save the date yo

Warning: Lame designer content ahead...

We are getting closer every weekend with save the date ‘identity and campaign.’ The content is finally done and we look forward to a fun exercise in information hierarchy very soon! Our hotel, airline, and car special discounts all seem to have a unique set of information and directions. We are trying to streamline as much as possible from a typographic perspective. Hopefully, in the end, people will access the website too.

The design is going swimmingly! I have it about 85% in place and Nick is going in as the finisher. He pushed my design a bit more (as he does so well when we collaborate) and it is getting pretty tight. I pushed back too of course. We have one more panel to figure out then off to the printers. I am hoping to keep the last panel down to one color so we are more cost efficient.

I have been planning for letterpress as our final form factor this whole time. It’s a two color deal, so regardless of how we end up printing, it will look great. If it ends up being letterpress, some of the elements could be tricky to calibrate. Offset would save us some money, but this design is so destined to be pressed into some Crane’s Lettra in bright white, yummy.

We also bought Envelopments pocket folds to make a mini packet for the whole mailing. I love you dainty, mini packet mailers! I am currently investigating interesting ways to bind it closed. I keep leaning towards a two sided satin 5/8” ribbon despite swearing never to include tying of bows/knots again for a design project. Its just way too hard. Seattle isn’t my favorite place to find ribbon and floral supplies either. In fact, it is a wasteland. Thankfully my mom and I can go on a mission this weekend in LA.

flutes, cake knives, unity candles, oh my!

Search any of these keywords combined with “wedding” and you will shutter with the ugliness that ensues before your eyes. It’s really horrid. You best set aside some time to do research and get creative if you want something different. I can see our stuff going down something like my "reception/ceremony must buy” mood board pictured here. Alessi cake knife, Crate & Barrel flutes, and some random candle sticks I found. I bet we get forced into using some unity candle holder at the church. I am really sold on these flutes I think. All accomplished without hearts, 3d flourishes, and doves.

it’s my wedding but it’s your dress

I just kicked off the hunt for bridesmaid dresses with my b-maids. Yes, it is early, but the color black is rampant in fashion since we are in the fall/winter season. Would Halli chose any other color for her most special day? Of course not! In fact, I may freak out because I am not in black that day. Beyond it being the only color that I wear and love, it is the only color in the scheme of weddings that can be reused for other events IMHO. The goal: Pick a dress they like; pick a dress they will wear again (hopefully). Normally design by committee is not a good policy, but this time it makes sense.

moons over my honey

Alas! The wedding show paid off. I picked up a brochure from a travel agent who specializes in honeymoons and lo and behold—she turned around some amazing rates. I began my own research a few weeks ago and started to sweat amidst the massive wedding expenses going on. Don’t get me wrong, we are probably shelling out way more than your average newlywed couple on this honeymoon (I come from a long line of hotel snobbery) but man, rates get overly ‘spense in Hawaii fast. Before I go any further…

About Hawaii—Okay yes, call us sellouts, whatev. I still wince a little when asked where we are going. But the deal is: September wedding + Caribbean = hurricane risk. I put my eggs in the Caribbean’s basket any day, except for the month we are getting married. We will leave the USVIs for our first anniversary and dive trips for years to come.

We also considered Fiji, but those jerks decided to have a political coup. BoraBora...2k a night. Fugetaboudit. Halli annoying Nick throughout Europe is not a romantic time either. Okay, back to aloha. Here are the winners:

Week 1: Grand Hyatt Kauai
This is our prime recovery and relaxation phase. We originally were shooting for Four Seasons Maui Wailea or Ritz Carlton Kapalua, all wonderfully luxurious, but they suffered from dull pools and not ideal beach access. Call us dorks but, how about a water slide and a lazy river with that mai tai? We saw the Grand Wailea featured as a top pool on the Travel Channel over the weekend, but it had fair reviews on Trip Advisor due to poor service complaints. This was also confirmed by our travel agent. Kauai kept creeping back as a leader. They have so many pools we will be lucky if we get to a beach. I stopped in at the Grand Hyatt Kauai once too, and I remember wishing I had stayed there.

Week 2: JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina
Here is the part of the trip where we do very Nick + Halli things: run around on battleships, go to war memorials, dive WWII wrecks, visit Dog the Bounty Hunter, eat, drink and be married. Jim and Paula, beyond funding impending wedding, have also treated us to a week on Oahu at a swanky JW property. Thanks! I will make Nick wear a Hawaiian shirt the whole time as we shove fists full of macadamia nuts in our face. Expect lots of crap from from Hilo Hattie’s.

a saturday

Move over water boarding… wedding shows are the new preferred form of torture. We went to the Seattle Bridal Show last Saturday. Nicholas was an excellent sport and it wasn’t too painful thankfully. We also dragged Gabby and Jym, so may as well bring down the whole crew with us right? I have been to these shows in the past and they haven’t been that great for style inspiration, but still fun nonetheless. Good to see some real world floral and get my hands on some bouquets, but really most of the stuff was pretty tacky. The swag and cake samples were light too. Booo. We will keep on keeping on with our favorite blogs and magazines.

our life with cats