2008-2009

Lauren and Nicole met while working together at Swoozie's in Nashville, Nicole as the lead designer and Lauren as the wedding paper specialist. As brides began requesting custom details beyond what the store offered, the two started designing invitation suites, welcome bag tags, table numbers, and more after hours. What began as a side hustle fueled by late nights, Red Bull, Stouffer's lasagna and big dreams officially became Nico & Lala in 2009.

2010

What started as two friends designing invitations after work has grown into a nationally recognized stationery studio serving clients across the country. While life has brought marriages, children, and two different cities, our passion for creating meaningful paper goods—and our friendship—has remained at the heart of everything we do.

How It All Began

A Breakthrough Moment

A referral from an event planner led to designing rehearsal dinner invitations and welcome bags for a high-profile wedding in Nantucket. It became a turning point, opening the door to destination weddings and a growing clientele across New England.

2011

Ready for a bigger market, Lauren and Nicole packed up and moved to Chicago together. The city brought incredible opportunities, allowing the studio to grow beyond anything they had imagined.

A New Chapter in Chicago

2015

Miles Apart, Still One Studio

Lauren returned to Tennessee to be closer to family while Nicole made Chicago home. Though separated by 500 miles, their partnership, and friendship, has remained as strong as ever.

That same year, Nico & Lala even made an appearance on Bravo's Below Deck, adding reality TV to the growing list of unexpected adventures along the way.

Today

Life looks a little different these days. Lauren lives in Brentwood, Tennessee, with her husband, McGuire, and their two boys, Patton and Hunt. Nicole lives in Chicago with her husband, Michael, and their children, Sutton and Reid.

Growing Families

Always

Still Best Friends

More than fifteen years later, Lauren and Nicole continue to design every collection together, bringing the same creativity, collaboration, and attention to detail to every celebration as they did when they first dreamed up their little business.