is an online custom invitation retailer offering wedding stationery with extensive personalization options. Already a distribution partner of CW Designs (referral relationship), it competes for the same mid-tier wedding invitation buyer with a faster, template-driven model.
• Artifact Uprising: Artifact Uprising is a premium print and stationery brand specializing in wedding albums, save-the-dates, and heirloom-quality printed goods. It competes in the same premium bespoke wedding stationery segment as CW Designs with a similar aesthetic and price positioning.
• Minted: Minted operates a marketplace for custom wedding invitations, stationery, and art prints, competing directly with CW Designs' core offering. Both serve couples seeking design-forward, customizable wedding stationery, though Minted operates at significantly larger scale via a crowdsourced designer model.
• Carlson Craft Invitations: Carlson Craft is a wholesale invitation and stationery supplier and a current distribution partner of CW Designs. It also offers its own designer collections in the wedding invitation space, making it both an ally and competitor for catalog-based stationery buyers.

Emerging players

• Etsy (Wedding Stationery Sellers): Etsy hosts thousands of independent wedding stationery designers — including CW Designs itself (CWDesignsTheMapChick) — making it both a channel and a competitive surface. Emerging bespoke designers on Etsy directly compete for the same custom-map and invitation niche.

Regional players

• WeddingWire: WeddingWire is a major wedding vendor marketplace where CW Designs maintains its storefront (Couples' Choice Award 2019 winner). It competes indirectly by aggregating and routing couples toward competing stationery vendors in the same premium wedding category.
• The Knot (Wedding Marketplace): The Knot operates the largest US wedding planning marketplace, including a vendor directory and invitation shop. While not a direct stationery designer, it controls significant discovery and lead flow for wedding vendors like CW Designs and competes for the same wedding budget allocation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/themapchick
• Xx.com/themapchick

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CW Designs