Why You Should Book an Invitation Designer Who is Also a Calligrapher

Your invitations are about so much more than just letting people know when to show up at your wedding. Read that sentence again if you need to! When you invest in a professional invitation designer, you are assuring that your pretty paperie will live on under refrigerator magnets and in hope chests for years to come. With calligraphy and hand-lettering making a rise in the wedding scene for how personal and touching it can make each and every suite feel, it can be daunting to find invitation designers and calligraphers who can work together to create consistency throughout your event. And let’s not even try to fathom lettering every envelope yourself – as if wedding planning didn’t leave you with enough on your plate already! There are plenty of reasons why we think you should find a wedding vendor that specializes in both, but don’t take our word for it. We asked design and calligraphy team Laurel & Marie all about some of the most pertinent reasons to hire a wedding invitation designer who’s also a calligrapher. Read on to hear what they had to say!

Photo // Emily Nicole Photo

What are the benefits of booking an invitation designer who is also a calligrapher?

Hiring a designer and calligrapher team is a smart move because it’s a one-stop-shop! It’s so nice to have one team who can take care of everything from designing save-the-dates to printing invitations, calligraphing guest envelopes and curating coordinating postage. Plus, having a designer and calligrapher on hand is a lifesaver during the busy final weeks leading up to the wedding. We’ve seen firsthand how stressful it is to try to source, customize and ship day-of pieces from online shops, especially when you may only have a few weeks from the RSVP date to the wedding itself. If you’re already working with a designer and calligrapher team, however, it’s a painless process for them to create beautiful coordinating pieces like menus, programs and favors. 

What does the process of working with an invitation designer and calligrapher look like?

Our first step is to learn about our couple – who they are, how they met, what they love, and what they dream their wedding will be like. We use all of this information to create a custom design that will be their guests’ first impression of the wedding itself. Will it be formal or informal? Wild and funky or traditional and classic? Once we have a clear idea of the design direction we’ll be taking, we choose ways to incorporate calligraphy, lettering or other hand-drawn/hand-painted elements for a unique and personal touch. 

How are calligraphers able to incorporate their hand-lettering skills into invitation design?

Designers and calligraphers work together to incorporate “spot calligraphy” into an invitation suite. Essentially, this is when a hand-calligraphed element (such as the couple’s names) is digitized and printed on pieces like the wedding invitation, details cards and even envelopes. We can use that same style of calligraphy to create custom headings for pieces like thank-you notes, signs and menus. Because hand-drawn elements like calligraphy and brush lettering are so unique, they go a long way in making your suite feel cohesive and customized rather than a “fill-in-the-blank” suite from a big online shop. 

Why hire a calligrapher to address envelopes, rather than addressing yourself?

Invitations are one of the few elements of a wedding that can be saved long past the wedding date. When a guest receives a beautifully calligraphed, personalized envelope, they know what’s inside is very special! Creating a keepsake that couples and their guests will keep forever is a privilege and a joy for us, and a calligraphed envelope is the icing on the cake. 

On a more practical note, a seasoned calligrapher will have thousands of envelopes under their belt! This means you have an expert on your side to answer questions about addressing etiquette as well as post office idiosyncrasies. Couples often underestimate just how long it takes to hand-address hundreds of envelopes, and that’s not counting proofreading and correcting errors! Hiring a calligrapher eliminates the hassle (and the hand cramps) of one of the most time-consuming parts of mailing out your invitations.

How can I make the most of the design process?

Trust your designer! We love to see stationery inspiration photos that you are drawn to, but don’t feel like you need to find the perfect font or envelope color yourself. We can use anything from your bouquet inspiration and bridesmaid dresses to your venue architecture and your hobbies as inspiration for your invitation suite — just share with us what you love, and we will fill in the details! Creating custom invitations is a fun, collaborative process that results in a piece of artwork that you will cherish for years to come.

Connect with invitation design and calligraphy duo Laurel & Marie via their vendor profile. Happy planning!