First comes the man & the ring, second the preacher, date & place (in whichever order is most important to you), and third comes the invitations. So many decisions to make when planning a wedding. So much money to spend.
While visiting with people planning weddings, often times I discover that hiring a wedding calligrapher seems to be low on the list of things upon which they desire to spend their wedding budget. Several jobs I have recently completed were actually a second-thought to the wedding planners, but, in the end, my clients were very glad they had invested in my calligraphy. They received lots of comments on how beautiful the invitations were.
It is very personal to see your own name in beautiful calligraphy.
From a bride planning a large and very proper Mississippi wedding, "My future mother-in-law said the calligraphy is a hit!! All her friends are raving about it!!"
From a bride who had the most adorable lined envelopes and awesome letter press invitation, "I loved having Bev as my calligrapher! When I met her for the first time, she gave me a hug which told me she understood my stress. I decided to use her services at the last minute, and she put me ahead of another job in order to get mine done on time."
With so many other wedding venders competing for your money,"Why should I hire a wedding invitation calligrapher?" is a great question. Having been a wedding calligrapher for 30 years, I think I have a lot to say on this subject.
1. There is NO substitute for a hand-addressed wedding invitation. In the 90's, there was a brief moment in time when computer labels were the "in" way to go. No way in today's world! The invitation MUST be addressed by human hand, however you decide to accomplish this task.
2. The Facebook event invite is equally unacceptable. I know that many have a very small budget, but there are so many creative options for invitations these days that there is simply no excuse for not sending out proper invitations to your wedding. Everyone can send something in the mail to their guests.
3. Whether you choose engraved, letter press (my personal new fave), thermography, simple laser printing or even hand-crafted, you have spent a lot of time, energy, and/or money on the wedding invitation. You should definitely go the extra step to make the envelopes look equally awesome. The envelope is an integral part of the invitation. The envelope is the one who puts the invitation into the hand of your potential guest. What a statement is made about the kind of wedding it will be when the envelope arrives with your guests' names in beautiful handwritten calligraphy.
When a wedding invitation is received, a judgement about what kind of wedding it will be is made. Based upon that initial judgement, the potential guests decide whether this wedding will be a top priority on their calendar. The thoughts range from "nuts and mints: obligation to attend" to "live band, shrimp, and fun: got to be there". And, also in today's world, I adore the awesome DIY creative wedding which can be the most-fun-do-not-miss event ever.
4. There is NO substitute for pen nib dipped into an ink bottle calligraphy. The ole calligraphy magic marker pen screams "yuck" to me every time I see it. Yes... much faster for the calligrapher, and... yes...it shows. The care and precision given to the art of fine calligraphy can not be duplicated.
5. Do not scrimp in this area of your wedding budget. The most important thing is to GET GUESTS TO THE EVENT! You are going to spend the same amount of time and effort on this wedding whether you have a small crowd or large. Don't you want people to actually come and enjoy?
Bottom Line: I promise to be the best wedding vender with which you will deal. My husband is a pastor who has performed many wedding ceremonies. My own son was married June 2012. I know how stressful weddings can be! I remember how cruelly my own organist treated me causing me to run to my mother in tears. I know the value of encouraging words and a hug at this emotional time in your bride's life. I will do an excellent job... and on time. You can depend on my 30 years of experience.
Contact Bev at: HillcrestCottage@gmail.com
It can be overwhelming!
While visiting with people planning weddings, often times I discover that hiring a wedding calligrapher seems to be low on the list of things upon which they desire to spend their wedding budget. Several jobs I have recently completed were actually a second-thought to the wedding planners, but, in the end, my clients were very glad they had invested in my calligraphy. They received lots of comments on how beautiful the invitations were.
It is very personal to see your own name in beautiful calligraphy.
From a bride planning a large and very proper Mississippi wedding, "My future mother-in-law said the calligraphy is a hit!! All her friends are raving about it!!"
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| Inner Envelope of a Recent Job |
From a bride who had the most adorable lined envelopes and awesome letter press invitation, "I loved having Bev as my calligrapher! When I met her for the first time, she gave me a hug which told me she understood my stress. I decided to use her services at the last minute, and she put me ahead of another job in order to get mine done on time."
With so many other wedding venders competing for your money,"Why should I hire a wedding invitation calligrapher?" is a great question. Having been a wedding calligrapher for 30 years, I think I have a lot to say on this subject.
1. There is NO substitute for a hand-addressed wedding invitation. In the 90's, there was a brief moment in time when computer labels were the "in" way to go. No way in today's world! The invitation MUST be addressed by human hand, however you decide to accomplish this task.
2. The Facebook event invite is equally unacceptable. I know that many have a very small budget, but there are so many creative options for invitations these days that there is simply no excuse for not sending out proper invitations to your wedding. Everyone can send something in the mail to their guests.
3. Whether you choose engraved, letter press (my personal new fave), thermography, simple laser printing or even hand-crafted, you have spent a lot of time, energy, and/or money on the wedding invitation. You should definitely go the extra step to make the envelopes look equally awesome. The envelope is an integral part of the invitation. The envelope is the one who puts the invitation into the hand of your potential guest. What a statement is made about the kind of wedding it will be when the envelope arrives with your guests' names in beautiful handwritten calligraphy.
Very personal.
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| This is my Italics Style |
When a wedding invitation is received, a judgement about what kind of wedding it will be is made. Based upon that initial judgement, the potential guests decide whether this wedding will be a top priority on their calendar. The thoughts range from "nuts and mints: obligation to attend" to "live band, shrimp, and fun: got to be there". And, also in today's world, I adore the awesome DIY creative wedding which can be the most-fun-do-not-miss event ever.
 |
| This DIY Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Used a Brown Paper Bag for Its Envelope - Calligraphy & Vintage Stamps!!! |
4. There is NO substitute for pen nib dipped into an ink bottle calligraphy. The ole calligraphy magic marker pen screams "yuck" to me every time I see it. Yes... much faster for the calligrapher, and... yes...it shows. The care and precision given to the art of fine calligraphy can not be duplicated.
5. Do not scrimp in this area of your wedding budget. The most important thing is to GET GUESTS TO THE EVENT! You are going to spend the same amount of time and effort on this wedding whether you have a small crowd or large. Don't you want people to actually come and enjoy?
A proper invitation addressed properly will get your guests there.
Bottom Line: I promise to be the best wedding vender with which you will deal. My husband is a pastor who has performed many wedding ceremonies. My own son was married June 2012. I know how stressful weddings can be! I remember how cruelly my own organist treated me causing me to run to my mother in tears. I know the value of encouraging words and a hug at this emotional time in your bride's life. I will do an excellent job... and on time. You can depend on my 30 years of experience.
Contact Bev at: HillcrestCottage@gmail.com
I guess nowadays you can find fonts which can provide calligraphy look though people can recognize it that they are not written by hand but if you are on a tight budget you can use such fonts for wedding invitation.
ReplyDeleteYou could, but I feel strongly that a handwritten invitation is a must! Your own handwriting is preferred to a computer. I know that proper etiquette is no longer "fashionable" in our society, however, The Wedding is the last bastion of "proper-ness".
DeleteAlso...adding to the comments: It's not about "fooling" people into thinking you have addressed your invitations a certain way when you have not. The invitation is about being...well, inviting. It is about being personable in the very impersonal world which we now live.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am saying is: Do the best you can, but, foremost, be personable.
Getting your names "right" by spelling them correctly is another major way to show that you truly desire their attendance. I received an invitation recently where every name on the invitation was wrong in every way. It was addressed to Mr. and Mrs. (My first name) Kinley. My future daughter-in-law's first name was spelled incorrectly and her last name was not even close to being right (not in spelling but was simply the wrong name)...and my son was in the wedding! Do you think I was motivated to attend this event?
In another example, I received a hand-crafted, lovingly made wedding invitation, and her wedding was one of the BEST weddings to which I have ever been!