Questions for the Calligrapher, Part two: Do I need a Calligrapher?

Photo by Unruly Things

The answer is... Maybe.

As a professional calligrapher, of course I recommend you to hire a calligrapher, you might even hire me! However I realize that this is a) not always in the budget b) not always the right look for an event.  Here are a few reasons why I think you would be well served in hiring a professional calligrapher.

Tones: Calligraphy sets the tone of your event from the moment the recipient opens the mailbox. Calligraphy on the envelope indicates that this is a significant event - this is a big deal. People so rarely get handwritten mail (we all are sick of bills and junk mail!) that when we do, it makes the mail more exciting, like an unexpected gift. Even if you are sending an invite to your father's bosse's cousin, the fact that they have been  invited should have some significance. Weddings are important events in peoples lives. The fact that you have been invited means that you are important to them. A calligraphied envelope can say that you are planning this event with thought and care, that it is more than a birthday or a baby shower, this is a BIG day for me, and I want you there.

Outsourcing: I don't know about you but it takes me a long time to get through all of my holiday card writing, and I do this for a living! Think about addressing 120 envelopes front and back, it can take days!  When planning your wedding there are countless details to be decided on, this can be one detail left to the professional.  The happiest brides I have seen are the ones that know when to outsource and let other people help them. One of my best friends had everything divvied up so well she didn't have a thing left to do 4 weeks before the wedding. Instead she relaxed and enjoyed her engagement. Most brides I've met work full time up until a day or so before the wedding, and every weekend is filled with tastings and florals and fittings. Wouldn't it be nice to have one less thing to worry about?

​Stamping a return address. Can also be useful for the RSVP envelopes.

If nothing else: Hand write your envelopes. This is no time for labels or stickers that look mass produced. For very little cost you can have a custom address stamp made for the return address. But for goodness sake, hand write the recipient address! Ask your mother to help, ask your neighbor, or assemble your bridesmaids and divide the list.

-km