Meet Cat Schultz of Beautifully Noted in Loveland

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cat Schultz.

Cat, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
After receiving my bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, I completed two short-term contracts at marketing firms in Cincinnati and Indianapolis, but to my disappointment, neither really set my soul on fire. The following January, I landed a position at a high-end boutique stationery shop. The owner of 20+ years shared incredibly valuable expertise with me: from conducting consultations to understanding trends to memorizing etiquette, I learned so much! While teaching me the ins and outs of the business, the small team of creative women truly ignited my passion.

Within a few months, the other designers scaled back to prioritize their growing families, so I stepped into doing the majority of the consultations and design. I welcomed the responsibility and fell in love with the process of getting to know clients’ stories (and it didn’t hurt that I was planning my own wedding at the time!). Sadly, it wasn’t long until the owner decided to retire and close the shop. My dream job was disappearing before my eyes, right when I began to feel most confident that this is what I was meant to do. Upon learning that we would be referring clients to other designers, I thought to myself, “Wait, why not me?!”

Rewind to college several years earlier–I created a fictional paper company called Beautifully Noted for a senior design project. Within 24 hours of learning that the stationery shop was closing and we were sending customers elsewhere, my website went live and that school project–Beautifully Noted–became a reality.

Beautifully Noted celebrates the start of its 4th year this summer. In the past three years, we have relocated to Colorado, launched new services, and served couples from 17 different states!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Entrepreneurship is, by default, a pretty bumpy road. The path isn’t clear. It’s scary. You aren’t quite sure if it will take off. It can be really lonely. You wonder more than once if you are qualified to do what you are doing. Sometimes you say yes to the wrong things and even get taken advantage of. You see businesses with 20k+ followers on social media and second-guess everything you’ve ever posted. You’ve never taken an accounting class and let’s be honest… have NO clue where to begin with taxes. You work crazy hours and balance multiple jobs to make this little dream happen. And in my case, you worry that your rent might go unpaid while your husband pursues his degree.

Sound familiar? Don’t lose hope. Remember that each person’s path looks a little different. I encourage you to celebrate each small victory because friend, you’re DOING THIS! And yeah, that alone is a pretty big deal.

Beautifully Noted – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Beautifully Noted is a fine art stationery studio specializing in custom save-the-dates, wedding invitation suites, thank you notes, vow books, programs, place cards, menus, signage and more. Curating the finest materials, I ensure each finished piece proudly bears my signature stamp of quality. Paper goods have the unique role of setting the event’s tone while also far outlasting the festivities–if treasured, they will become heirlooms that continue to tell the couple’s story for generations to come. I grew up peeking at my grandma’s framed wedding invitation on her bedside table!

My passion for sophisticated design, for excellent service, and for sweet love stories makes it my JOY to craft the words that will forever mark the start of a marriage. I believe those words and details (from names to venue to entrée selections) can be noted quite beautifully.

And… as of Spring 2019, my business has a NEW addition: flat lay styling services! Designed with local Colorado photographers, planners, and publications in mind, these services can be booked on an hourly basis. I bring my styling kit (read: arsenal)–complete with more wax seals, silk ribbons, ceramic dishes, velvet linens, antique trays, one-of-a-kind treasures, 10+ styling surfaces, and vintage postage than I can carry in one trip! Visit my website for pricing.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I’m not going to lie, I do a happy dance every time my work gets featured in a wedding publication–Style Me Pretty, 100 Layer Cake, Wedding Sparrow, Rocky Mountain Bride, and Magnolia Rouge have been some of my favorites. Seeing something I created published in print and online is an incredible feeling of accomplishment!

But I think my proudest moment was when I got to be in a Beautifully Noted wedding (my sister’s, to be more exact). She trusted me with her vision and to carry out so many small details. As I walked down the aisle as her maid of honor, I could see her guests studying the program (that I had made), and I heard one say, “That’s her sister!”–witnessing the guests making the connection was one of my life’s proudest moments.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.beautifully-noted.com
• Email: cat@beautifully-noted.com
• Instagram: @beautifully_noted
• Other: pinterest.com/beautifully_noted

Image Credit:
Dani Cowan Photography, Danielle Defiore Photography, Lauren Lee Photography, Sara Corona Photography, Sarah Porter Photography

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.