Gather Your Girls to Make the Greatest Gift— the Perfect Handbag

If fashion’s your bag, you may already know about local designer Joy Teiken and her line, Joynoelle. Between her ready-to-wear and bridal collections, there was already a lot to be a fan of. Now there’s even more.

Teiken, who has been creating custom handbags to match her brides’ dresses for years, is offering private events where bridal parties can get together, drink some wine and design their dream bags.

“My private handbag parties were really started by some of my past brides who wanted to gather their bridesmaids, mothers and aunties to sip champagne in my cozy creative space and design something special for their wedding day,” Teiken says. “It’s a fun way to think about the wedding and be a little creative at the same time.”

Groups of six or more can design bags to match their wedding-day garb or they can make something to carry every day. And don’t worry, you don’t need to have any special skills; Teiken does all the real work.

“Typically, the bridal party chooses the style of handbag, the fabric and accents, and I do the construction—because not everyone has sewing skills, but everyone can have fun playing designer for the evening,” she says.

Party pricing ranges from $125 to $250 per person, depending on the style of bag, type of wine and appetizers, and number attending.