Day 16, meet Megan and Jennifer of hi, friend.!

Champagne: How did hi, friend. start?

hi, friend.: Jennifer and I met while working at an advertising agency in Old Town Portland. We got along swimmingly the entire time we were there. The company eventually went bankrupt and Jennifer went to a new agency while I stayed out on my own. We so missed working together and kept trying to think of how we could stay connected and be productive at the same time. Jen and I both have a fierce entrepreneurial streak, so once we settled on the idea of an online boutique stocked with printed goods and gifts it was as good as done. Over the next year or so, we worked hard, designing and developing product lines and the website which we proudly launched in April 2009. That day we were busting-at-the-seams excited, and still are to be honest. We’re pretty sure that snail mail, weddings and giving gifts between girlfriends will never go away, so we’re thrilled to be offering all of the above at pocket-book friendly prices without compromising design and style.

Champagne: What inspires you?

hi, friend.: Oh, gosh. Let’s just make a list: pretty patterns, vanilla lattes, Portland culture, gilded home accessories, luxuriously-scented candles, crisp curtains, cherry blossoms, travel plans, oversized wall art, a perfectly poached egg, hearty breakfasts, elegant handwriting, chilled pinot grigio, bulky jewelry, new shoes, an unexpected snow day…we could go on for days.

Photo by Soul Mates Photography

Champagne: You’ve organized your products using three girls. Explain that a little bit.

hi,friend.: When we were still in the early stages of the business we had our dear friend look over everything we had done and give us feedback. What she said, essentially, was “This is crazy!” Translation: Everything you’ve done is good and lovely, but it’s all over the place! Let’s put some structure to it. Enter: Liv, Lila and Bree, the hi, friend girls. Each girl has very distinct tastes and personality; as a trio they represent our product style categories: Modern, Vintage and Classic. This unusual ‘structure’ was really helpful for us and we thought it would be helpful for our shoppers, too. So, we put the girls at the forefront of the site so each shopper can decide which they identify with most. (Plus, we simply became fond of each of them while employing them as our muses and wanted to introduce them to the rest of the world.) Long story short, the girls have become doorways into our customers’ shopping experience…and pretty chic ones at that!

Photo by Soul Mates Photography

Photo by Soul Mates Photography

Champagne: Are your designs customizable?

hi, friend.: Many of them are, yes. We have customizable everyday stationary, holiday cards and baby shower invitations. As expected, all of our wedding suites are tailored to fit each almost-newlywed couple’s needs. There are also customizable return address stamps to choose from in each style category.

Photo by Soul Mates Photography

Champagne: How long is the turn around time?

hi, friend.: All orders are processed and shipped within seven days of the order date, excluding weekends and holidays.

Photo by Soul Mates Photography

Champagne: What do you do, when you’re not doing what you do?

hi, friend.: We read, garden, entertain, spend time with family, dig up DIY projects, bake things and shop online obsessively. You can also find us imbibing at the local happy hour hot spots, often dreaming up new business ideas and talking about how often or not we’ve made it to the gym lately.

Photo by Jessica Hill Photography

Photo by Jessica Hill Photography

Champagne: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

hi, friend.: Do you remember the last time you got a handwritten note? Or sent one? There’s something so luxurious, warm and memorable about that experience, and we are on a mission to revive the snail mail affair so many of us have had at one time or another. It’s certainly worth reviving!

Photo by Jessica Hill Photography

Champagne: Thank you, Megan and Jennifer [hi,friend.], for sharing more about your company with us! Make sure to check out their website, become a fan on facebook and follow them on twitter!

Day 15 of 30: Byron Roe Photography
Day 14 of 30: Francoise Weeks
Day 13 of 30: phresh catering
Day 12 of 30: Carroll Myers
Day 11 of 30: Ryan Ricketts Photography
Day 10 of 30: Floral Designs by Alicia
Day 9 of 30: Domaine Margelle
Day 8 of 30: Crave Catering
Day 7 of 30: Pro Djs Oregon
Day 6 of 30: O’Brien Event Rentals
Day 5 of 30: Lauren Brook Photography
Day 4 of 30: Fleur:ology Wedding + Event Floral Design
Day 3 of 30: Pure Space
Day 2 of 30: Celebrate Life Photography
Day 1 of 30: Paper Bloom
Last year’s 30 days of vendors
What is 30 days of Vendors?

We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow! Thank you for stopping by our blog! Happy Planning!

Cheers,

Mandi, Rachelle & the Champagne team

P.S. Oregon Bride Magazine just opened up the voting for this years “Best Of” issue. Make sure to go vote for your favorite wedding vendors!! We appreciate you all helping us win “Best New Wedding Vendor” last year! We’d love to win best planner this year- one can dream! : )