Thursday, October 30, 2008

mendocino in october

in early october we took a road trip up to mendocino, a small town that sits perched on the pacific coast, for our anniversary. a few hours north of san francisco, it's yet another wonderful destination within california state borders. with a stroke of luck and internet researching skills on my side, i found glendeven inn for our lodging. i have always wanted to try a bed & breakfast, and after this experience, will definitely book another trip in the future. we most enjoyed the warm staff, friendly fellow guests and all the relaxation we could soak up.

if you're planning on being up in the area, here are a few recommendations:
  • eats at mendocino cafe, the moosse cafe and deli goods from the market for lunch.
  • stay at glendeven inn. mike and john make sure your stay is pleasant and you get to feed the llamas and chickens on sight. the grounds are free reign to enjoy the greenhouse or a leisurely walk to the beach.
  • our soundtrack. these are enjoyable tracks that kept the trip memorable and sweet: the dan in real life soundtrack, marie antoinette soundtrack (especially avril 14th), radiohead's in rainbows and miles davis anything (always a winner).
here are a few pictures from the trip. enjoy!


Link

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

a small gift for the 2009 brides

2009 Wedding Invitations Ordering Guide

click on the chart below:


i've had the opportunity to work with several brides and grooms, since 2006, in creating their wedding invitations from inception to delivery. what i found to be the most confusing for couples about ordering their invitations was not the actual selection of colors or motifs, but most importantly: timing.

as a small gift to you 2009 brides out there... i've designed a Cheat Sheet with dates and steps you'll need to keep in mind during your planning. i hope this helps you in your beginning stages as you're gathering information, vendor referrals and more. i'm happy to answer any questions that may help you, so please get in touch at any time! to email, just click here.

here is a guide to what each column means (chart below):

"wedding date": look to see what weekend your wedding falls on in the charted column. i've put friday, saturday and sunday dates.


"meet with consultant": as you are looking around at web sites or walk-in stores for invitations, narrow down who you would like to make an in-person or phone appointment with. speaking with a professional will help you decide on your personal style and final decision.

"order invitations": once you've seen quotes and are close to finalizing your order, make sure to give the designer/company ample time to order materials, design and assemble your invitations. this will also assure you will have enough time to address your mailing envelopes and apply all postage necessary. note which design companies offer rush orders with additional fees.

"mail out date": etiquette says a wedding invitation should reach your guests about 8 weeks (2 months) in advance. this should allow enough time for your guests to reply with attendance status and meal options (if you have it). it's also noted that if a save the date was sent out months before, you can mail 6 weeks instead of 8 weeks.

postage tip: be sure to bring an invitation with you to the post office and have them weigh it before purchasing the amount you'll need. also, if you want to see how your invitation will travel through the mail, why don't you send one to yourself or your mother (she'll tell you how it turns out).

"order day-of coordinates": these are all of the effects you'll want for the 'day-of' your wedding. this includes:
  • place cards
  • programs
  • menus
  • table numbers
  • thank you note cards
  • favor tags
good to know what you'll want to order, but make sure you give your invitations precedence first and foremost.


+ dates land on mondays to help with planning to contact vendors during business hours.

happy planning to you and nice owl design studio looks forward to your inquiries!

click here to view our portfolio.

karen + david:::polka dots, red, white and black


here's a fun and formal spin on the "terry" design from the nice owl design web site. the bold colors and metallic papers add to a more formal, classic feel.

an additional portable pocket, which adorns their monogram, makes for a fun element to this non-traditional wedding invitation.

karen and david's november nuptials are around the corner and will certainly reflect their clean and quirky styles.

congratulations to you both!

if interested in a quote, email us by clicking here.