Bess Paper Goods & Gifts

Directions Website Contact the business

Bess Paper Goods & Gifts Paper goods and gift shop, based in Cincinnati available worldwide
www.besspapergoods.com Can't wait to meet you! The online shop is always open!

Bess Paper Goods & Gifts is a handmade boutique located in the Reading Bridal District. Stop by and take a break from stressful wedding shopping with a little retail therapy between dress appointments. https://besspapergoods.square.site offers shipping and curbside pick-up options!

I’ve had lots of people tell me I should hire employees so I can take on more clients each year. Or use AI. Or franchise...
10/29/2026

I’ve had lots of people tell me I should hire employees so I can take on more clients each year. Or use AI. Or franchise. The thing they don’t realize is that I started this business because I *like* doing the work. I enjoy making flowers. I love designing wedding invitations. There's even satisfaction to be found in the repetition of assembly, and in mundane tasks like organizing the shop.

When you’re young, people tell you to find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. While there are many days when it still feels like work, I found mine, and I’m keeping it 🩷

Making fall-colored flowers for the bouquet bar today! Stop in next weekend to make a seasonal bouquet!
10/25/2026

Making fall-colored flowers for the bouquet bar today! Stop in next weekend to make a seasonal bouquet!

2027 couples: If you're getting married in April, it's time to start on your invitations! Get in touch at kristin@besspa...
10/23/2026

2027 couples: If you're getting married in April, it's time to start on your invitations! Get in touch at [email protected] today!

I'm back baby! (Please tell me you all heard that in Frank Costanza's voice.) I just have a handful of weddings left th...
10/21/2026

I'm back baby! (Please tell me you all heard that in Frank Costanza's voice.) I just have a handful of weddings left this year, which means the shop will be back to regular hours starting tomorrow! As a refresher, that means Bess Paper Goods will be open Thursdays and Fridays from 12-6 and Saturdays from 12-5. See you soon!

Happy wedding day to Katie and Riggs! You guys know I paint a lot of watercolor venues, but these historic Portuguese bu...
10/19/2026

Happy wedding day to Katie and Riggs! You guys know I paint a lot of watercolor venues, but these historic Portuguese buildings might be some of the most beautiful I've gotten to work on yet. Other than highlighting the venues, Katie wanted their invitations to be timeless, with a classic design and a few hints of color. I created a watercolor version of a traditional interlocking monogram and the rest of the text was elevated with dark green letterpress printing. The result is a gorgeous invitation suite worthy of their black tie celebration! Congrats you two!

Happy wedding day to Ali and Louis! Ali stopped into my shop this spring and fell in love with an invitation suite I cre...
10/17/2026

Happy wedding day to Ali and Louis! Ali stopped into my shop this spring and fell in love with an invitation suite I created a few years back. I made a few changes to personalize it for their celebration, like drawing new artwork to reflect their floral plan, but the overall effect is quite similar. When you know, you know!

The tonal papers and monochromatic artwork evoke a feeling of calm, while the blind letterpress accents on the invitation, shimmery envelope and chiffon ribbon add little touches of luxury. Congrats you two, hope you have the best day!

I have one last busy wedding weekend this year! Jackie and Tommy are getting married in Wisconsin and leaning into the r...
10/15/2026

I have one last busy wedding weekend this year! Jackie and Tommy are getting married in Wisconsin and leaning into the rich tones of late fall.

Guests received the cutest save the date earlier this year, featuring jewel tone florals and a laser-cut wood magnet. We leaned more elegant for the invitations, with a modern invitation and details card wrapped in a shimmering gold wrap featuring a laser-cut leaf pattern.

Congrats you two, hope you have the best day!

I can't believe it's been a month since I made these paper beauties for Caroline and Sean's big day! Happy anniversary y...
10/12/2026

I can't believe it's been a month since I made these paper beauties for Caroline and Sean's big day! Happy anniversary you two!

I have one last suite from yesterday to share! Olivia and Ben held a black tie affair at the Cincinnati Country Club, so...
10/11/2026

I have one last suite from yesterday to share! Olivia and Ben held a black tie affair at the Cincinnati Country Club, so of course their invitations had to be just as high end. I love this suite because of how well considered all the layers and textures are.

Olivia knew she wanted to take advantage of my letterpress expertise and have a lot of dimension in the invitation. We used a double-thick paper to really show off the blind emboss striped border, and letterpress printed the text in a perfect grass green. I had created a simple script monogram, which we repeated on the envelope liner and adorable RSVP card, along with an echo of the stripes from the invitation. We softened all these hard lines and broke up the white with a die-cut details card on green paper.

The result is a perfectly balanced invitation suite that exudes luxury without being stuffy. Congrats you two!

Happy wedding day to Anna and Marcel! This was such a fun one for me! "Woodland fantasy" and "whimsical enchanted forest...
10/10/2026

Happy wedding day to Anna and Marcel! This was such a fun one for me! "Woodland fantasy" and "whimsical enchanted forest" were phrases that came up during our initial design meeting, and they let me run with it!

Guests got their first peek at what was to come from the couple's save the date postcards. White ink on dark green paper exudes quiet luxury, while adorable illustrations and fairytale-inspired typography hint that there's more to the story.

The invitations took guests on an adventure. When they opened the sage green envelope, the suite was wrapped in vellum printed with a watercolor forest and sealed with a wax seal featuring a bit of a real tree branch. Once they made their way through the trees, they were greeted by butterflies fluttering across the details card, and finally the main invitation, complete with more pine branches and the sweetest hand-painted mushrooms. Letterpress printing and other high-end touches make sure guests know they're in for a formal affair.

Congrats you two, I can't wait to see pictures!

Address

321 W Benson Street
Cincinnati, OH
45215

Opening Hours

Thursday 11am - 7pm
Friday 11am - 7pm
Saturday 12pm - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Bess Paper Goods & Gifts posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Bess Paper Goods & Gifts:

Shortcuts

Share

Nearby clothing stores

Other Cincinnati clothing stores

Show All