Custom Save the Dates

It's that time of year...save the date season for 2015 weddings! Over the past few weeks, we've sent out some incredible save the dates, each set so beautiful and creative!! We are so lucky to have 2015 brides who truly embrace the N&L vision when working with us to create their custom save the dates. What exactly is our vision you ask? And what is the process about going about creating your own custom save the date for your big day?

Let's start from the beginning! At Nico and Lala, we specialize in branding weddings. We help couples create pieces that are both classic and custom, but often with some kind of a modern twist. Save the dates are vital to setting the tone for your big day, since it is the first item they will receive. But before we start on this all important step of designing the save the date, we often start with creating a custom wedding monogram. Not all couples opt for a custom monogram, but if you're interested in creating a wedding logo (which is an excellent way to brand your wedding), we ideally start by creating this first. This helps us narrow your vision, and allows us to effectively move into your save the dates, invitations, and fun flair, or "swag" as we like to call it!

We LOVE the inspiration behind this watercolor save the date. The bride wants an ombre pink wedding, so each wedding piece will progressively grow darker. So for their save the date, we started with a "ginger" colored envelope, and incorporated the couple's custom wedding monogram, a watercolor Chicago skyline and assortment of pink peonies.

Morgan and Jon are getting married at The Greenbrier in West Virginia, so we helped them create a save the date that incorporated the rich and historic feel of the resort. We also created a custom map of the Washington D.C. area so guests can pre-plan activities in the capitol city.

After we have the custom monogram design down, we start on the good stuff...custom save the dates! Since wedding invitations tend to offer a more formal feel, couple's often choose to incorporate more style and personality into their save the dates. We love stretching our creativity, and have gained inspiration from the most original sources. From an ombre wedding, to a logo inspired by a bench at wedding venue...creativity comes from everywhere and is so fun to incorporate into your custom save the date!

For Melissa and Jeremy's save the date, we took inspiration from the wedding's location, The Bel-Air Beach Club!

For Shawn and Steven's save the date, we created a postcard to get guests excited about their Hawaiian destination wedding! Hawaii is not only where the pair will tie the knot, but also happens to be where they got engaged.

So, how do we capture your wedding vision before we start designing? We normally begin with an in-studio consultation, or for couples not located in Chicago, we often do phone consultations! We love our long distance brides, and are experts at interpreting your loose words and ideas into a tailored and to die for wedding. If you are lucky enough to be in the Windy City, we meet one on one and talk about your vision, share samples of our previous work and get a feel for what you had in mind. We want to know YOU, so Pinterest boards, binders full of photos and articles, or emails of ideas are all welcome.

Last but not least....let's talk timelines. Once we get a feel for your vision, proofs take two weeks to be created and sent. Once your final design is set, it's on to printing! Most save the dates we design are printed digitally, and once approved, are printed and shipped within 5 to 7 business days. Upgraded printing often takes a bit longer, and can be estimated at the time of design approval. If you choose to accent your beautiful creation with calligraphy, we have several calligraphers we work with who are excellent. We are happy to share samples of their work, their pricing, and a timeline based upon their availability.

For more information on our printing styles and processes, please visit our website! We would love to design your custom save the date! Please e-mail custom@nicoandlala.com to get started!

Xo,

Nico and Lala

Ps. One of our favorite additions to a custom N&L save the date is a coordinating wedding website! Designed before save the dates get sent out, a wedding website is a stylish place guests can go to get all wedding day specifics. Check out Melissa and Jeremy's custom wedding website that coordinates with save the dates for their Santa Monica wedding!